The words have changed regarding how we talk about employee groups. It’s no longer a shift, but a team. It’s no longer employees, but team members.
Reality: The words do not determine the actual relationship of those in the group. Calling a set of people a team who work toward the same goals is only words without the work to forge and create the team. Some agencies have “teams” for shifts—midnights, evenings, days—while others have “teams” within the shifts when the shifts work opposite schedules. Some call the entire group of Emergency Dispatchers a team. What work have you done to make your group a team?
When we had a 30-minute overlap for roll call on our schedule, the shift manager/acting manager was responsible for creating training and content each day. One of the things I did was bring in another member of our department who taught team building every four to six weeks. These sessions lasted up to 30 minutes and added cohesiveness. While everyone may not have the schedule overlap to work with, here are some ideas for you to start creating bonds with your people. These team-building events can be done with individuals or in small groups at shift changes.
Tower Build: Create a tower that must stand on its own and be measured from the tabletop to the top of the tower. Height matters, with the tallest structure winning. Supplies: One bag of giant marshmallows and one box of spaghetti. Participants are given a time limit of 20 minutes (or less) to build their tower. This can be done at shift changes with one person as the judge and measurer. Purpose: Create communication and joint problem-solving.
Puzzle Play: Take cardboard boxes from everyday products and cut them into puzzle pieces. For example, cut up a cracker box, an energy bars box, etc. Put all the pieces in one big bag. If you create two bags of the same thing, make sure the puzzle pieces are identical to the first bag. Each group is given a time limit— usually five minutes—to assemble as many of the puzzles as possible while working together. Have one timer running down and the other running up so the fastest time wins a prize. This could be a bag of candy, the contents of the boxes, or bragging rights. Purpose: Work together and communicate to get results under a time constraint.
Rope Square: You’ll need an open space for this one. Take a long rope or cord and set it on the ground at the feet of four people. With their eyes closed or blindfolded, they need to pick up the rope, unwind it, and create a square shape. Purpose: Use verbal directions without sight to work together.
Word Search/Crossword: Take common terms or policies you want to review and put them into either a word search or crossword. There are websites where you put in the words and clues, and it auto-generates the word search or crossword. Have staff work in teams or as individuals for a different form of continuing education and policy review. Establish a time limit to fill out as much as they can as part of the competition for a small prize. Purpose: Policy review and teamwork to solve the puzzles.
Jeopardy-Style Review: Create small teams or have them play as individuals using a Jeopardy-style board (available in Powerpoint Templates as a quiz). Let them compete to get the most points. Prize optional with bragging rights for Jeopardy Master or Champion. Purpose: Review policies and work together to answer clues. This can count as continuing education.
The ideas shared in this article can create bonds and better teamwork in your center. Everyone benefits from having fun working together and creating team relationships—all with little to no money.
