Finally managed to catch breath after a hectic last week.
Our full day retreat for the Faculty of Education and Arts was a huge day. Lynda and I drove up the night before so we would be fresh and ready for a 7.30 Breakfast briefing with the team. Then it was full steam ahead preparing for the mornings experiential simulation - Search for the Lost Dutchman's Goldmine.
The guys had set up some terrific table signs already and by the time we had added the colourful maps, bandanas, hats and set up the Trading Post, the room looked great. We don't normally run this for a group of this size, but everything fell into place and the 60 attendees were soon fully engrossed.
The teams participate in an imaginary expedition to "mine gold" and the 6 members of each team have a mountain of information to process, planning to accomplish and decisions to be made. How much risk to take, what's the best way to work together. Changing weather patterns can throw the best laid plans into chaos and it certainly did on this day.
Actually, full credit to them, this group actually mined more gold on average than most groups who take on the adventure.
But the game isn't just about fun. The real gold comes out in the "debrief." What went on, how did they feel, how did they work together, how much collaboration, how much cooperation etc etc. The lively discussion with it's insights and learnings took us right up to lunch.
Lunch was a surprise! A 20 minute performance by the University of Newcastle Chamber Choir, winner of the recent Battle of the Choirs! A brilliant little show that took our participants completely by surprise.
After lunch a series of short presentations and then I did one of my favourite short Team Work exercises. To end the day... a fun Creative Thinking game "Brilliant Ideas!" that had the table groups designing fantastic new products and the marketing campaigns to go with them. The winner was a "low fat waterproof love", with just a killer advertising jingle that had everyone in hysterics. A great ending to a big day.
We had thought about staying over as we were both exhausted by then, but drove back through the smell of bushfire back home. Last year when I ran this retreat day, the road south was actually closed by fires, so we were a little nervous, but all worked out well.
A busy day repacking and then we were off to Queensland.
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