Lynchburg Business

Corporate Team Building: “Mandatory” Really Can Be Fun!

Issue: February 2010 by Carrie Williams in Human Resources, Inside The Magazine

How often have you heard the groans associated with an announcement for a day of corporate team building? For companies who have discovered the hidden gems of Lynchburg, managers are more likely going to be met with enthusiasm. These days, team building has evolved into activities not previously explored before and can actually be characterized as “fun.”

It’s probably not very probable that you have ever envisioned yourself floating lazily down the James River on a tube next to your boss, or stealthily pointing a paintball gun at your officemate across a wooded field. However, this actually isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. There are numerous local businesses offering recreational team building packages here in Lynchburg that are both productive and stimulating for employees.

Like most small businesses, James River Float Company (JRFC) started off as just a dream. When it finally became apparent that the idea for the company was feasible to generate revenue, the owners, Mason and Katy Basten, started formulating a business plan. The company’s first unofficial season started out of the back of a truck in 2008 but, after experiencing a great year, JRFC acquired a facility and the officially started the company the following spring.

JRFC offers guided and non-guided float trips on the James River, as well as white water rafting excursions. As the head guide, Mason said that the business does its best to follow a “keep it simple stupid” philosophy to allow participants to enjoy the casual, relaxing lifestyle of nature without much effort on their own parts. All of the hard work is taken care of so that customers are able to relax and enjoy getting away from the daily grind.

This coming season, the company is planning on expanding the horizons of their team building programs, moving away from more traditional ideas. Mason foresees incorporating things like group nature walks and bird watches to encourage more relaxation and serenity, as well as clay shooting.

“We want to get outside of what’s considered typical team building,” Mason emphasized.

One example of this is something that Mason came up with by accident. An after-hours trip to the river to uncover a sunken bateau ended up sparking the idea for doing just that—two teams racing to unearth sunken boats from the river. This, he says, will reward both teams with a sense of victory and accomplishment, while also allowing employees who don’t often get down and dirty with each other, to get muddy and soaking wet. Carefree laughter and fun will be the ultimate prize of this team building exercise.

A typical season starts in April and ends in September, but Basten says that JRFC will run trips year-round based on the type of activity desired. Furthermore, he says that everything is “100 percent reschedule-able” due to the unreliable nature of the great outdoors.

If you are a company who wants to try a more physical activity that also hones good communication skills, you have only to turn to Nelson Tharpe, owner of Painted Forest Adventure Games in Lynchburg. Tharpe played his first game of paintball in the mid-80s and, though he was at first forced to play the game against his better judgment, he was soon addicted. The end result became a flourishing business.

Paintball by nature is a team sport. It requires careful communication and good teamwork. While one might assume that men are typically more skilled at the game, Tharpe has found that women surprise even themselves with their ability to play the sport well. He has observed women typically working more harmoniously with one another, while men habitually play the “action hero,” turning the game into a free-for-all.

Tharpe encourages the first game for beginners to consist of one team playing defensive in a stationary stance while the other plays moving offense. This allows the moving team the chance to figure out the paintball guns and how to maneuver with them, while the other is able to work on communication in a stationary pose.

The second game is played usually in a wooded field, fighting in a hallway configuration. In other words, the two teams work in a formation that has more forward and backward movement as opposed to side-to-side. This allows for a different kind of comfort zone for each team, but encourages movement for both groups of players. As the games progress, the fields open up and get faster and bigger. Multiple team scenarios of 14 against three are also an option for more competitive groups.

Painted Forest is open seven days a week for private parties who make reservations in advance. The typical cost for playing is about $30 per person for a four to five hour outing. However, there is a group discount for 30 or more players.

The idea of hands-on, battle-like activities is typically an HR department’s worst nightmare. Fear of bodily harm and heated competition bring to mind the perfect scenario for worker’s comp claims. But Tharpe was specific in explaining that this is not the norm and that paintball is actually statistically safer then bowling or golf when it comes to serious injury.

Rise Up Climbing, an indoor climbing facility downtown, also offers corporate packages for more contemporary team building activities in Lynchburg. Think creatively when it comes to your company and you may be surprised at how much more willing your employees will be to do the same. One thing’s for sure: The word “mandatory” won’t be viewed as negative anymore when it comes to these types of corporate activities.