The Facilitator’s Toolbox #1: What’s teambuilding and why blog about it?
What is team building and what use might you have for a blog dedicated to team building and group facilitation?
You are a member of a team.
As a social animal, humans find themselves interacting with other humans reaching for similar goals. These groups range from friends and family to sports teams and work groups, but the truth is that all groups share similar structures and dynamics. Most times, we do not explore these things until a group has malfunctioned in some way and needs to be dragged back on track. Until that point, we focus on either the goal of the group, or our own development as a group member. Group facilitation, or team building exists to read the processes of a group, and to help it find its greatest functionality.
By focusing on the process of a group, rather than the goal, a group is able to determine its needs and the resources available to address those needs. Here, I will be describing teambuilding theory, techniques, games, and applications for different environments.
The games and techniques that will be presented in this blog are largely designed to either promote group cohesion, and/or allow trainers to see the dynamics of the group on display. They range from the basic and social to the dynamic and physical. Not only are they designed to adapt to different groups, but they are designed to be both inclusive and effective in a large variety of environments. I am also hoping to have the opportunity to answer questions you may have on the needs of your specific groups or environments, and what sorts of group initiatives would bring out the best in your clientele.
While the make up of our groups change, group dynamics and human nature will always be a part and will always allow us a pathway to make the changes that will drive us forward.
Who am I to address such things? I am a professional teambuilder who has worked in the industry for well over a decade. In that time I have managed a facility, trained staff, ran workshops for both facilitators and educators, and continue to spend the majority of my time directly in the field, working with clients.
If you have any questions, please respond and I will get back to them as soon as I am able. Thank you for your time, and I’ll see you soon!
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Esteban Colon is a Teams Course Facilitator and Experiential Educator with over a decade of experience who works with a wide variety of clientele. In this time he managed a facility, trained scores of new facilitators, led workshops, wrote manuals and continued working in the field. He can be reached directly for questions at esteban_colon@yahoo.com
