Officer Development
Teambuilding Ideas for New Officer Orientations
With spring officer elections in process, many chapters are now planning their new officer orientations. Effective officer orientations have many important elements, including learning about Phi Theta Kappa programs, leadership development and strategies for planning campus events.
When planning a new officer orientation, don't overlook one of the most important topics of all - teambuilding. Any newly elected officer team probably includes at least several members who do not know each other very well. Yet from this point forward, they will work closely together, and the results of their collaboration will determine the success of the chapter in the coming year. Time spent bonding with each other in the officer orientation can lead to a more successful chapter and a more enjoyable officer experience. Read on for teambuilding exercises your chapter can use in your new officer orientation.
Get to know each other.
To play "Personal Trivia," each team member writes five little known facts about themselves on an index card. A group leader (maybe the advisor) then reads aloud each card and the group tries to guess who the card is about. For even more fun, ask everyone to not guess out loud, but to simply write his or her guesses down. At the end, the person with the most correct guesses wins a prize!
Emphasize each individual's contributions.
Turn your team into a "Construction Crew." Before the activity starts, build a structure from Legos or other building blocks. As you work, create a pile of the exact same blocks you used. To begin the activity, distribute some of the blocks set aside to each participant and instruct the group to re-create the structure you have built. However, each team member is only allowed to touch his or her blocks. If at anytime someone touches a block that does not belong to them, the group must start over.
Undertake a challenge.
Completing a difficult task together creates a sense of team accomplishment that is hard to beat. One fun teambuilding challenge gets participants "All Tied Up." Everyone stands in a circle, with each person facing each other, and holds out their arms. Each person's wrist is tied to that of both neighbors. Then the group has to complete a difficult task, like prepare a snack, create an art project or eat lunch.
Think creatively together.
"Line Up" requires the group to communicate with each other in a unique way. To get started, ask the team to line up according to the number of letters in their full name (shortest name to longest name), by their length of membership in Phi Theta Kappa or by the number of people in their immediate family. The catch is that no talking is allowed! For a variation, try this activity blindfolded or with all eyes closed. All of these activities emphasize working together to complete a task, and show that in order to be successful, everyone must participate. A sample Officer Orientation agenda is provided in the Chapter Resource Manual and online at www.ptk.org/officers/orientation/agenda.htm.
