I really hate "team building" exercises at work...

[IndyColtsFan]

Ugh, I should've taken today off. We have the second phase of our yearly department "team building/career development" activity today. Please shoot me now.

 

[Golgatha]

Mine was fun. We had a nice lunch then played with Gingerbread and candies the rest of the afternoon. Surely better than doing actual work.

 

[bignateyk]

I'm really glad we don't do any of that BS at my office. Or anything like six-sigma. I think I'd shoot myself if I had to put up with that useless bullshit. Or maybe I'd just quit. Tough call.

 

[shiner]

Whenever they try that crap around here I always get a very important phone call about 10 minutes into the meeting due to a system being down.

Amazing how that happens.....

 

[JTsyo]

It helps with bonding since everyone has to suffer through it together. What kind of activities do you guys have to do?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I'm really glad we don't do any of that BS at my office.

We have a day every year dedicated to it. Typically, they split it into two half-day sessions. Some years, some sessions are OK -- like we went to a baseball game and had catered food there. Another year, we toured the new Lucas Oil Stadium.

This year, it is all HR-related BS activities-- like taking the various self assessments that at the end of the day, meaning nothing. If you're going to try to "develop" my career, how about actually giving me opportunities? Otherwise, you're just wasting your time and more importantly, mine.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Whenever they try that crap around here I always get a very important phone call about 10 minutes into the meeting due to a system being down.

Amazing how that happens.....

Good point. Maybe I could script some strategic reboots to occur.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Team building excersizes should be going to the local bar and relaxing.

 

[0roo0roo]

Team building excersizes should be going to the local bar and relaxing.

free lap dances would suffice.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

It helps with bonding since everyone has to suffer through it together. What kind of activities do you guys have to do?

Depends. This year, we had to do various HR "self assessments" and have to suffer through the results. Another year, we had to read a book and discuss it.

At the end of the day, the only thing most get out of these sessions is eye exercise given the tremendous amount of eye rolling. But hey, HR people need to justify their jobs. :awe:

I think we ought to have an IT session next year and make them suffer.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Team building excersizes should be going to the local bar and relaxing.

We do have a social at a local bar after work today. No thanks -- I'd be happy to drink on company time with my coworkers, but 8 hours with them is enough.

 

[Gibson486]

I think the Colts needs some team building exercises....

We do those at work, but ours occur in a bar environment.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Just remember guys, while you're all neffing this afternoon, I'll be stuck in a conference room reviewing crap like this and having to pretend that I'm engaged and happy to be there.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I think the Colts needs some team building exercises....

If I worked for the Colts, I might actually enjoy a team building exercise.

The first thing they usually do is make us change tables. "Get out of your comfort zone and meet some new coworkers." I'm sorry, I really don't give a crap what Jane Doe in accounting is doing nor do I need to know what John Doe in operations is doing with the new toilets on the 3rd floor.

 

[mizzou]

Did you forget to wear your flair today?

 

[spidey07]

Any team building stuff that doesn't have alcohol served is a bad idea. It is supposed to be fun and relaxing. Getting everybody slightly buzzed eliminates all the stiffness and one upmanship that goes on.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Well at least the food is good. Oh oh, a Powerpoint is involved! I got "slapped" for opening my self-assessment results before the presentation.

UGH

 

[rcpratt]

I love team building!

No, not really. Giant waste of time.

 

[preslove]

Sometimes they can be awesome, but sometimes they can suck. Yours sounds brutal, though. Have your wife call you and pretend that its an emergency.

 

[eldorado99]

I usually like ours. Last time we went bowling.

 

[Kadarin]

Team building excersizes should be going to the local bar and relaxing.

We did this once at my old job. About a week before I left we had a planned team event and the idiot planning it decided we were all going to go to Malibu Grand Prix (I live in the Bay Area). Those of you familiar with the place will realize it's really a cheesy place for kids to play videogames rather than a serious go karting experience (which we have done and loved in the past). About six of us decided to cut and run and go to the bar for the next five hours or so, and we spent the day at the Rose and Crown in Palo Alto.

That was pretty awesome.

 

[Kadarin]

I usually like ours. Last time we went bowling.

We went bowling on Monday... Had a great time

 

[shiner]

Do you need one of us to call in and get you out of the meeting?

Wouldn't be the first time I've ninja'd into a meeting/conference call for someone here....

 

[gophins72]

Just remember guys, while you're all neffing this afternoon, I'll be stuck in a conference room reviewing crap like this and having to pretend that I'm engaged and happy to be there.

i've taken that, and also the meyers-briggs test. the thing about these is so that managers know how to treat certain types of people in order to better motivate them. one particular manager in a previous job kept files on everyone's DISC type and started acting in the ways classified as "demotivating," especially to people on other manager's (competitive) teams.

team building activities are great if the team/organization is healthy and it quickly exposes it if the team/organization is not.

 

[x-alki]

Ours is 8 hours a day, the first monday of the month for a year. I've missed 3 out of the first 3 and kicked out of the sessions until next year. These sessions are just like the ones IndyColtsfan has to go to.

Who do you stay awake that long for something so boring?