Recently I had an enquiry from a potential client who asked if I could run a Scavenger Hunt for their team.

As much as it sounded like fun, it’s not what I do, so I couldn’t help.

BUT what I could offer was real talk about the things I’ve been helping tons of teams with.

Things like…

…self-awareness tools so they can communicate and work better together

…communicating in ways that are clear and kind, and that empower everyone to do the same

…listening beyond the obvious so we can lead better and influence through our listening.

So I suggested that instead.

And light bulbs went on in my prospective client’s head, and they said: oh, that sounds much better!

So we went ahead and got the team into a room and we talked through some of their current challenges and some practical ways they can address them.

There’s no way to know if the Scavenger Hunt would have been better or worse as an option, but what I do know is that when the team members went home after our session together, they felt a weight lift off their shoulders.

The weight of problems without solutions.

The weight of not knowing what to do.

The weight of not having the right tools and skills to deal with some challenges.

And that’s something.

Why I wanted to share this is because we all have professional development and team building budgets, right? We have to spend them and hopefully have some positives as a result of that professional development:

…maybe engagement, maybe productivity, maybe improved work culture.

And sometimes we want to do something surprising with that budget. Something that the team will report as ‘fun’ and enable them to have a few laughs together.

I’m all for that. Culture and trust are built in so many small ways.

But sometimes what you really need is just to get back to some basics, and give your team the tools and agency to work together more effectively every day.

So, when was the last time you did that with your team?

The last time you helped them get some new skills that reduced their stress and gave them confidence?

If you’re after a Scavenger Hunt, I can’t help, but I hope you’ll have fun. And if you want to get your team in a room and give them some skills to engage with their work and one another in more rewarding and productive ways, I would love to help. Just email and let me know.

Are you on the waitlist for our mastermind, Lead & Influence? Normally we welcome new members twice a year, but this year has been…a lot, so we’re only opening the doors for people on the waitlist. If you want to see what it’s all about, you can jump on the waitlist right here.