Team Building Guide, Brought to you by Sherpa Coaching.

201 7TEAM BUI LDI NGGUI DE

BROUGHTTOYOUBY

You need to get the most from your talent:

CREATIVITY, GROWTH AND PASSION

Karl Corbett, Managing Partner at Sherpa Coaching

Based in Cincinnati, Sherpa Coaching has become one of the biggest brand names in coaching. Their research on leadership and coaching started in 2005, and continues with free reporting every year. A series of books on leadership and coaching has introduced the most widely-used process for executive coaching. Sherpa has been selected as a partner in coach training by ten major universities over the years.

There are four places where Sherpa’s diagnostics typically find an executive team: • An executive team can be functioning smoothly, yet still have weaknesses in communication.

• A team gets uneven results, and struggles with their relationships.

Judith Colemon, Co-Author of Sherpa’s University Textbook

• A team’s leader can by out of sync with the team itself.

• A leader is newly promoted, transferred or hired in to lead a team.

For each of these scenarios, Sherpa has a half-day program designed to change business behavior for the better.

This approach is not what one usually thinks of. Sherpa’s focus on top executives takes it beyond social events, retreats and outings. All those have value, too. Team building is all about delivering the right program, to the right people, at the right time.

513.232.0002 • SHERPACOACHING.COM

Brenda Corbett, Founder

Team Building

Venture Up’s strategic games encourage all employees to work together.

Work Meets Play

By Calli Whaley

VOTED BEST BREWERY TOUR IN CINCINNATI Cincinnati's Original Brewery, Winery and Distillery Tasting Tours *Ranked by reviews on TripAdvisor

Book a Tour at

CincyBrewBus.Com or call 513-258-7909 Beer & pretzels always included!

Follow us

92

A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 : : w w w.

Use Code CINCYMAG17

10% off

for your next Tour with us!

Expires September 1st, 2017 /CincyBrewBus

maga zine.com

LOCAL COMPANIES OFFER TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES FOR ALL KINDS OF GROUPS

T

eam building doesn’t have to be a chore, and there are places around Cincinnati focusing on doing just that—making it feel as little like work as possible. There are exciting and genuinely fun opportunities available for groups to participate in that, no matter how amusing, still instill team-building lessons. Teams can bond in a wide assortment of activities, from charity to learning to be spies to amazing races throughout the city and much more between and beyond. There is an option available for groups of any size, type or demographic.

VENTURE UP Venture Up started in 1983 and says it is the first company devoted to team building. The company has seen more than 250,000 clients from all over the world. It serves 69 U.S. cities in 35 states and about 20 total countries.

Of the groups that go to Venture Up, 80 percent are corporate groups. The other 20 percent are government branches, school districts and federal agencies. Venture Up has worked with the FBI, U.S. Secret Service Venture Up also has competitive and team building-specific activities. and U.S. Special Forces.

PINECROFT MANSION 513.841.9999 PINECROFTMANSION.COM Private tours and tastings are available to assist you in planning your next client engagement, corporate retreat or organizational outing.

FUNKY’S

Modern technology and complimentary wifi are available throughout the property for your event.

CATERING

EVENTS w w w.

m a g a z i n e . c o m : : A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

93

The goal at Venture Up is to integrate cognitive, emotional and physical awareness, and perceptions. To do so, it has 11 different training topics and 39 different activities for groups to focus on and choose.

David Lengyel, managing director and co-founder at Venture Up, says, “We run a wide range of activities.” They include competitive, team building specific and charity-based activities. “The only thing we don’t run is a high ropes course,” says Lengyel.

Out of the company’s programs, strategic games is the most popular. Of the strategic games, amazing races are common. Cincinnati is good for the amazing races because, according to Lengyel, “It’s easy to get around.” For larger groups, charity-based activities, such as building bikes, are most common.

Venture Up values repeat business.

Lengyel says, “People seem to enjoy it.

That’s why they come back.” Some wellknown repeat businesses the company sees include Ford, Toyota and Wells Fargo.

AXIS ALLEY Newport on the Levee 1 Levee Way, Suite 1112 Newport KY, 41071 859-652-7250 axisalleylevee.com

A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 : : w w w.

Cincinnati Circus offers 50 different team-building activities.

Axis Alley has 12 main lanes and also a VIP area, which has four private lanes. The main lanes offer bowling suites, each with the capacity for groups of 20-40 guests. Axis Alley also has a new event space, which is the perfect spot for team meetings and corporate happy hours. All areas also have full AV capabilities.

Axis Alley’s team building activities encourage strong team dynamics and provide energetic, stress-free outlets for team members. Axis Alley offers a Wacky Wheel of Bowling where team members spin the wacky wheel to see how your team can bowl in a creative way. For added fun, you can rent out the new flexible event space. The new event space includes corn hole, a giant Jenga and a giant Connect Four.

TEAM BUILDING PROFILE 94

DIANA CORMENDY

Team Building

maga zine.com

DIANA CORMENDY

Cincinnati Circus hosts team building activities both on and off the ground.

For the company’s team building, Venture Up learns from themselves. “We’re so engaged in the actual training together that we don’t actually participate,” says Lengyel.

CINCINNATI CIRCUS The Cincinnati Circus goes beyond entertaining and works with groups on their team building. The company’s goal is to “bring a fresh, fun and exciting approach

to team building activities and corporate events that encourage teamwork, trust and strong interpersonal relationships.”

To achieve that goal, the Cincinnati Circus offers about 50 different teambuilding activities for groups to participate in. “The most popular ones that we have lately are Build-a-Bike and Spy School,” Max Cormendy of the Cincinnati Circus says. “They’ve really been taking off the past couple of years.”

Build-a-Bike is a charity-based activity in which participants simply build bikes to give to people who need them. The participating group chooses which charity they will donate the bikes to, but if they don’t have one chosen, the Cincinnati Circus donates to one of its favorite charities, The Dragonfly Foundation.

Spy School is more about fun. There are five stations of spy school, all lead by a member of the circus, in which participants learn how to be spies. The stations are bomb defusing, marksmanship and firearms, laser maze, field surgery and

Our new event space is a flexible setup room including a separate A/V system with 2-70” HDTVs, 6 additional HDTVs, private bar, expansive patio with fire pits and outdoor lounge furniture.

PERFECT FOR:

R U O T U CHECK O T SPACE! N E V E W NE

· Design/Creative functions · Non-profit Functions · Corporate Functions · Social Group/Networking · Board Meetings/Retreats · Holiday/Birthday Parties

Host your Event with us this Summer* and receive a FREE Teambuilding Upgrade! *Events must take place by 9/30/2017 and have a valid food and beverage package.

Call or email to schedule: sales@axisalleylevee.com or call 859-652-7250 Newport on the Levee ~ 1 Levee Way, Suite 1112 ~ Newport, KY 41071 ~ AxisalleyLevee.com w w w.

m a g a z i n e . c o m : : A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

95

Team Building

Great Parks of Hamilton County hosts its Adventure Outpost program at Winton Woods.

FULL THROTTLE INDOOR KARTING 11725 Commons Drive Springdale, OH 45246 513-341-5278 gofullthrottle.com

Discover Cincinnati’s largest and fastest indoor karting center with two high-speed, professionally designed racetracks and karts that reach 40 MPH. We offer spacious meeting rooms with all the amenities, delicious catering and everything you need for racing. Reward your team with an unrivaled racing experience that will foster competition, build teamwork or just blow off steam. Our group specialists handle it all, and let you be the hero for your team.

We offer two-high speed tracks and multiple styles of go karts: Adult, ages 16-plus that will reach 40 MPH; youth, ages 8 to 15 with speeds up to 22 MPH; and a special track for ages 4 to 7. Our facility can handle groups of up to 200. Hand controlled kart and two-seat adult kart available for those that may have driving limitations.

Perfect for team building, corporate/group events, family reunions, bachelor/bachelorette parties and birthday parties.

TEAM BUILDING PROFILE 96

A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 : : w w w.

maga zine.com

handcuff picking. Additional activities within Spy School include code breaking, safe cracking, pick your poison, knife throwing, obstacle agility test course, escape by any means necessary, gamble like a spy, look like a spy, martini challenge, lie detector, the art of seduction, hand-tohand combat, wine tasting, McGuyver survival, salon time, zipline to freedom, cheating at poker and spy memory.

The Cincinnati Circus has worked with well-known corporations such as General Electric, Miller Brewing Company, Coors Brewing Company and Procter & Gamble.

ADVENTURE OUTPOST In Winton Woods, 20 miles from downtown Cincinnati, Great Parks of Hamilton County offers a wide variety of team-building activities through its Adventure Outpost program. Kimberly Whitton of the Great Parks team says, “We offer three- and sixhour programs that are flexible in their approach to best meet our guests’ needs.

We use a variety of team initiatives, as well

as an eight-element low ropes course for our programs.”

Through its team-building activities, Great Parks has some main goals that it wants to orient. According to Whitton, those are, “The power that comes from working together towards a common goal, the understanding that a well-functioning group can achieve a lot more than an individual, and that leadership comes in many forms.”

Great Parks runs activities such as a mock search-and-rescue challenge, offtrail orienteering and survival skills stations. The most commonly chosen is the three-hour Base Camp, an introductory package that is good for teams either with new members or who have experienced turnover. Whitton says, “Base Camp will build up a group’s camaraderie and cooperation through an easy mix of outdoor group activities and low ropes challenges.”

Great Parks has done team-building activities for groups like Procter & Gamble, General Electric and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Transport Team.

For their own team building, Whitton says, “Great Parks is all about team building among staff to enhance cooperation, accomplish goals and to have fun.” Great Parks offers its own team building through company kick-offs to highlight accomplishments and upcoming goals, team update meetings to talk to members of management, in-park meetings where representatives from each department share ideas on how to improve current procedures, and the Park Employment Engagement Team (PEET) that meets to help build connections and work better together.

Great Parks, being so close to downtown Cincinnati, gains a lot from its location.

According to Whitton, Cincinnati offers a wide spectrum of organizations to work with. They have worked with corporate groups, faculty teams, small businesses, nonprofit teams, school groups of all ages, medical teams, sports groups and so on.

Whitton says, “Our location makes us accessible to that variety, giving our guests a quiet natural setting to work together, right in their backyard.” n

w w w.

m a g a z i n e . c o m : : A U G U S T/S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

97