Pushing the Envelope
It’s 1987 and I’m living in Shimonoseki, Japan – a non-descript town of 100,000 known primarily for its production of the poisonous delicacy, fugu (blowfish). Although here, ostensibly, to teach English to junior high school students, only I know the real truth. Inside, I’m Indiana Jones. I am an adventurer! Teaching English in Japan is […]
Three Stumbling Blocks on the Path to High-Performance Teams
It’s half an hour into one of my recent team-building programs — a treasure hunt offsite at the Bronx Zoo in New York – and Janine is clearly struggling. For 30 minutes straight she’s been sitting on a bench, 20 feet away from her “Team Indiana Jones” teammates, poring over a particularly difficult clue and […]
Pete Carroll and Grit
In a recent Sports Illustrated article titled “Pete Carroll, NFL’s Eternal Optimist, is Ready to Turn Heartbreak into Triumph”, the beleaguered coach of the Seattle Seahawks discusses how he dealt with his team’s crippling, final-seconds loss to the New England Patriots in last season’s Superbowl. Says Carroll, “[I] grieved for all of one morning”. Incredible, […]
San Francisco — Presidio Teambuilding Scavenger Hunt
A great San Francisco Teambuilding Scavenger Hunt at the Presidio Just standing in the Presidio, looking out at the Bay, is a San Francisco treat. The Golden Gate Bridge is right there, in its red splendor. Crissy Field is down below, a marvelous expanse of landscaping right along the shore line. If you listen carefully, […]
Washington DC–National Mall teambuilding scavenger hunt
A historic site to hold a teambuilding scavenger hunt in Downtown Washington, DC Event Description: A majestic site for a corporate team building event in the center of America’s capital, the National Mall is THE place to go for commemorating presidential legacies, for honoring our nation’s veterans, and for celebrating the nation’s commitment to freedom […]
Teams, Longevity, Blues Zones and My Dad
As long as I can remember, my dad was committed to writing a novel and getting it published. A journalist by day, Dad would come home and eat dinner with the family, linger to chat about the day’s affairs, and then retreat to his den to write his books. During those two hours of nightly […]
Motorcycle Crash
By Gordon Grant (guest writer) “Last month I spent a week motorcycling back-country roads in Oregon, California and Washington. Unfortunately one of my friends had an accident that broke a few parts on both the bike and the rider. The trip was over for them. The morning after the accident, we met in the lobby […]
The Tiger Within
The Tiger Within A pregnant tiger stumbles through the woods, desperately seeking its next meal. With her unborn cub weighing her down, the tiger mama is nearing the end of her rope. If she doesn’t find something to eat soon, she’ll most certainly die. Crawling out to edge of a rocky promontory, she looks down […]
Durham, NC–American Tobacco Campus Teambuilding Scavenger Hunt
A fun, place to hold a team building scavenger hunt in Durham, NC This is a compact treasure hunt location, build on the site of an old tobacco company campus. Lots of places to eat and drink…ample restrooms…and a minor league baseball stadium, right there. It has a very festive atmosphere–check out the yummy […]
Chapel Hill, NC — UNC campus teambuilding scavenger hunt
A fun, place to hold a teambuilding scavenger hunt in Chapel Hill Event Description: A fun, historic place to participate in a corporate teambuilding event, the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill is all you could want in a Southern college: broad trees, stately, vine-covered brick buildings, healthy students, […]