“We can never find peace in the outer world until we find peace with ourselves” – Dalai Lama
We often focus on implementing activities, beating deadlines to achieve the organization’s set goals and forget to take time off to just reflect and reconnect with each other. Working in a group is not always a smooth ride but how we handle the humps is what determines how far we can go as a team.
To commemorate International Peace Day 2018, CREW team members spent the day trying to understand where they are and how they think they are progressing as a family guided by a facilitator at Juba Oasis Camp. The one-day Team-Building exercise targeted three (3) main capacity areas: Social, Mental and Physical abilities.
Could it be hidden in the pool?: looking for the missing piece of information
The focus was on how CREW Staffs can in future mitigate internal issues by putting the three capacities in to appropriate use to avoid organizational mistrust and encourage the spirit of working as a team (CREW).
The methodology used was tailored to allow the staffs have first-hand approach to their own problems, and how to practically employ lessons learnt to ensure a conducive working environment for all. The exercise employed games that aimed at literally understanding challenges that come with working in a complex environment and how best they can overcome them.
The objective of the Team-Building was to re-establish a friendlier, effective and understanding working team with an enabling environment to carry ahead with realization of the organization’s mission and vision.
Racing to the finish line with your partner on your back
The day had activities that aimed at improving the staffs team work; The team started the day with an hour and a half scavenger hunt game, where they underwent a series of stages to complete the puzzle of finding the facilitator’s location.
In the course of the day, they were involved in various games, puzzles and activities to try and bring them to the task of realizing that indeed life is never as easy as they think.
The exercise had brain, muscle and social teasing games. This was intended to improve on their communication skills and get to know their strengths and weaknesses both personally and as an organization.
Scavenger Hunt
It is worth noting that, despite challenges and short comings here and there, the overall exercise was very beneficial to the team as they seemed to have enjoyed all the sessions. The knowledge gained was of great significance and had an immediate compensation to their time consumed. The team members were able to identify some of their personal strengths and weakness but above all deeply connected with each other emotionally as everyone shared something personal about themselves they had never told anyone about.
locate your partner
In the last session where the facilitator requested the team members to share their brief reflection of how they felt about the day, all appreciated the training and went ahead to request for more time among themselves to improve on their personal and professional images from time to time with or without a facilitator.
They committed to continue to work collaboratively together in ensuring, excellent work relationships and improve the rigid harmful behavior characters into characters with dignity and respect for humanity that can ensure a positive direction towards love and trust.
At the beginning, it was clear to see that some team members showed up for the team building exercise unwillingly just to fulfil the requirement of the day, but it was pleasing to see that, it turned out to be such a fruitful day as its reflected in the general direct feedback session and their improved inter-relations by the end of the day.
Communication skills: Testing the staffs active listening skills
