Jeff Immelt never gives us psilocybin mushrooms. Some people have all the luck:
QuotePaintballing The Boss: Office Team-Building Exercises Gone Bad
Who can forget that game of Twister played in a skirt? Or the failed "trust fall" where the boss ends up on the ground?
Office team-building exercises often create lasting memories — just not necessarily ones you want to remember.
Several years ago Ben Johnson worked at a health foods store in Iowa. He remembers store management stringing up a donkey piñata to pump up the workers.
"Pinned to its chest was a name tag for a rival store," Johnson says. "They explained to everyone that this was, in fact, an effigy and that we were going to work together to figuratively, literally destroy the competition."
In lieu of candy, the piñata was filled with dollar coins. An overzealous middle manager with a baseball bat was first up, and he obliterated it.
"So when this thing explodes, dozens of the dollar gold Sacagawea coins fly through the air everywhere," Johnson says. "Someone in the front row takes one in the face and goes down. They ricochet off the walls. And when the coins finally stop, I emerge from underneath the table, there's just a stunned silence."
The coins are like blood money, and no one picks them up. Johnson thinks of the whole fiasco as an omen since the store eventually fell to the competition.
Johnson is now a manager at a library, and he says there's an ironic twist: He's been tasked with organizing his own team-building event.
"I'm now that guy; I'm that manager subjecting people to these things," Johnson says.
Around the world, there are thousands of teamwork facilitators. Michael Cardus is one of them. He founded Create-Learning in Buffalo, N.Y. He says the point of trying something new — something that requires cooperation — is to inspire different methods of problem solving.
" 'Hey, this is novel. This is different.' And then you can hopefully have them talk about what worked in that activity and how they can transfer it back to the workplace," Cardus says.
But sometimes it backfires.
Several years ago, things didn't go well for Peter Brooks when his former employer bused his division to a suburban Washington, D.C., field. They were divided into teams for a round of paintball.
"We were issued safety goggles and paintball guns, one of which immediately misfired. It hit a district manager in the crotch," Brooks says.
He remembers that the game quickly devolved into screaming, pleading and retaliatory rage — the paintballs left large welts.
"A lot of people pointed their guns right at their supervisors, me included," Brooks says. "I shot mine right in the middle of the back, and then when he spun around with revenge in his eyes, I surrendered."
The bus ride home, he says, was dead silent.
"I think we were all really unprepared at the impact, literally — emotionally and physically — the impact of shooting paintballs at each other," Brooks says. "People were very mad at each other. There were apologies. There were heartfelt apologies."
Anne Thornley-Brown, president of Executive Oasis, which specializes in corporate team building, says there's a whole subcategory of bad exercises she calls extreme team-building.
"There are some CEOs who are weekend warrior types, and what they may do is compel the members of their team to participate in some really risky activities," she says.
Willy McGee's extreme experience happened last year during a retreat to Montauk, N.Y. The company he worked for was clearly in financial straits and full of dissent and discontent. But McGee says the CEO hoped to find salvation through group inspiration and seemed eager to appear cool and edgy to his young, 20-something staff.
"I think in order to win people back on his favor, he started going around and trying to hand out drugs," McGee says.
Psilocybin mushrooms, to be precise.
"So, at this point, about half the staff is arguing about who has it worse, at which job, and how we're getting screwed and what we're going to do next. And the other half started to eat psychedelic mushrooms," McGee says.
He remembers that after a midnight parade and a degree of mayhem, most of the employees settled down at the beach.
"We had this moment together on top of this lifeguard tower where we realized, 'Well, we're not going to save the business, but we could at least save the relationships here,' " McGee says.
The business closed in September, but McGee remains in touch with his former colleagues. Surviving trauma, he says, is its own kind of team-building.
One time, several companies ago, I went to some training in Orlando. The technical part of the training lasted a day and a half; sales and marketing was for two full days. There were events planned in the evenings both days.
The first days event was a buffet in a banquet hall where all the middle managers made self congratulatory speeches. All the other engineers changed their flight arrangements to leave in the afternoon of the second day. I stayed, having no real desire to leave Orlando in the winter for Detroit. That turned out to be a good plan, as the company rented out a bar at Pleasure Island with live entertainment, open bar and much better food.
That was about the most comically inept team building I've ever been to. After the rest of the engineers found out about it they felt that sales and marketing had deliberately not invited them to the real party.
Has anyone else ever been to a team building gone wrong?
My recent team building ended up great. Just drinks and dinner.
Quote from: garbon on July 08, 2014, 04:31:24 PM
My recent team building ended up great. Just drinks and dinner.
Those are the team building exercises Mrs. CC uses for her team. People seem to appreciate it.
It's the best kind. Been a long time since I encountered anything wilder than that.
I have never been part of a team building exercise.
Quote from: Ideologue on July 08, 2014, 05:50:47 PM
I have never been part of a team building exercise.
You're not missing anything; it's the same morons and douchebags you work with, only under orders to be nicer.
It's all bullshit.
Still beats working.
I'd rather be left alone and working that doing trust falls.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 08, 2014, 06:57:57 PM
I'd rather be left alone and working that doing trust falls.
Yeah I've never had team building that didn't take away at least a part of my evening.
I think that "team building" as a separate activity works up to a certain age, and then doesn't really work after that. I found that, leading a team, the best team-building activity was simply the weekly planning session wherein everyone set their goals for the week, and heard what everyone else's goals were, and could ask questions, coordinate things, and generally own the team's problems and solutions. Some problems and solutions aren't team problems or solutions, and no amount of asshattery will change that.
The "let's stop being a real team so we can go off and pretend to be a pretend team" stuff is for the birds.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on July 08, 2014, 06:39:47 PM
Still beats working.
Shit, ain't like I have to go to a trust exercise to not do that.
I organized our last team building event and we went - among other things - kart racing. That was a lot of fun, although we almost had an accident when two female colleagues who are friends in normal circumstances got so competitive that their karts were on top of each other in a particular bad crash. No one was hurt, but it was close. Most people generally seem to enjoy team building events and you can just opt out in my department, so no one is forced to attend.
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 03:58:51 AM
I organized our last team building event and we went - among other things - kart racing.
That's actually something I can get behind.
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 03:58:51 AM
you can just opt out in my department, so no one is forced to attend.
:hmm:
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 09:11:08 AM
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 03:58:51 AM
you can just opt out in my department, so no one is forced to attend.
:hmm:
:lol: That does seem to defeat the entire purpose, doesn't it? Those who don't need it will take attend, and those who do need it will opt out.
I have to say that piñata idea was really creative pity it was such a disaster. This is why you should avoid creativity at team building events and just take everybody out for lunch once or twice a year.
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:37:42 AM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 09:11:08 AM
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 03:58:51 AM
you can just opt out in my department, so no one is forced to attend.
:hmm:
:lol: That does seem to defeat the entire purpose, doesn't it? Those who don't need it will take attend, and those who do need it will opt out.
That is pretty hilarious :lol:
Reminds me of The Economist piece a few years back that described how Wal-Mart's model of early-morning rallies and team exercises before the store opened up to get their employees revved for the day totally failed in Germany, because so many employees would hide in the bathrooms :lol:
<insert any number of possible jokes about Germans and rallies here>
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 09:48:41 AM
Wal-Mart's model of early-morning rallies and team exercises before the store opened up to get their employees revved for the day
That actually happens? :lmfao:
Dude, you ought to see the bullshit that goes on in Best Buy every morning.
TIME FOR: POINT OF SALE JEOPARDY!
Quote from: Maladict on July 09, 2014, 09:52:45 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 09:48:41 AM
Wal-Mart's model of early-morning rallies and team exercises before the store opened up to get their employees revved for the day
That actually happens? :lmfao:
Yes, it does, I've seen it in a couple of documentaries. Nothing made me more glad that I have in-demand skills than watching that. I thought that kind of bullshit was degrading to the employees.
Back when the founder was still running things people used to love working for Wal Mart and doing those lame team building things was actually sort of fun. But that was because, I think they also got stock options and lots of stuff so you actually did feel some loyalty to the company. Now working for Wal Mart sucks ass and you get treated like crap...but they still make you do the lame team building crap.
But that is just what I have heard from disgruntled former employees.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:05:40 AM
Dude, you ought to see the bullshit that goes on in Best Buy every morning.
TIME FOR: POINT OF SALE JEOPARDY!
If working in Big Box retail was not humiliating enough on its own...
Maybe the purpose of such exercises is to drive intelligent people out from a job where intelligence may be a liability?
Quote from: DGuller on July 09, 2014, 10:05:49 AMNothing made me more glad that I have in-demand skills than watching that. I thought that kind of bullshit was degrading to the employees.
Consider yourself lucky; in the current economyi, not everybody is so fortunate.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:23:45 AM
Quote from: DGuller on July 09, 2014, 10:05:49 AMNothing made me more glad that I have in-demand skills than watching that. I thought that kind of bullshit was degrading to the employees.
Consider yourself lucky; in the current economyi, not everybody is so fortunate.
Ah, sob story Sally, right on cue.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:25:46 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:23:45 AM
Quote from: DGuller on July 09, 2014, 10:05:49 AMNothing made me more glad that I have in-demand skills than watching that. I thought that kind of bullshit was degrading to the employees.
Consider yourself lucky; in the current economyi, not everybody is so fortunate.
Ah, sob story Sally, right on cue.
Bitchy Betty is right on schedule too.
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Have you considered a career in the trades, Seedy? Starting pay is not great but in a few years you can work your way up.
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Just for that you get a Cathy comic. :angry:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luv2run.com%2Fphotos%2Fcathy_retirement.gif&hash=5695bf6190b1c5aa6cb29ecfce861d06eb9a535c)
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:40:06 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Just for that you get a Cathy comic. :angry:
:bleeding: Why do the rest of us have to suffer?
Quote from: derspiess on July 09, 2014, 10:41:09 AM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:40:06 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Just for that you get a Cathy comic. :angry:
:bleeding: Why do the rest of us have to suffer?
I suffered as well in the few minutes it took finding one. :(
No shit. :bleeding:
Let's hear it for Cathy Collateral Damage.
Quote from: derspiess on July 09, 2014, 10:41:09 AM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:40:06 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Just for that you get a Cathy comic. :angry:
:bleeding: Why do the rest of us have to suffer?
Really. Cathy? I didn't think
anyone thought that strip was clever enough to actually cite.
A boss once told me, when I was telling her about this bitchy client named Cathy, that she was going to send me a Cathy comic. I told her if she did so, I was walking out.
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 10:47:05 AM
Quote from: derspiess on July 09, 2014, 10:41:09 AM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:40:06 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Just for that you get a Cathy comic. :angry:
:bleeding: Why do the rest of us have to suffer?
Really. Cathy? I didn't think anyone thought that strip was clever enough to actually cite.
Does
anyone think it is clever? :huh:
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:23:45 AM
Quote from: DGuller on July 09, 2014, 10:05:49 AMNothing made me more glad that I have in-demand skills than watching that. I thought that kind of bullshit was degrading to the employees.
Consider yourself lucky; in the current economyi, not everybody is so fortunate.
I do consider myself lucky. I cannot recall what I did in my life to develop my math skill.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:47:58 AM
Does anyone think it is clever? :huh:
I know a guy who thinks it worth pasting into threads... but maybe he just does that to try to make his own statements look clever by comparison.
My aunt is a big Cathy fan, coffee mugs, calendars, shit like that, because her name is Cathy. And because she's an imbecile.
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 10:52:53 AM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:47:58 AM
Does anyone think it is clever? :huh:
I know a guy who thinks it worth pasting into threads... but maybe he just does that to try to make his own statements look clever by comparison.
The point was to note my displeasure by going beyond the pale and making Seeds look upon a Cathy strip.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:55:54 AM
The point was to note my displeasure by going beyond the pale and making Seeds look upon a Cathy strip.
It has been Cathystrophic for the thread :cry:
Quote from: Jacob on July 09, 2014, 01:28:00 PM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:55:54 AM
The point was to note my displeasure by going beyond the pale and making Seeds look upon a Cathy strip.
It has been Cathystrophic for the thread :cry:
But also rather Cathyartic. :)
Quote from: Valmy on July 09, 2014, 10:09:12 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:05:40 AM
Dude, you ought to see the bullshit that goes on in Best Buy every morning.
TIME FOR: POINT OF SALE JEOPARDY!
If working in Big Box retail was not humiliating enough on its own...
Yep, years ago I was involved in some litigation against a big box retailer that did those sorts of things to their employees. As it happened we needed to gather some evidence regarding a particular practice of that organization and one of the best sources for gathering that evidence was former employees. When asked why they were coming forward with their information, to a person, they all said it was because of the way they had been treated and all of them specifically mentioned the pre-opening bs they had to endure.
Quote from: Jacob on July 09, 2014, 01:28:00 PM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:55:54 AM
The point was to note my displeasure by going beyond the pale and making Seeds look upon a Cathy strip.
It has been Cathystrophic for the thread :cry:
It left Seeds and derspiess bleeding so that's enough for me. :)
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:37:42 AM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 09:11:08 AM
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 03:58:51 AM
you can just opt out in my department, so no one is forced to attend.
:hmm:
:lol: That does seem to defeat the entire purpose, doesn't it? Those who don't need it will take attend, and those who do need it will opt out.
Yes. There are also team building events which are mandatory, but those will usually be with a some kind of psychologist or external moderator due to serious problems in the team.
The "fun" team building events are usually something where you don't want those that aren't interested anyway. What's the point of taking someone to a kart racing event if they don't want to attend?
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 02:29:37 PM
The "fun" team building events are usually something where you don't want those that aren't interested anyway. What's the point of taking someone to a kart racing event if they don't want to attend?
What's the team building though? Just sounds like friends hanging out on the company dime.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 02:30:29 PM
What's the team building though? Just sounds like friends hanging out on the company dime.
That seems pretty team-building to me.
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 02:29:37 PM
The "fun" team building events are usually something where you don't want those that aren't interested anyway. What's the point of taking someone to a kart racing event if they don't want to attend?
:yes:
And based on the way Mrs. CC does it if you make it appealing enough they will come even if its not mandatory.
Not sure what the point of mandatory team building no wants to attend would be. Other than to provide a ready source of willing witnesses in future litigation against the organization. :D
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 02:30:29 PM
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 02:29:37 PM
The "fun" team building events are usually something where you don't want those that aren't interested anyway. What's the point of taking someone to a kart racing event if they don't want to attend?
What's the team building though? Just sounds like friends hanging out on the company dime.
The event I organized had a first day with three topics: a Q&A session about current mood and issues in our department, then an external trainer on work-life balance and finally a light-hearted self-acted play on compliance. Afterwards we had a barbecue and beer. The next day we went to a race track and had that kart racing event. So the team-building aspect is about socializing with other people in the department that may not have much to do with you in the daily work routine. As you may know, Germans are pretty formal in their social interactions. After our last team-building event, I am finally on a first name basis with everybody in my department, so it worked for me.
Quote from: Jacob on July 09, 2014, 02:32:11 PM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 02:30:29 PM
What's the team building though? Just sounds like friends hanging out on the company dime.
That seems pretty team-building to me.
But it is the sort of teambuilding that doesn't really require company to sponsor, no?
I wouldn't spend my own time with the losers I work with.
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 02:41:05 PM
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 02:30:29 PM
Quote from: Zanza on July 09, 2014, 02:29:37 PM
The "fun" team building events are usually something where you don't want those that aren't interested anyway. What's the point of taking someone to a kart racing event if they don't want to attend?
What's the team building though? Just sounds like friends hanging out on the company dime.
The event I organized had a first day with three topics: a Q&A session about current mood and issues in our department, then an external trainer on work-life balance and finally a light-hearted self-acted play on compliance. Afterwards we had a barbecue and beer. The next day we went to a race track and had that kart racing event. So the team-building aspect is about socializing with other people in the department that may not have much to do with you in the daily work routine. As you may know, Germans are pretty formal in their social interactions. After our last team-building event, I am finally on a first name basis with everybody in my department, so it worked for me.
I see. So I need to imagine some awkward sorts who would only interact if given a forum to do so? No real value judgment on "awkward" in this instance.
Also, I might just be boisterous as I speak all the time to people who I don't actually work with...and I'm not really even at work to make friends.
Quote from: Admiral Yi on July 09, 2014, 03:06:24 PM
I wouldn't spend my own time with the losers I work with.
In what Zanza's describing, they are spending their own time with co-workers, right?
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 03:06:44 PM
I see. So I need to imagine some awkward sorts who would only interact if given a forum to do so? No real value judgment on "awkward" in this instance.
Also, I might just be boisterous as I speak all the time to people who I don't actually work with...and I'm not really even at work to make friends.
Yes and no. You don't need to be awkward not to interact with everybody you work with. German workdays are short, we work and live in different places and may only occasionally have professional interactions. People do socialize outside of these events, but typically only with a small subset of their department. And there are always new people and this is a good chance to get to know them.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 03:07:50 PM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on July 09, 2014, 03:06:24 PM
I wouldn't spend my own time with the losers I work with.
In what Zanza's describing, they are spending their own time with co-workers, right?
Partly. The first day with its activities was worktime, but obviously the drinking and eating in the evening are on your own time. The fun part with kart racing was also on worktime as the company allows one day for that per year.
The Swedish model generally follows what Zanza describes. Except people being formal of course. Everyone is on first name basis in Swedish companies.
Yeah but Swedish last names are firstnameson anyway.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 02:19:03 PM
It left Seeds and derspiess bleeding so that's enough for me. :)
Oh please. I shit Sally Forth for breakfast.
That seems neither here nor there.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 10:40:06 AM
Quote from: CountDeMoney on July 09, 2014, 10:34:20 AM
Cunty Cathy doesn't give a shit about the devolution of the American employment model into a disposable service industry. Working poors is other people.
Just for that you get a Cathy comic. :angry:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.luv2run.com%2Fphotos%2Fcathy_retirement.gif&hash=5695bf6190b1c5aa6cb29ecfce861d06eb9a535c)
Why the fuck would Cathy want to live till 75?
I bet her Dildo has worn down a couple of inches by now. Poor Cathy.
When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.
The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.
I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.
'Murica.
Quote from: Scipio on July 09, 2014, 08:55:49 PM
When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.
The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.
I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.
'Murica.
I have no idea what any of this is about.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 09:03:15 PM
I have no idea what any of this is about.
Your loss :(
I will survive.
Quote from: garbon on July 09, 2014, 09:03:15 PM
Quote from: Scipio on July 09, 2014, 08:55:49 PM
When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.
The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.
I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.
'Murica.
I have no idea what any of this is about.
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
Utraque unum.
Team concept is crap.
Quote from: Scipio on July 09, 2014, 08:55:49 PM
When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.
The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.
I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.
'Murica.
:thumbsup:
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:35:50 PM
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
It is more about team building than the OP.
Anyone seen Severance? Now THAT's team-building gone wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVwBVm7yVE4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVwBVm7yVE4)
It has amputations and topless, gun-toting prostitutes. You'd love it.
Quote from: Scipio on July 09, 2014, 08:55:49 PM
When I worked at the best independent bookstore in America, Square Books (TM), we had team building exercises that included balls-out rockabilly music, heavy drinking, poetry slams, and hanging out with Barry Hannah, Jim Harrison, Richard Ford, George Plimpton, and Archie Manning. Mostly I shelved books, then got blitzed and danced the night away. John Grisham was a fucking stiff, btw. A great bookseller and signer, but never hung out with the plebs.
The best team-building is working overtime and then getting drunk with the boss afterwards. That shit is like solid gold. There are people I worked with there that if I were in jail in Mexico they would bail me out, no questions asked, and I haven't talked to them in fifteen years.
I remember the night a guy died in the store due to anaphylactic shock from the dinner he had eaten earlier that night. Desperately tragic, nice young guy, just married to his lovely young wife. The boss gave us a week off, paid, even though all of us working that night were part time status, and never grilled us on what happened. I was managing that night. I still remember it as the first time that someone trusted me on a life and death matter. My boss and I agreed on almost nothing; but over the thirty months that I worked for him, I earned his trut, and that was without stupid trust falls or other bullshit.
'Murica.
Heh, best "team building" I ever did was working to finish one major case almost two days straight, a partner, myself, and a group of juniors and assistants, then the partner I was working on pulled out his stash of really good wine at 4 AM when everything was finally done and ready to file- "I was saving this for something good. I guess this is it." :lol:
Got good and drunk, turned up some tunes, stayed to file the stuff at 9, went home and stayed there for a coupla days ...
Quote from: Maladict on July 10, 2014, 03:37:55 AM
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:35:50 PM
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
It is more about team building than the OP.
Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 10, 2014, 11:08:13 AM
Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.
That's because he could just give them orders.
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 10, 2014, 11:08:13 AM
Quote from: Maladict on July 10, 2014, 03:37:55 AM
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:35:50 PM
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
It is more about team building than the OP.
Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.
Well the Navy was different back then. Leadership consisted sitting in the hull beating a drum and the crew would row with each beat. Team-building was something done at the slave auction.
Quote from: Razgovory on July 10, 2014, 10:27:50 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 10, 2014, 11:08:13 AM
Quote from: Maladict on July 10, 2014, 03:37:55 AM
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:35:50 PM
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
It is more about team building than the OP.
Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.
Well the Navy was different back then. Leadership consisted sitting in the hull beating a drum and the crew would row with each beat. Team-building was something done at the slave auction.
:lol:
That was good, Raz. :)
Quote from: Razgovory on July 10, 2014, 10:27:50 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 10, 2014, 11:08:13 AM
Quote from: Maladict on July 10, 2014, 03:37:55 AM
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:35:50 PM
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
It is more about team building than the OP.
Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.
Well the Navy was different back then. Leadership consisted sitting in the hull beating a drum and the crew would row with each beat. Team-building was something done at the slave auction.
:lol:
Well done Raz
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 11, 2014, 11:11:24 AM
Quote from: Razgovory on July 10, 2014, 10:27:50 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on July 10, 2014, 11:08:13 AM
Quote from: Maladict on July 10, 2014, 03:37:55 AM
Quote from: grumbler on July 09, 2014, 09:35:50 PM
I gotta agree. This may be about good leadership (or may not be... hard to tell), but it is nothing about a team or team-building.
It is more about team building than the OP.
Grumbler has never worked on a team where people would do anything to help him so it was hard for him to recognize it as a team in the way he understands the word.
Well the Navy was different back then. Leadership consisted sitting in the hull beating a drum and the crew would row with each beat. Team-building was something done at the slave auction.
:lol:
Well done Raz
Indeed. If we still had a post of the month thingee, that would be a definate nominee.