Do I Trust You?

For a company or organization to perform well, the members must have confidence in each other. Deadlines, financial constraints and turf wars complicate the ability to work together.

If company members have confidence and trust each other, they find it easier to work out problems and perform at high levels. It also allows them to innovate and take risks because they believe in each other.

But how do you build trust? First you must get to know each other as people. Then by working together on small tasks and then larger projects, you gain confidence in others to cover you when you are not there, pitch in when needed, and do the right thing at the right time.

At Terrapin Adventures we have a number of exercises that get team members to get to know each other better and collaborate to solve problems. When you build those relationships it isn’t those people in the other (fill in the department). It is my friend (fill in the name) who helped me when I stumbled on the challenge course and gave me support when I had doubts. The result better performance.

Conquering Fear & Entering the Growth Zone

All of us at one time or another have been on the proverbial precipice, scared and unsure if we could do something. How do people conquer their fear and meet a milestone or break through a boundary? Often it starts with trust. Trusting yourself, family, friends and co-workers that they will support and help you.

When faced with a challenge and doubt or fear, our guides ask participants to break the problem down into smaller pieces. First we establish an initial goal. It could be to get the top of the ladder on the zip line or complete level I on our three-level high ropes challenge course. Then we might encourage them to take an additional step once the interim goal is reached. Each step helps get the person closer and often makes a formerly daunting challenge easier to achieve.

Trying new things is exciting and comfortable for many. Using something that we are familiar with makes it easier to incrementally try new things. We often ask people to talk about themselves and put them in a comfort zone as we help them try something new to move to their growth zone. We get people to say yes and try something and this success helps build additional success of taking on a new challenge.

The feeling of conquering your fear is powerful as you get a sense of relief and accomplishment. Sharing in your success with your family, friends or co-workers reinforces the moment and makes it special.

Get The Point: Good Communication

As a former basketball player I always appreciated a fellow player who passed me the ball where I wanted it. But how did they know where to pass it? Well I first communicated with my eyes and hands to give them a target and let the passer know when and where I wanted the ball. Then based on practice, the passer knows that I don’t like a pass that is too strong or too low (us tall guys can’t get down too easily).

The same principles apply to communication between co-workers. Some people like facts and are very business like. Others need more preamble and information to understand and process your request. You need to understand your audience, their preferences and personalities and adjust your message accordingly.

Pay attention to the receiver’s body language as this often tells you more than what they say. As a receiver, providing feedback (paraphrasing what you understand to be the message) helps close the loop that a message’s intent was understood and doesn’t require more info.

Getting to Know Your Team

Effective teams trust each other, communicate clearly and openly, encourage creative problem solving, and work together well under time pressure. These high performing teams benefit from co-workers understanding and respecting each other. This does not happen overnight. It takes time to get know each other, their habits, likes and dislikes. But it is easier to work through challenges if you have developed a bond with your co-workers that transcends work alone.

Off-site team building gives companies an opportunity for co-workers and managers alike to get to know each other. Once you have laughed and worked together to solve a problem on a challenge course, your relationship has changed in a positive fashion. Back at the office, when faced with a problem, the personal relationship that was forged helps the team work together. It is no longer those people in accounting. It is Joe or Sally who helped me get through the spider web on the challenge course or spotted me when I was unsteady on the zig zag beam or came up with a creative solution to the all aboard game.

Matt Baker is Chief Adventure Officer of Terrapin Adventures.

The Power of Many

The recent snow storms are a great illustration of the power of many. When neighbors worked together, the overwhelming task of clearing snow became easier. Work goes smoother when people work together to help each other out. The same goes for the workplace. When people unite with a common vision and strategy, results improve. Factors critical to success include trust amongst the participants, clear communication and having the incentives aligned. In the snow example, neighbors working together to clear their common street have a goal of gaining access to the rest of the neighborhood. By taking different sections, neighbors are clear on how the work is to be done and when. The incentive is everyone can get out. Try this at work and you will be amazed at the power of many.
Matt Baker

Challenge Courses are Positive Experiences for School Groups

At Terrapin Adventures Outdoor Adventure Center, we have witnessed firsthand the positive effects that team building and challenge courses have on students. Terrapin Adventures specializes in creating memorable field trips for school groups that creates changes in student’s relationships and behaviors.

A typical day of team building for a school groups at Terrapin Adventures includes name games, ice breakers, mind teasers, initiatives, problem solving, low challenge course elements, high challenge course elements, zip lining, climbing and traversing. All of these activities have an assumed inherent risk, and it is important that each student shows a level of maturity before they are able to participate in each activity.

At the beginning of a day, we are faced with a group of students with a wide range of personality and behavior traits, as well as different degrees of self-confidence. Through initiative activities and low challenge course elements, Terrapin Adventures facilitators work to bond the students into a cohesive group that show respect, maturity and responsibility. An example of an activity that staff may employ to achieve this goal is our low challenge course element, The Beam. The goal of this initiative is to get participants over an eight-foot beam using strict rules and guidelines. Obstacles that the students have to overcome during the course of this activity are trust, respect, communication and leadership issues. The transformation that students go through not only when completing these initiatives but also when going through the steps to reach their goals, is remarkable. By the end of the morning, the majority of students have already matured and found a new sense of self-confidence that was achieved by simply being placed in a situation that required them to think out of the box, trust & work with others and step out of their comfort zone.

As the day progresses, and students move onto high challenge course elements they become an even more cohesive group and it is clear to see the changes in self-confidence in individuals. Students also realize that safety is a major concern during adventure activities, and become very attuned to the staff’s instruction and to helping their fellow classmates get passed any fears or obstacles they may face.
Parents realize the value that teambuilding and challenge courses have on their children. Johanna Nathanson, made the following statement about her son, Sam, age 12, “I wish he had more of this type of activity all year long”. She then went on to say that the challenge course at Terrapin Adventures was one of the best things Sam has ever done for his self-confidence.

By actively participating in team building and challenge course activities, students go home more self-confident and with more maturity then they started with just a few short hours before.

Becca Stewart is a Manager at Terrapin Adventures. Terrapin Adventures is an outdoor facility for family recreation, group team building and fun located at historic Savage Mill. For more information call 301-725-1313 or go to www.terrapinadventures.com

The Golden Rule: Your Staff Make The Difference

As I was researching the adventure tourism market prior to launching Terrapin Adventures I traveled across the country talking to owners of zip line canopy tours. On one trip to British Columbia, I visited two facilities just 8 miles apart. The first had the latest technology, with zip lines hundreds of feet in the air and spans of 2,000 ft. I could barely contain myself as I zipped along at 60 mph.

The next day I visited an older zip line canopy tour design with slower but still long zip traverses with beautiful scenery. It was, however, a much better tour. Why? The guides. The guides were more engaging, friendly and full of interesting information. From the moment I arrived, they made me feel comfortable, entertained, and cared for.

The point is that someone else who has the biggest, fastest, highest, or longest can always trump you. But if you create lasting memories with great guest/staff interaction, you build a valuable word of mouth venue.

You can train on technical skills but you must hire people who have a passion for the field. They must genuinely like to talk to guests, share information, and help people. Take the time to get to know prospective staff. Do they carry that twinkle, warmth, or energy about the field? All jobs have drudgery in daily tasks. Those who have a passion don’t get bogged down with the hassle or the 50th time someone asks for directions.

Reward the staff for doing the right things. In designing incentive systems, be careful what you wish for because you will get it. Make sure the behaviors and results you reward are in sync with growing your business or margin.

Lastly, get feedback from guests that you can share with staff so they can stay focused on the importance of customer relations.

Matt Baker is Chief Adventure Officer at Terrapin Adventures. Terrapin Adventures is an outdoor facility for family recreation, group team building and fun located at historic Savage Mill. For more information call 301-725-1313 or go to www.terrapinadventures.com