Whilst at work or doing any activity it is important to find time to facilitate. This constant facilitation is to help people to change, grow and learn; reflecting past experiences can do all this. To get the best use of facilitation use must find the balance of how much learning they can do themselves and how much they can be taught.
Transfer learning-transfer is an important concept in facilitation. There are three types of transfer in adventure programming: specific transfer that involves the learning of specific skills for the use in a closely related situation e.g. learning to type to be a receptionist. Non specific transfer refers to the learning of more general principles or behaviours and applying them to a different situation e.g to guide first time kayakers down a river there is a level of risk, needing level of trust. Metaphoric transfer is a more specialised form of transfer. Metaphoric transfer occurs when parrells exist between two learning environments. E.g. is where a person who starts new job feels the same, as he would do if he were on first date.
Programme Assessed
The programme (which can be seen in Appendix A) is designed to cover all aspects of improving the teamwork of employees in the workplace.
The participants will be split into four groups, in which they will participate in five activities. They will do four activities in their groups, and then they will be brought together in the late afternoon to do an activity that involves them to split in only two groups competing against each other.
Activities chosen are directly related to team building and self-motivation.
Brief- The day begins with a brief. The brief will give an introduction to the day and the people supervising the day. The brief tells the participants the outline of the day, what is going on? Why it is going on? What the aims and objectives of the day. Included in the brief the participants will be given guided tour of the facility and where each activity is situated.
Activity A- Moon Walk (full details in Appendix C) The objectives of this activity is to get the participants to solve the problem in hand, increase trust between themselves, whilst working in a team have dependent thinking. The activity aims to show that working together closely, the team can understand that your actions can affect others. This activity can be easily understood and played out. Good story line, which gets participants attention, which in turn increase motivation in the activity. The activity fulfils its aims and objectives well. The downfall of the activity is that the problem was to easy solve, so other variables are often enforced.
Activity B- a Weighty Problem (full details in Appendix D) the objective of this activity is to get the participant to think more than one dimensional, with a lot of creative problem solving involved. The participants have also to decide between co-operation and competition. There is a lot of lifting so there is a high level of trust that the participants must attain. The activity fulfils it aims and objectives with great effect. Participants at end of activity do understand the objectives that have been set. Materials needed are easy accessed, so that the activity can be easily performed. The problem with the activity is that the goal is not often achieved and that the answer has to be given to show meaning of the activity.
Activity C- Orienteering (full details in Appendix E) The objective of this activity is to get the participants to work closely together to achieve the aim quickly as the activity is a race. The participants have to communicate well, to decide the plan of action. This activities gives the more physically oriented a chance to excel whilst still being mentally challenged. The activity fulfils its aims and objectives, but not to level as in other activities. There is a lot of chance of good teamwork, which entails a job to be done quickly, similarity with work activity. The activity does not give the participants a lot to evaluate at the end of the activity.
Activity D- The Black Hole (full details in Appendix F) the objectives of this activity are to get the participants to plan, with a lot communication between all the group members. The activity is quite physically demanding with a lot of lifting so there must be trust between all the members. The activity is good one for getting everyone to have an equal part in completing the activity. The equipment needed for the activity is easily attainable and set up. The activity a low success rate as the team must develop good team building skills, if this activity is the first activity of the day, there will not be much success.
Activity E- Crossing Lake with Recovery exercise (full details in Appendix G) Most important of all the activities as its aimed in using all the objectives in activities A, B, C and D. This activity summarises the day with a good team building exercise in which every member is heavily involved. There is a lot planning to the exercise, with need for large area to be used. There is big safety element to the exercise as it situated on water; extra staff will be needed (staffing problem)
Debrief- A debrief is done after every activity, but at this stage of the team building day this is a chance for all the groups to critically reflect on the day. This will be done in a class session in which the groups would fill out a questionnaire and a spider diagram with discussion with people that ran the activities. This is where the participants can use what they learnt on the day and try and transfer into their workplace so they can increase productivity. Questions that the participants should reflect on are: -
- What was done well?
- What has done badly?
- What would you have changed if you had to do it again?
- How can I use what I learnt and put in to work situations?
Appendix A
Timetable: ABBA Climbing Corp.
Activities:
Brief and Debrief – Court Yard, opposite the Library
Activity A - Moon Walk, situated front lawn, facing Riseholme Lake
Activity B - A Weighty problem, situated lawn adjacent to Harvey Dormitory
Activity C – Orienteering, Situated at the Cottage
Activity D – The black hole, situated woods adjacent the car park.
Activity E – Raft Build and Crossing Exercise, situated Riseholme Lake
Lunch – Canteen.
N.B Map will be provided to show participants were to be for each activity.
Appendix B
Map 1
Map 2
Appendix C
Activity A: - Moon Walk
Summary- A group of 7-12 astronauts hid under a rocky outcrop during an unexpected electrical storm which created clusters of radioactive moon dust on everything but the craters between them and their spacecraft. Their movement is hindered by the fact that they were testing an experimental oxygen system that connects the group in a line by linking people at the ankles.
Objectives – Problem solving, quality, interdependence and trust building
Materials – two 3-4 m (10-12) lengths of rope laid out 4-5 (13-16ft) apart and parallel to each other. These represent the distance from the outcrop to the spaceship.
Four hula hoops spaced 30- 45 cm (12-16 in) from each other and the ropes as evenly spread out.
Cut the cross-sectional strips of automobile tyre 3-4 cm (1-1.5 in) wide. Use 11 of these giant elastic hoops for an astronaut group of 12, ten for a group of 11, nine for group of ten, etc
Timing – Allow 20 – 30 minutes
Procedure
- With the group on the start side of the rope, ask participants to form a line.
- Give all but one participant an elastic hoop.
- Describe to the group the scenario summarised above and explain that the elastics represent their oxygen support system.
- Tell participants to link themselves together at the ankles by the elastics. The oxygen system should link them in an unbroken line, so that only the first and last person has a leg free.
- Once they are properly linked, tell participants that (a) the oxygen will be used up in 15- 20 min and (b) if anyone steps on the radioactive dust they must return to the start in order to decontaminate the person before continuing.
- At the end of the time limit, debrief
Commentary – This is a good activity to use early on to start participant talking about working closely as at team and what it takes and how it feels to be connected in such a way that your actions affect how others perform.
Variations
- Vary the distance and angles between hoops to change the challenge level.
- Assign a time penalties for inadvertent touches instead of requiring participant to return to the start.
Appendix D
Activity B: - A weighty problem
Summary- Two teams of between four and ten members are opposite each other. Each complete team needs to reach the opposite side in the fewest possible carries.
Objectives- Creative problem solving, co-operation versus competition, and trust building.
Materials – Two tables of sturdy platforms. Each must be able to hold one team without tipping during the activity. Well built picnic or wooden tables and even large flat6 boulders will suffice. If you are unsure of the table strength, leave it out.
A bandana or similar instrument for each participant to use as a blindfold.
Timing- 30 minutes
Procedure
- Place the tables opposite each other. Make the distance between the two consistent with the strength and athleticism of the group, using 8-15m (20-25 feet) as a range.
- Split the two groups into two teams. Direct each team to one of the tables and explain that the table nearest them is their starting line and the one furthest from them is their safety zone.
- Give the group enough bandannas for each member and prepared information sheet, and concentrate your attention on being ready to prevent any mishaps in carrying or unloading.
- Debrief
Commentary- Always attends to safety and be ready to assist when the last person is brought up on the safety platform.
Creativity issues are related to imposing rules where there are none. For example, some groups assume only one person can carry another person. Another example, which relates to co-operation versus competition, is the often-ignored fact that if members of one team carry those of the opposite team, it doesn’t count as a carry. Even when groups discover this means of minimising their carries, competitiveness can complicate matters. Will one team carry the others last members? If they do, their last member has to roll across the ground and be credited with one more carry than the opposition
Variations
- Greater the distance, say 20-30m (60 –100ft), can be used if you omit the ‘no hands or feet’ rule and allow the last person to hop across on one foot instead. As noted above, omit the tables whenever there is any doubt about their strength.
- This activity can also work well with just one team or when the gaol is speed rather than the least number of carries.
Appendix E
Activity C- orienteering
Summary- groups of no more six participants, no less than four groups. The groups will be given a map, which shows highlighted places. The groups must get to the highlighted places and achieve marking, the one with the all the right markings with the quickest time wins.
Objectives- communication, co-operation and problem solving
Materials – Number of maps consistent with the number of participants.
Paper for marking to be wrote on with pen.
Markings example. H 4
Timing- 30 –45 minutes
Procedure –
- Briefly describe the activity
- Give participants equipment
- Set a time limit
Commentary- the activity will involve the groups to use a lot of communication they also must decide which order do they retrieve the markings to be fastest.
Variations
- Increase the amount of markings
- Increase the amount of time set
- Instead of giving them a full map, a little map will be given and they must retrieve the rest the map as the find the markers.
Appendix F
Activity D- The Black hole
Summary-Group members Begin on one side of the hula-hoop and must remain on tumbling mats during the challenge, Group members are to pass through the hoop to the other side. No more than ten participants at a time.
Objectives – Trust building, inter-dependence and problem solving
Materials-
- Two volleyball net standards
- Hula hoop
- Three pieces of 10metre rope
- Basketball hoop
Timing- 10-15 min
Procedure-
- Relay the rules to participants
- Set time limit
- Members must stay on tumbling mat
- Pass participants through hoop.
Commentary – The participants must plan well before starting, if not could lead to instant failure (heaviest through first). A lot of trust has to be placed because of lifting. Communication important, talking through the activity essential
Variations-
- The height of the loop can be changed higher or lower to suit certain age, gender and athleticism of participants
- Bring items through the hole with them , which will increase difficulty, such as a beach balls
- Make the mat area smaller
Appendix G
Activity E – Crossing Lake with Retrieving Exercise
Summary- Two teams of no more than 16 participants. The teams must make a raft, cross the lake to pick up barrels on the other side and bring them back. All members of the team must have gone to other side and back. The two teams are competing against each other.
Objectives- Communication, competition, creative problem solving,
Trust building, quality, teamwork, planning versus doing and the joys of being wet (fun)
Materials-
- Four canoes
- Eight poles 6foot in length
- Six pieces of 1m rope
- Twelve barrels
- Four paddles
- Buoyancy aids consistent with amount of participants
Timing- 60 –90 minutes
Procedure-
- split groups into two teams
- outline the activity with the rules
- set time
- guidance
Commentary – two teams must build a raft with the equipment given, they must cross the lake to collect the barrels from the other side, whilst doing this they must get all members of the team to other side and back. Once the barrels and all members are back on the side they started on they must make the tallest tower with the barrels. First one to do it all wins.
Variations-
- Change the amount of barrels , increase or decrease for difficulty
- Limit the amount poles
- Limit the amount of rope and size
Bibliography
Lewis. R, Team-building skills, 1991, Harbridge Consulting Group Ltd
Kharbanda. O, Project Teams, 1990, NCC Blackwell
Gibbs. G, Learning in Teams, 1994, The Oxford Centre for Staff Development
Consalvo. C, Outdoor Games for Trainers, 1995, Gower Publishing Ltd
Glover. D, Team Building Through Physical Challenges, 1992, Human Kinetics
Torkildsen. G, Leisure and Recreation Management 4th edt, 2000, Chapman & Hall
Hardingham. A, Working in Teams, 1995, Institute of Personnel and Development
Kinlaw. D, Superior Teams, 1998, Gower Publishing Ltd
References
Rogers et al, gross fourth edition, 1996, front page
