Tuesday, June 21, 2011
It’s nearly month-end and having to face the so many chores in my table hampered me from giving updates about our teambuilding activity last weekend. Well, as promised here are the chronicles of the one grand official intradepartmental getaway we had.
Past lunch time it was when the committee decided to leave the office and head early to prepare the things we needed to do at the venue ─ food and program. Taking bus off to the grocery store was about an hour or so, plus the period we needed to apportion in choosing the best fruits and dried goods at the adjacent market. Carrying almost twenty (Yes 20!) shopping bags and seeing how the five of us pathetically tried to lift our feet further as we lead to the FX station required us to lease a van for our exclusive use. We were at least given the convenience to transport those stuffs to the resort.
At the place, the busiest was the food committee bumping each other in the kitchen. Since I claim no gift in cooking, they gave me a special task to do ─ chop the ingredients, peel and wash. For a non-domesticated person like me, to just spend time in the kitchen is already a huge effort! And so it feels great being part of the people to feed the hungry stomachs later that day ─ and for the record, I wasn’t mistaken.
Not too long after all the preparations came the entire General Ledger team ─ all tired, yearning to rest awhile and eat. What we had on the dining table were but impressive dinner: pork sinigang, adobo with egg and vegetable salad. I don’t eat grass at all but I really loved seeing everyone loving what were served. To say that the food committee simply did an amazing job well done is perhaps an understatement, they really are expert cooks!
GROUP 1: Before & After
Following a satisfying dinner was the first activity administered by our manager. Divided in two groups, we were initially asked to draw a house where each member has to contribute one line at a time without soliciting ideas from anyone in the team. It was a mess, having a hut with a missing foot. The other group’s output was a cluttered well-roofed house with an unidentified side curve. Everyone was laughing crazily over the result of this silent activity. “Silent” because we were barred from talking to each other.
GROUP 2: Before & After
To our astonishment, the game had a second round. This time the liberty to communicate among the members was given. I led drafting a triangular roof with my fingers and the others follow. We ended up deciding to draw in the air (using our fingers) every part of the house until everyone finally had his part, and voila! Ours didn’t look best, but in good faith I could attest that it was far better than the other group. Since we only got one chance to draw a line, the last member (by unanimous decision) was tasked to complete our hut with a round window. Circle is an infinite line, doing it once without having to lift the marker qualified our technique! Only that time we heard about infinity window! (Hahaha)
During the session, I was mutely contemplating on the rationale behind this activity. As mentioned by a teammate, purpose of it was to decipher results of open communication from that of “no exchange of ideas” scheme. So true it resulted to a nicer house for each group when we started to plan and listen to the team.
At the back of every cheer was our boss’ suggestion to listen more and talk less, strategize first, and work closely as one team in whatever job we do.
(…more)
Past lunch time it was when the committee decided to leave the office and head early to prepare the things we needed to do at the venue ─ food and program. Taking bus off to the grocery store was about an hour or so, plus the period we needed to apportion in choosing the best fruits and dried goods at the adjacent market. Carrying almost twenty (Yes 20!) shopping bags and seeing how the five of us pathetically tried to lift our feet further as we lead to the FX station required us to lease a van for our exclusive use. We were at least given the convenience to transport those stuffs to the resort.
At the place, the busiest was the food committee bumping each other in the kitchen. Since I claim no gift in cooking, they gave me a special task to do ─ chop the ingredients, peel and wash. For a non-domesticated person like me, to just spend time in the kitchen is already a huge effort! And so it feels great being part of the people to feed the hungry stomachs later that day ─ and for the record, I wasn’t mistaken.Not too long after all the preparations came the entire General Ledger team ─ all tired, yearning to rest awhile and eat. What we had on the dining table were but impressive dinner: pork sinigang, adobo with egg and vegetable salad. I don’t eat grass at all but I really loved seeing everyone loving what were served. To say that the food committee simply did an amazing job well done is perhaps an understatement, they really are expert cooks!
GROUP 1: Before & AfterFollowing a satisfying dinner was the first activity administered by our manager. Divided in two groups, we were initially asked to draw a house where each member has to contribute one line at a time without soliciting ideas from anyone in the team. It was a mess, having a hut with a missing foot. The other group’s output was a cluttered well-roofed house with an unidentified side curve. Everyone was laughing crazily over the result of this silent activity. “Silent” because we were barred from talking to each other.
GROUP 2: Before & AfterTo our astonishment, the game had a second round. This time the liberty to communicate among the members was given. I led drafting a triangular roof with my fingers and the others follow. We ended up deciding to draw in the air (using our fingers) every part of the house until everyone finally had his part, and voila! Ours didn’t look best, but in good faith I could attest that it was far better than the other group. Since we only got one chance to draw a line, the last member (by unanimous decision) was tasked to complete our hut with a round window. Circle is an infinite line, doing it once without having to lift the marker qualified our technique! Only that time we heard about infinity window! (Hahaha)
During the session, I was mutely contemplating on the rationale behind this activity. As mentioned by a teammate, purpose of it was to decipher results of open communication from that of “no exchange of ideas” scheme. So true it resulted to a nicer house for each group when we started to plan and listen to the team.At the back of every cheer was our boss’ suggestion to listen more and talk less, strategize first, and work closely as one team in whatever job we do.
(…more)
Posted in: best of friends,extra-curricular,lasting words,thanksgiving
2 comments:
I'm here yehey..happy happy..I miss those team building activity when I was attending our church before in my hometown-we played cops and robbers,cheering squads and acting actingan which I won the best actress award because they gave me 3 roles hmp..hahaha..
it is a really nice experience Dai Ning..with those smiles on your pix looks like it was successful and really fun..san ka dun sa pix sis eh tumatanda na me labo na mata ko?
Sie, it was me who took the picture. Hahaha! Joking aside, I was wearing brown, smiling at my best because this was supposed to be a wacky shot.
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