Teambuilding - Stranded on a rock

Category: Editorial

Richard Winfield - editor I have been on holiday; nothing to do with work at all. I have been with SPICE UK on whitewater rafting trip down the Grand Canyon; topped and tailed with time in Las Vegas (what a contrast).

We started with snow and ended with hot desert weather. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is the very tight controls on behaviour. There is a restriction on how many people can use the river and everything taken in has to be taken out. There is a limited supply of camping sites, which are re-used by different groups each night. The discipline and the cleanliness were excellent and a great model for the use of shared resources.

I had been whitewater rafting on the Colorado River before but that was in a small raft high up in the Rockies. This time we were 14 plus two crew to a boat - a very different experience, but still plenty of water flying around. I now want to do some research about the Grand Canyon - what is it really like? Travelling at the bottom of a deep canyon, sometimes only a few tens of metres wide, you get a very different view from visitors to the Canyon edge, where it can be 20 miles wide.

And as for Las Vegas ... What could be more different from a natural park wher time is measured in millions - or billions - of years?

So the trip was an excellent lesson in different perceptions.

There was one very practical demonstration of team work, which, frustratingly, I missed out on. Our companion raft got stranded on a rock at a time when the water level was falling. It was coming up to midday and so very hot. What could we learn from it?

The boatman knew the rock was there but decided (too late) to change course and pass it on the other side. As a result, he floated straight for it.

When the raft grounded, the passengers started to do helpful things; they bounced the boat, they rocked the boat, someone even started to distribute beer because of the heat. General chaos.

Two useful initiatives: A nurse on board stopped the alcohol and took responsibility for the wellbeing of the passengers, ensuring that soft drinks and water were distributed at intervals. The tour facilitator asked if there were any engineers on board. There were three with practical professional skills and these now played an important role. However, I believe that any such question would have been useful, because it focused the passengers and brought control to the boatman. From now on, he was in charge and he demonstrated leadership by listening to all suggestions and not only considering them but explaining the effect of them. Gradually the team coalesced and learned about the boat. One of the engineers (a girl) was hung over the side to look under the raft and various choreographed movements of rocking and swinging helped identify exactly how the raft was beached. As a result, heavy luggage and equipment, and people, were moved around and part of the raft was deflated. Our young civil engineer explained the difference between static friction and sliding friction and eventually the raft was freed by swinging the stern back and forth. The passengers all moved the rear and swung together in time with the boatman swinging the propeller left and right. Success came when they realised that it was not enough for them to swing as a team; they had to swing in time with the natural rhythm of the raft. Then it slipped free - and we were all able to have our lunch!

In this issue I am able to announce a series of initiatives by Brefi Group.

We are running a coaching programme in Bulgaria with our partners Interact.

We have been approached to run a coaching initiative in Dubai for entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses. If you are interested, please contact me.

We are running a workshop for consultants, coaches and trainers who are considering or who have recently launched professional services practice. This will take place in Birmingham, UK, on Friday 29 June.

The next Brefi Network Gathering will take place in Birmingham on 6 July. Once again, it is designed to help members develop their businesses. We shall be introducing two new psychometric tests that suited for recruitment, career coaching and business development. These are new and different from the well known conventional Jungian tests. In addition we shall be introducing a software based facilitation package designed for partners in professional services companies. This is an excellent chargeable service in its own right, but also a means of access to further consulting and coaching within such companies.

Last week I was a guest at the PrimeSource Experience, where I renewed my acquaintance with fire walking. For me, the day was an introduction to the Sedona Method, which I was aware of but had not ever studied. I review the definitive book below.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.

He helps entrepreneurs build businesses

and coaches directors and boards in transition:

new and potential directors, effective boards,

mergers and acquisitions, corporate retreats,

change programmes.