I’ve seen this trailer a few times over the past several months and it’s finally hitting theaters. As soon as I saw it, I knew that would be a great outing for the Portnoy Media team. I’m a huge fan of Friday Morning Movies. Not a lot of people in the theater, it disrupts the day in a very positive way (your team will feel like they are playing hooky, which they are) and leads into the option to take your team to lunch and talk about what you’ve just seen. Don’t plan it too much, let the discussion be organic. Ask a few questions, “What did you find inspiring?” “Can we adapt any of that to our workplace/office?” “What would stop us?”

You’re company is better than recycled content with an overused metaphor.

We’re not a big firm so the idea of bringing in a consultant to help us hone skills of teamwork, trust and open communication would be way beyond our budget. Instead, I try to focus on experiences that help us see each other in different lights, connect us with ideas and behaviors of those who have come before us and been incredibly successful.

And you should do it too! Check out the trailer.

Here’s a few tips to help your team building:

Don’t Be Boring.

When was the last time you thought, “This Powerpoint is so inspiring!”? I’m guessing never. Your team wants to do more than just sit and hear another speech/presentation.

Get out of the office.

They dynamic of your office shifts when you leave the workplace. It humanizes your team. The pecking order adjusts a little and it’s a great way to see leaders rise from your ranks.

Think Multimedia

Use pictures for inspiration – but don’t pass on the supposed photos from an email. Think bigger, think better. You’re company is better than recycled content with an overused metaphor. Take your team to a movie, a concert, a museum, or the library. There’s a ton of options!

Story, story, story

Imagine what your best office scenario would be. Then think about the activities that you would have. Next, create one of them. Start small – see how your team adjusts. Think about the conversations that your team will have about the day. Will they be inspired or is it just another something in their work life? My guess is that it’ll be the former and that helps your teams identity. Identity = story = brand.

A few suggestions to check out

Beauty is Embarrassing (Obviously!)

Eames: The Architect & the Painter (You can watch the whole thing here for free, Thanks PBS!)

Encourage your team to check out a site like BehanceFfffound or DeviantArt to pull out some inspirational work and explain it to your team.

Grab a favorite audio book and make it required listening, then talk about it over lunch (that you buy!) A few of my favorites are Lead the Field or The Art of Exceptional Living – I have to thank Josh Kaufman for the introduction to such great works.

Remember, if it seems odd that’s ok. You don’t want a “normal” team. Normal equals boring and a boring team produces boring results.

So start today and get your team jazzed!

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