SES Volunteer's Association of Western Australia Incorporated

Team Building

Being There

Outline:

A simple and fun activity, ideal as an icebreaker, illustration or a longer exercise to demonstrate how people can run on set lines/routines, without noticing things and people around us.

This training resource is also available as a PDF.

View PDF

Resources:

Energiser, Icebreaker, Illustration

People Required:
Participants: min=8 max=400

Timings:

Set-up: Up to 15 min
Running/De-brief: 15 min – 60 min
Pack-up: Up to 15 min

Pre-work

None

Hazards and Risks:

Specific Safety Notes: In addition to standard safety practices:

None

Key Learning Points:

Change, Communication, Motivation, Teamwork

Equipment and Layout:

Enough space for all participants, working in groups of any size. This can be done in any room layout – boardroom, conference or lecture theatre. Prepared list of questions (see below).

Instructions:

The facilitator should prepare a list of 5-20 questions (depending on the duration of the activity) about details of the particular work or meeting environment (and optionally about the participants themselves).
To give the activity an extra edge you can make it competitive, in which case team members need to exchange their answer sheets for scoring while the facilitator calls out the answers.
A prize can be awarded for the most amusing wrong answer.

Additional Notes:

Ideas for questions : What colour are the floor tiles in reception?, What was the name of the lady who served you coffee on arrival (it was on her name badge)?, What was the colour of the receptionist’s jacket?, What is printed on your room key fob aside from the number?, How many plastic cards are in your wallet?, etc.
The emphasis of the exercise will be slightly different if the situation is a one-off conference venue, compared with the group’s normal working environment.
Try to make the questions fair for all, especially if participants have quite different familiarity with the location.
The exercise is an enjoyable and different way to illustrate the opportunities that we all have for improving our awareness, and therefore responsiveness.

Review and Conclusion:

What stops us from being present?
When are we most aware of the world around us?
How would “Being There”, wherever we are, affect our relationships or career?

Contact Us

Office Street Address: 91 Leake St Belmont 6104
SESVA Postal Address: PO Box 3218 BELMONT WA 6104
sesva.office@ses-wa.asn.au or sesva.secretary@ses-wa.asn.au

Webmaster – sesva.webmaster@ses-wa.asn.au

Website by Ian Hakanson

Information

SES Volunteers Association of Western Australia Incorporated acknowledges the funding from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services that support the operation of the Association.