Sitting in the Boise airport on my way home from our all-company meeting in August, I posted a status update to Facebook on all the fun activities we did and how it made me feel energized for the year to come. A dairy producer friend from Wisconsin noticed my comment about zip-lines, Hot Wheels races and sending an egg pilot safely down to earth and sent me a message asking, “Is there anything we as dairy farmers can use or learn from that experience that will help us with our employees, team or staff?”
In response, I came up with a list of 10 ways this meeting inspires our staff that could be useful to other dairy businesses in creating a more dynamic team environment.
1. Set a time
Anyone who has ever tried to coordinate multiple schedules understands that no time is the right time to call a meeting. We selected a time when the fewest people will be affected and let everyone know well in advance (by months, not hours).
2. Take the time
Necessary daily tasks do not just disappear. Everyone had to shift their priorities for a short time to accommodate the meeting schedule, and many were willing to put in additional hours to keep up with urgent tasks.
3. Include everyone
From the person who started on Monday to the managers and owners, everyone in the company participated in the meetings.
An open-forum style welcomed questions and encouraged participation. In addition, a variety of people led the meetings and activities throughout the week to keep it interesting and encourage additional involvement.
4. Recap
A year-to-year comparison was provided to share how each area of the business is doing. Stacking production data against prior years helped to define what it is the team had accomplished.
5. Share goals
After the recap, plans for the next year were shared. While some people had been involved in that planning process, this is a time when everyone was made aware of what the business will be working toward in the coming year. That way, everyone in the company can move in the same direction.
6. Do something fun
While it probably isn’t the most productive few hours the company logs in a year, taking the time to kick back and relax can lead to added productivity and teamwork. In the past few years, we’ve held a company softball game, family picnics and went zip-lining.
These events allowed us to rub shoulders with people from other areas of the company that we might not work with often and to get to know each other outside of the usual work environment.
7. Add a lesson
A lesson on how to influence people was tied into a team-building activity of racing Hot Wheels. The purpose of the activity was to convince team members which car should represent the team in an upcoming drag race.
Everyone was provided with pointers on how to be better influencers, a skill that extended beyond the activity at hand.
8. Assign teams
While it can seem a little childish, it was nice to be assigned to teams for some of the activities. In one activity, teams were asked to build a contraption that would land an egg safely from a single-story drop using limited materials.
Working with people who were not as familiar with one another to accomplish a task that was not part of everyone’s daily routine really helped to showcase different skills and abilities that may not have been realized elsewhere.
9. Do something calming
After a long week of meetings, we conclude with a round of golf or crafting time. This helped everyone unwind for a moment.
10. Share a meal
In what could easily be compared to a scene from “Duck Dynasty,” everyone in the company gathered around a long table for lunch each day. Not only did the food provide brainpower, but also sharing a meal together helped to build team camaraderie.
Every dairy business may not be able to devote a week to an annual meeting, but incorporating some of these ideas to shorter meetings throughout the year could still serve the same purpose – generating a more stimulating team dynamic. PD
Karen Lee
Editor
Progressive Dairyman
