The Optimizer is our feature program, it is the longest and most in-depth workshop available. It can run anywhere from half a day to a week, depending on your company’s specific needs. This is how it works:
We start the day with some out-of-your-seat ice breakers. They are fast paced exercises that start as soon as the brief instructions are given. Depending on the size of the company, we may do this all as one large group or break-up into smaller more manageable groups. (Throughout the day, when grouping is necessary, we will form groups in random ways to ensure a good mix of personnel in each group.) One example of an ice-breaker/warm-up exercise involves everyone saying everyone else’s name with a motion associated with it. It’s an active way to meet everyone and the actions help create an association with each member of the group. Plus, the actions are a great way to lighten the mood and start the smiles. (Humor is going to allow your personnel to interact in a new context, leading to a stronger bond and better teamwork).
After the ice-breakers are done we will spend the day doing various exercises that are geared towards different goals. Each exercise has a fun aspect to it as well as a serious objective (i.e. enhance critical thinking or communication). In one such exercise small teams are responsible for solving a problem in exactly 6 creative steps with only 1 minute of planning! The results are often hilarious, but the intensity of the teamwork and brainstorming is very serious.
Throughout the day, depending on your needs, we will have debriefings to discuss and analyze the exercises. The open discussion allows your personnel to talk about ad appreciate the skill sets they are using and how they translate into the workplace. It is also an opportunity for open discussion while the normal workplace barriers are down.
The mental demands made on the personnel will increase throughout the day and the final exercises will be a full blow-out of all the skills they’ve learned throughout the day. They’ll be talking about it for a long time to come!
