| Balls!
"In the long history of humankind those
who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively
have prevailed." --Charles Darwin
Looking for something completely different? Balls! is one of a family
of programs designed to be more rigorous than the typical teambuilding event while
being every bit as fun. Optimized for groups of 6 to 16 people, these programs are a
fun way to challenge the executive suite, or to help a single department through a
tough transition.
The fun happens as you laugh your way through games and exercises drawn from the world
of improv comedy. The challenges come from our facilitator, who will test you on a variety
of skills that are as useful in the boardroom as on the comedy stage. By the end of the
program you’ll be exhausted, as much from the laughter as the challenge; amazed and enlightened
by yourself and your coworkers.
The programs work because they are presented in a low-stakes, fun atmosphere. They work
because they use this safe, fun environment to explore the mechanics of human interactions
in non-personal, non-threatening ways. These programs are fun, often breaking down into
absolute hilarity, but they also serve a serious purpose. Reasons for selecting these programs
include:
- a recent or anticipated merger/acquisition or corporate culture clash
- sweeping changes in management or operational styles
- a team under unusual or exceptional pressure
- bringing together team members with widely varied social, ethnic or national backgrounds
- language problems: Engineer-Speak vs. Sales/Marketing-Speak
- type-A's locked in counter-productive competition
- organizational politics undermining productivity
All the programs in this series follow the same core methodology, each focusing on a different
set of skills or challenges. Our program facilitator balances humor with subtle direction to ensure
that your needs are addressed, usually with the participants unaware of the topic of focus. Listed
below are three examples of programs from this series. If you don’t see a program that fits your needs,
let us know. The methodology is easily adapted.
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Board members, customers, vendors and employees each present different and sometimes conflicting
demands on a department or a project. Balls! shows that you don’t have to be a juggler to avoid
dropping the ball and explores how seemingly contradictory demands may actually be complementary.
Occasionally a project is the brainchild of one individual who then delegates, leads and controls
every detail. More often, however, a project is based on goals determined by a customer or a market
developer. Instead of belonging to one individual, a typical project exists as a separate entity,
having its own needs. Help! explores the difference between contributing and controlling,
and how to identify and satisfy the specific needs of a project.
Determining and serving a client’s actual need is your responsibility as an expert in your industry.
This often requires extracting information in less than ideal conditions, and disseminating and
incorporating this information into a project that is already underway. Sir! deals with
learning and communicating in chaotic or even hostile environments.
If you would like to learn more about Balls!
or any of our other programs please don't hesitate to
contact us.
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