Indoor Team Building - A New Way of Thinking

Team building indoors has often been an interesting topic challenging traditional views that team building involves charging around fields on quad bikes or clay pigeon shooting on a hotels lawns on a summer afternoon. These views couldn't be further from reality as corporate event companies have had to develop and evolve to survive not only the challenges of the British weather but also the need to generate a business that isn't seasonal. As a consequence indoor events are now a major product group for event companies and often outnumber their outdoor counterparts in regards to number of events delivered on an annual basis. This increase in frequency of indoor events has led to a real commitment from event companies to devise and develop exciting and engaging indoor team building products to cater for the increase in demand. What we have been left with is a wide range of really innovative events that are flexible in the sense of being able to operate in almost any available indoor space, but also delivering the team dynamic elements associated with a traditional outdoor team building event.

Clients have bought into the indoor option too. It offers the safety of knowing that the event isn't subject to what the British weather throws at you on a particular day or indeed the need for an indoor contingency to be on standby just in case. It also offers great value for money. Often team building or activity days are part of a wider event, for example a multi-day conference or training programme, where team building forms a very small part of the overall agenda. In those instances indoor team building challenges can utilise the conference room and syndicate spaces already in use, eradicating the need for additional field hire costs that an outdoor event would incur. Indoor events also lend themselves to conferences and business meetings as typically they can be performed in normal business attire avoiding the need for delegates from having to change in to more comfortable and casual clothing.

Put into other words indoor events are a lot easier to plan and offer a more non-threatening approach as inherently they are less physical and therefore give you the best chance of maximising participation from conference delegates. Another major benefit to committing to an indoor event is the ability to be able to include a team building aspect in your conference agenda in months where the weather is unpredictable. Before the constant fear would be the weather and whether the event would be able to go ahead at all. Subsequently Autumn and kick off conferences at the start of year used to steer away from including activities in the agenda for this very reason. Now whether the conference is being run in June or February, team building has a place in the programme.

A subsequent development of the growth in indoor team building has seen the emergence of conference breakout activities typically shorter in length than a team building event sometimes as short as 20 minutes come to the fore. Management want to maximise information retention from attendees at conferences or meetings and asking your staff to sit through days of PowerPoint presentations will inevitably reduce what they can absorb. An indoor conference breakout activity will re-energise delegates leaving them refreshed, full of energy and re-engaged. Typically a breakout activity is placed within a conference agenda in the 'grave yard shift' after lunch which all presenters hate. Getting staff off their seats and active in an activity fills these tricky slots perfectly.

The days of assuming team building is solely an outdoor pursuit have long since gone. This is not to say outdoor team building events have seen better days, far from it. You simply can’t beat getting away from conference rooms and suites into the fresh air but indoor events are now firmly established as a legitimate equal. Corporate event companies have adapted and now offer a real variety of indoor products that have conquered the limited space issue and really do deliver fantastic solutions. The limitations of only being able to have team building events in the summer have been completely removed and the future of indoor team building events only looks likely to continue to grow. M&MR are a specialist corporate events company based in the UK who deliver team building and activity days, evening entertainment, conference production (audio visual kit and crew) and exhibition support. Having been founded over 25 years ago we have the experience and expertise to deliver events to the highest standard, on time and on budget. Having a footprint in a number of event areas has meant M&MR has become a 'one stop shop' for clients who know that everything can be taken care of in one phone call.

Unlike many of our competitors we don't subcontract to other event companies we are actually the team on the ground delivering the event. From conception through the planning stages up to delivery and post event feedback you have an M&MR member of the team with you every step of the way. So, for unique team building activities, state of the art conference production and management and the most exciting corporate entertainment M&MR are the team to assist.

New thinking for Team building events

M&MR offer a range of solutions for team building events that will take your training day from something that your staff fear to one they look forward to. M&MR have a range of itineraries for both outdoor and indoor events. They also offer unusual team building activities and psychological profiling which is where the fresh thinking is really evident. Taking the step to have your team psychologically profiled may seem like a step into a science fiction novel, but the benefits shouldn’t be underestimated. Our team tend to use the Myers-Briggs type indicator, as this approach has a strong body of research supporting it but is also easily be explained to laymen meaning that the results can easily be transferred in to actionable plans. This methodology allows participants to understand more about why they go about activities in the manner that they do and that while others in the workplace work in opposing styles, in a similar fashion, there are legitimate reasons why they do so. This is designed to enable workers to come to terms with their work colleague’s styles and create stronger working styles and relationships moving forward.

M&MR’s range of unusual team building events are a great option for a range of companies, perhaps your team always leans towards the wacky or rather your usual business environment is rather stuffy and you are looking to break the mould. We have a great range including an out of this world experience, a trip to the old west and the opportunity to star in your own short film. Within each of these outline events there are a series of specially crafted team building activities that will allow your team to strengthen their relationships. As you would expect with such events there is a heavy emphasis on the creative elements, which are often a great way of allowing people to interact in a less forced way than other directed tasks.

Whichever style of M&MR team building event you opt for we are confident that you will be satisfied with the results, as your team leaves having had a great day and feeling more unified as a result.

Live Events Are the Perfect Way to Emotionally Engage With Your Employees

You've got a plan, you have a strategy implemented to reach your target and you have the KPI's in place to measure performance. Surely that's all you need to achieve corporate goals, right? This couldn't be further from the truth. Without your workforce buying into the concept you might as well forget reaching even your earliest of benchmarks. Employee engagement to business plans is absolutely vital to their success or failure, but how do you get in front of all of your staff to sell them and convince them this is the best way forward for the company. Live events are the answer. Whether a one off conference or a complete roadshow you must ensure all staff get the opportunity to engage with the strategy first hand.

Before you think that a simple tele or video conference will suffice, think again. You are trying to inspire a new way of thinking that will more than likely cause changes to employees workload, often in their eyes for the worst. If you can only spare an hour during a tele/videoconference how can you really expect them to engage with the plan. You need to commit your time as management to the agenda and to financially invest in the delivery of the live event itself. If staff turn up to a poorly organised, badly delivered event they will not feel the passion and excitement for the project as a whole. You need them to see that time, effort and planning has gone into the event so they feel special and a part of something. If they walk into the conference room and their first reaction is 'Wow' you will be amazed at how much more information they will retain. It's a feeling, it's a state of mind and getting the balance right is crucial. You need to go further than just engaging employees, you need to get an emotional tie in too.

Changing and implementing corporate strategy is a big issue, we all know that, it happens all of the time in every organisation. But why do some organisations get it so right and others so badly wrong. Its all about the presentation to employees at the start of the project, get this wrong and it's very hard to change mindsets later on. The live event needs to be delivered professionally, smoothly and be well thought out. This doesn't mean a flash over the top production of the conference or a top 5 star exclusive location, far from it, this can actually be counter productive. No, staff want to see and witness a well considered, well thought out plan, presented to them in an effective way. This means a good venue with great food and service, this means a professional conference set, with clear sound, projection and lighting delivered by professionals, this means all minor points that affect each individuals day are considered: available parking, travel times to venue, length of each conference session, the list is endless. You need to stop thinking about the company for once and consider what will be the important issues to the people attending this particular event. Get those things right and you will have an audience ready to absorb and engage emotionally with the corporate vision. Get emotional engagement and you will maximise employee performance and you stand a fantastic chance of hitting all of you KPI's.

You may however need a little help along the way.

Give your employees team building activities and see them give back.

Are you a competitive, hardworking company that only strives for the best? That is always on top of their game and excelling? If so, it is crucial that your employees share these values and skills. Here at M&MR we believe that successful employees are key to having a successful company. Therefore we are passionate about helping you maintain and produce employees that your company can get the best out of. If you are looking to instil a new lease of life into your employees, to spread some motivation, then look no further. We are going to outline why team building activities from M&MR are just what your company needs to be the best.

Motivational

With exciting, energetic, and challenging activities, our team building events can really inspire your workers to excel in what they do. It may be the chance for them to rediscover themselves and their zest for their career by experiencing the benefits of hard work. They may even surprise themselves! Whilst our activities are all about team building, they are also the opportunity for employees to stand out from the crowd. Remember, competition is healthy. If they stand out in our team building events, this sense of pride will transfer into the work place as they lavish the feeling of being the best at what they do. Other teams may see defeat as giving them hunger to strive to beat the other team next time. We strongly believe that by giving time and attention to your employees via our team building activities, they will give back to you in the workplace.

Promoting team spirit

If your workplace could do with being brought together a little more, or staff morale needs promoting, then team building can really work on this. If your employees lack communication, or a sense of team spirit, then have no doubts that this will affect their working ability. A workplace that resembles a team is always so much more successful. Our “it’s a knockout challenge” is a hilarious way for staff to encourage each other in order to achieve the desired outcome. It’s a great ice breaker for new staff and can also break down barriers in an enjoyable way.

Inspiring

Here at M&MR, we only employ highly motivated and imaginative staff that will think up exciting and innovative ways to deliver the best in team building events. 100% goes into every team building activity we organise in order to ensure we deliver a day that will be catered towards inspiring your company! Take our “out of this world” activity. A truly inspirational, unique and bespoke event that is sure to leave a positive lasting impression on all. Set at the National Space Centre in Leister and devoted to science and astronomy, this just goes to show how we cut no corners and deliver only the best in order to inspire your staff to deliver only the best in your workplace. To browse our inspiring range of team building activities, see our website.

Team building activities to motivate staff this winter

It is no secret nor surprise that the beautiful weather during the summer months can increase motivation within the workforce. However, when the frosty winter months begin to creep in staff morale can begin to take a nose dive. The hours of daylight each day decreases so you find that you are going to work in the dark and subsequently going home yet again in the dark. Despite the blinds being open, the office is still lacking natural light and the blissful sunshine. Staff can therefore become lethargic and lack motivation.

One way to help combat this issue is by organising corporate entertainment through team building events. Here at M&MR, we have a vast amount of experience in planning and delivering fantastic team building activities. We have previously hosted a variety of successful indoor, outdoor and unusual team building activities. In addition, our team are able to tailor your events to focus on any problems that you need addressing.

 As well as combating lowmorale, our team building events are also a fantastic opportunity to confront and resolve various issues that may have arisen in the work place and so will leave your work force stronger, more cohesive and more productive. Team building activities are also a brilliant opportunity for integrating new staff into the workforce and company as well as allowing staff from various departments to get to know one another. Your staff are your best asset and so it is important to ensure that you maximise their performance, both as individuals and as a team.

 From arranging indoor Olympics to hosting your very own episode of “It’s A Knockout,” we are sure we can organise the perfect team building day to match and go beyond your expectations. As the weather in the UK is often very temperamental, we are able to devise fantastic indoor team building events. At M&MR, we have the belief, track record, skills and imagination to exceed your expectations. Your event is as important to you as it is to us.

If you are wanting to increase motivation and morale within your work force this winter, please visit our website for further information on our team building events or any of our other services, including corporate entertainment. Should you require any further advice, please contact our team who will be more than happy to assist.

Break the ice for your new graduate staff with team building activities

It is the time of year where many third year university students will be celebrating the end of exams and donning caps and gowns to graduate. Now that this chapter of their life is over, many will be looking forward to starting various graduate schemes, placements and internships. If you are a business that has an influx of graduates starting this summer, make sure that they have a smooth transition into the company by organising team building activities.

For a graduate, starting a new role within an established company can be particularly daunting. This in turn can lead to the new staff taking longer to settle and thus take longer in contributing effectively to your business. The use of team building activities can therefore help to ease this nervousness. Team building is especially important in business, both in-department and between departments. The different types of elements that you can incorporate into such an event include ice breakers, company ethos and motivation for current staff.

Having to learn the names of all the staff members can be an impossible task therefore ice breakers give graduates the opportunity to meet the staff in an informal setting whilst also allowing the staff to get to know the graduates. Whilst it is highly likely that your new graduate intake will have thoroughly researched the company in which they are due to start, you can incorporate instilling company values and ethos into your team building events. Rather than being solely for the new staff intake, team building activities are also a fantastic way to increase motivation within your existing staff. Such team building methods can also be used to confront and resolve various issues.

At M and MR, we have a vast amount of experience in arranging and hosting team building events. Our activities range from indoor or outdoor, to unusual activities or psychological profiling. For more information on our team building events or to see how such activities can help your business, contact us today or visit our website.

Inspire and Motivate Your Staff with Team Building Events

All managers want to feel as though their staff are enthusiastic, but sometimes you have to make this happen yourself. A day out of the office can work wonders for a team that needs a bit of a lift. Getting out of the normal office environment and doing something completely different can give your workforce a different perspective on their day-to-day tasks and even help them to view their colleagues in a different light. Team building events are often used by the most successful companies to help their employees to appreciate one another's skills and abilities outside the potentially limited environment of their normal work space.

Many companies have times of extreme pressure for the front-line staff, with seasonal sales peaks, periodical deadlines looming or any number of other situations which could cause the workload to be heavier than usual. Staff who are asked to dedicate themselves to their jobs for these periods sometimes have to do large amounts of overtime and sacrifice time with their friends and family to support their employers.

When dedication and commitment are required from your workforce, giving something back whenever you have time to relieve the pressure is a great idea. Team building events will not only give them the chance to blow off steam and enjoy some downtime, but will also bring them closer as a working unit for the next time they need to pull together for another project.

You can also tailor your team building activities to suit the requirements of those who will be involved, so you don't necessarily need to send them outside for a physical challenge. It could be a more cerebral activity which gives them all a chance to stretch themselves and work together towards a common goal. Team building events also show your employees that you value them and their contribution to the success of your company. Even if you don't have a huge budget or a lot of time to spend on team building events, you can still put together a programme of activities which will allow your staff to recharge their batteries, try something new and enjoy some shared experiences with the people with whom they share their working day.

Why not explore our site further to find suitable activities for your employees? If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact our team who will be more than happy to assist.