Feature program: Crossing The Spit
Crossing The Spit is a great new program that gives your team the chance to meet two extraordinary young explorers. Justin Jones and James Castrission paddled from the East Coast of Austrlian to New Plymouth on the New Zealand coastilne.....read more |
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Introducing: Intelligent Racing
Over recent years there has been a surge of interest in adventure racing, however the extreme nature of the sport excludes all but the extremely fit and well trained from safely participating. This gave the team at BeChallenged the inspiration for Intelligent Racing, a new form of racing that shifts the focus of activities to deliver an event that requires a more realistic balance between physical and mental challenges. For more information regarding intelligent racing click here. |
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Feature team animal:
African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) live in tightly bonded social groups or packs of 2 to 30 individuals led by a dominant male and female. Pack members exhibit well-defined greeting behaviors, the most obvious being affectionate face licking. Recent research has shown the wild dog to have behaviors verging on classic altruism. This is particularly evident in pup raising, which is a pack effort with males shouldering much of the responsibility. In fact in one instance, following the death of a pack female, male pack members were observed successfully raising her pups from the age of five weeks.
Perhaps the most obvious expression of the wild dogs' altruistic tendencies is their feeding style. After a prey animal has been successfully brought down, each pack member is allowed to eat. The feeding scene is a peaceful one rather than a savage frenzy. Disabled pack members, the old and the sick, share alongside more able adults, and pups receive regurgitated food from any adult in the pack.
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Feature Article:
Forming, storming, norming, performing.
During BeChallenged programs facilitators typically observe teams developing through fairly typical phases. The forming, norming, storming, performing model developed by Bruce Tuckman is a simple yet effective model that when explained to teams allows them to better understand the processes involved with the development and maintenance of a team. By being aware of the typical phases and accepting that these are expected the teams typically alter behaviour and hence improve performance. |
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Bruce Tuckman's; Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing model of Team Development.
The progression is:
1. Forming
2. Storming
3. Norming
4. Performing
Features of each phase:
Forming - stage 1
High dependence on leader for guidance and direction. Little agreement on team aims other than received from leader. Individual roles and responsibilities are unclear. Leader must be prepared to answer lots of questions about the team's purpose, objectives and external relationships. Processes are often ignored. Members test tolerance of system and leader.
Storming - stage 2
Decisions don't come easily within group. Team members vie for position as they attempt to establish themselves in relation to other team members and the leader, who might receive challenges from team members. Clarity of purpose increases but plenty of uncertainties persist. Cliques and factions form and there may be power struggles. The team needs to be focused on its goals to avoid becoming distracted by relationships and emotional issues. Compromises may be required to enable progress. Leader coaches.
Norming - stage 3
Agreement and consensus is largely forms among team, who respond well to facilitation by leader. Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted. Big decisions are made by group agreement. Smaller decisions may be delegated to individuals or small teams within group. Commitment and unity is strong. The team may engage in fun and social activities. The team discusses and develops its processes and working style. There is general respect for the leader and some of leadership is more shared by the team. Leader facilitates.
Performing - stage 4
The team is more strategically aware; the team knows clearly why it is doing what it is doing. The team has a shared vision and is able to stand on its own feet with no interference or participation from the leader. There is a focus on over-achieving goals, and the team makes most of the decisions against criteria agreed with the leader. The team has a high degree of autonomy. Disagreements occur but now they are resolved within the team positively and necessary changes to processes and structure are made by the team. The team is able to work towards achieving the goal, and also to attend to relationship, style and process issues along the way. Team members look after each other. The team requires delegated tasks and projects from the leader. The team does not need to be instructed or assisted. Team members might ask for assistance from the leader with personal and interpersonal development. Leader delegates and oversees.
Brain Teaser:
Two heads are better than one, try this with a friend…
Cooking Chaos
Larry and four of his friends recently completed a creative cooking course. They were so confident of their new skills that each man hosted a dinner for the other four and their wives. On each night Monday through Friday, one of the men prepared a main course and a dessert, and no two made any of the same dishes. For each evening, determine the full name of the chef, the main course and the dessert he served.
First Name - Larry, Harry, Barry, Gary, Terry
Last name - O'Rourke, McKee, O'Neil, Owens, McPhail
Main courses - chicken, ham, pork chops, bacon, steak
Desserts - strawberry shortcake, pistachio parfait, cherry cobbler, mocha mousse, raspberry ripple
1. Mr. O'Neil hosted dinner later in the week than the man who served chicken & cauliflower and earlier than the one who served cherry cobbler for dessert.
2. Harry hosted dinner before Mr. Owens, who hosted before the man who prepared pork chops & peppers.
3. Mr. McPhail's dinner was later in the week than the one which included strawberry shortcake and earlier than Terry's.
4. The chicken dinner (which wasn't prepared by Harry) wasn't served with strawberry shortcake.
5. McPhail didn't serve the raspberry ripple, which was served the day before the bacon & broccoli main course.
6. Mr. Owens prepared neither the chicken dish nor the strawberry shortcake.
7. Gary (who didn't make the cherry cobbler) was the chef the night after Barry.
8. Terry (who isn't McKee) didn't prepare the steak & scallions main course.
9. The mocha mousse dessert wasn't served with the ham & hominy.
10. The pork chops weren't served by McKee or O'Rourke (who didn't make the cherry cobbler).
11. Harry isn't Mr. McKee or Mr. O'Rourke.
Want to see the Answer? Click here
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