The Impact of Fun and Time

Last week I had the privledge of running a one-day staff retreat/group coaching program with an amazing corporate client here in Toronto. I must admit that it was one of the most fun, invigorating programs that I have run in a long time. And the participants' evaluations reflected my sense that it was one of their most powerful learning experiences as well.

Two lessons were underscored for me last week as I reflected on what exactly had made the program so powerful. Several comments came up time and time again across the organization in terms of what made the program so great.

First, the program was FUN and meaningful for each participant.Our morning was spent in activities related to both personal and organizational issues. Our afternoon was mostly dedicated to completely experiential activities focusing on communication, teamwork and leadership. We could have covered the same material in a number of different ways - case studies, lecturettes - but what staff indicated as being really powerful, was the opportunity to play, to discover for themselves through trial and error their own lessons. I have no doubt that this learning will "stick" and be used much longer than if we had used a less engaging approach.

Another approach I used with this program was to actually remove most of the structured timeline. The agenda reflected our start and end times, as well as break and lunch times, in addition to the broad topics we would be covering. This allowed us to spend more time on the issues that were most important and meaningful for staff, less time on those that didn't resonate as much, leaving the team with the overall sense of an easy pace throughout the day. Again, a majority of the staff commented on the easy flow of the day and just how fast the program had flown by. This was very important for the team and their learning process.

What can you do to inject more fun and time into your programs?

Jennifer
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com

Our next Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar program begins on Monday June 5th from 6:45 - 8 pm (EST) (June 5, 12, 19 and 26th). Will you be able to join us?