BLUE MOUNTAIN CHALETS

VACATION RENTALS, SERVING COLLINGWOOD & BLUE MOUNTAIN SINCE 1998

TEAM BUILDING

Blue Mountain Chalets has an active Team Building program. We can run or work along side, or simply coordinate your team building process. Our experts are flexible, will work to make sure the desired goals and achievements are met.

Team Building Information:

Team building is the process of building a good team out of a bad one. Knowing the difference between a group, a good team and a bad team is essential when building better collective performance, especially as team building with groups can be counterproductive. Stay at Blue Mountain Ontario.

Here are some terms that are often used when talking about building better collective performance. But only one of these defines what a team is:

*A group of people*	*Synergy*	*Sharing one aim*
*Whole > Sum*	*Co-operation*	*Flexibility*
*Working together*	*Reporting to one boss*	*Serving one customer*

Most of these terms are features of good teams. For example, the expression 'whole > sum' is used when they are working well together. But collective performance sometimes falls short of what you might expect given the quality of individuals.

The Apollo Syndrome is a good example of this - where highly intelligent people often perform worse when working together than 'less able' members. The Apollo Syndrome is just one of sixteen team complexes that can inhibit collective performance.

The important phrase in the above table is "sharing one aim". It is having a shared goal that distinguishes a group from a team, and without understanding and commitment to that goal, all other attempts at building better performance will have limited value. It is therefore of the highest priority to have a firm foundation of:

there being a common goal for which everyone has shared responsibility
everyone understanding that goal and feeling committed to it

Membership

It is also important to be clear about who the members are. People often look at the organisational structure to provide guidance on who is 'in' and who is 'out'. But consider the example of the sales force in a financial services company, selling pensions. Who contributes to that goal? There are many people:

Sales people	Sell to clients
Sales Manager	Ensures the Sales People are equipped to sell properly
Marketing Manager	Designs a product is attractive to potential buyers
Accountants	Control the costs of the product to keep it competitively priced
Investment Analysts	Maximise the return on the client's investment, making the product more attractive to buy
Administrators	Process the applications quickly so that the client does not lose patience and move to a competitor company
Personnel	Recruit high performing sales people, and provide training to maximise sales
Stationery suppliers	Provide attractive marketing literature
Cleaning staff	Keep sales offices looking attractive

Personnel, marketing, administration etc - their goals contribute to the higher goal of increased sales.

"Selling pensions" is therefore not something that is limited to the sales force. There are many people who have a role to play. In fact, the whole company is working towards the common goal of selling pensions.

Summary

A team is a group of people who are jointly responsible for achieving a shared goal. If one member fails then it can hinder the achievement of the collective goal. Even if the members fulfil their individual roles but they don't work synergistically, then they may not fulfil their potential or achieve as much as they could.

The most important foundation you can lay, when building better collective performance, is that of common understanding and commitment to the shared goal.

Assess Your Team

Use our online questionnaire to identify unhelpful team dynamics in your team. It can be completed as a single questionnaire, or you can get a group of people to complete the questionnaire and consolidate the results into a single report.

Team Dynamics

An introduction to team dynamics and how they affect teamwork and performance.

Motivational Speakers

How to select the right speaker for your corporate team building event, and what you can do to ensure they pitch their address at the right level.

Employee Incentive Programs

How to design Performance Related Pay schemes that help to motivate your staff.

Performance Management System

An outline of a performance management system that can be used with teams.

Resolving conflict

Conflict is a good thing! It is only bad when managed badly. This article introduces a process, based on game theory, that can be used for resolving conflict between individuals or team members.

How to achieve cultural change

Changing the culture of an organisation is a difficult, long term task. However, most change programmes fail because they do not follow a few basic rules. This page outlines a simple but successful approach to cultural change.

Running Corporate Team Building Events

Corporate team building events represent a major investment, not just of cost but also of staff and management time. This article describes how to get the best value from them.

Tuckman's model

The Tuckman model of development (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing) was developed a long time ago, but is still useful today. This simple summary table provides a comprehensive list of characteristics of teams at each stage, and what types of actions are required by the team leader.

An introduction to teamwork

An introduction to the principles of good teamwork, and how you don't always need good relationships to achieve good performance.

The Basics of Team Building

An introduction to the basic concepts of team building - and how to tell whether you need to focus on individual skills, small team relationships, overcoming team islands, or changing organisational culture

Good Practice in Staff Surveys

Staff Surveys can play a significant role in corporate team building. This article introduces some key principles you need to follow to get the most benefit from such a survey.

Overcoming Team Islands

This article describes the principles to use when designing events in order to deal with team islands.

Classic team quotes

There are many quotations on teamwork. This page provides a short list of the all-time classics.

How to Choose the right Team Building Exercises

There are lots of team building exercises you can use. But which ones are right for your team? This article helps you decide.

The difference between small group and corporate team building

This article explains some of the differences between trying to improve the performance, spirit and relationships of 7 people and 70.

Team Building Activities

A comprehensive guide to activities that can be used to build your team.

Stress Management for Team Members

Team members can sometimes experience stress in their roles and need support from colleagues. This article describes how to recognise and deal with the causes of stress.

Assertiveness for Team Members

An online course showing you how to be more assertive. Of general interest, but particularly relevant for team members.

Collective Team Competencies

This is a research questionnaire into what makes a 'high performing team'. It takes less than 10 minutes to complete, provides you with a short analysis of your team, and helps in our research.

Using funny videos for dealing with difficult people

Funny videos are more than just entertainment, as this article explains. Sometimes they can be used to diffuse difficult situations, or make, in a subtle way, team members aware of the impact they are having on a team.

Prince2 and teamwork

How to use a project management methodology to help build the team.

Six Sigma and Culture

Integrating a Six Sigma project with cultural change.

From 10 to 1000 we have accommodation for you. Are you planning on attending a tournament or team event in Collingwood or Blue Mountain? Why over pay for a hotel room when you can stay in a condo or Chalet with a full kitchen, TV, DVD, fire place. Many of our units have upgrades such as hot tubs, saunas and pools. Our rates start at $75.00 per night mid week and $125.00 on weekends. This accommodation can hold up to 6 people. We do have units that will hold up to 20 people. We are always happy to co-ordinate group events and room assignments. Please feel free to view our website at www.bluemountainchalets.com or call us toll free at 1 877 4460824

Blue Mountain Chalets has developed a comprehensive program for Groups and Conferences that is one of the most cost effective programs in the industry. We assign a Group specialist to your group, who will design a program specifically around your needs and budgets. Their mandate is to complete your entire list of goals at an inclusive price designed specifically to meet your budget.

Whether we supply just the accommodation, the accommodation and the food. Or the accommodation, the food, and the activates that will make your group conference a success we are thrilled to help.

Our Group and Conference specialists can design a program for every group and conference budget. Our accommodation of Executive, Upgraded, and Standard accommodation is designed to suit most demographic needs.

Our packages start as low as $25 per person including food. We own our banquet and restaurant facilities, operated with a world class chef. Our accommodations have everything from five star presentation to affordable clean and comfortable standard accommodation. We have packages from almost all local and area attractions, and can work with you to create an event your organization will be talking about for the entire year, till it's time to come back! So please call us today to discuss your needs!

Twelve Months of the Year!

Blue Mountain Chalets are located around the foot of the Blue Mountains, 90 minutes north of Toronto. We are family owned and operated. We have Chalets, Condo's and Inn rooms.

Our company caters to business's large and small. Blue Mountain Chalets consists of Eighty five Chalets, Condos and Inn rooms. All are well maintained, clean, and full of great amenities. We have wonderful luxury Inn rooms, great condominiums on the resort and beside the village, as well as great large party palaces. There is accommodation for every type of group. Whether you are looking to be in the lap of luxury, on the hill, beside the hills, in great group settings, or in privacy of your own cul-de-sac of Swiss Style Chalets its here.

Blue Mountain Chalets can comfortably accommodate up to 1,000 guests. Whether your group is six or 1,000 we have the right accommodation for you.

Our recreational facilities are state of the art and second to none. We have indoor/outdoor swimming pools, Beach, Tennis Courts, exercise Room, Sauna, and pretty much everything else you would want in accommodation. All our accommodation comes with a vast array of unique facilities. So tell one of our expert adviser's what your group is looking for and we will arrange it for you. The Blue Mountains, the Village at Blue, the Bruce Trail, the Scenic Caves, Meaford Harbour, the Historic Town of Collingwood and beach (known to have “Ontario’s finest Sunset”) are only few minutes from your doorstep.

Our accommodations feature amenities such as saunas, fireplaces, oversized living and dining areas, fully equipped kitchen w/microwave, cable TV, Washer/Dryer, Stereo, DVD and or VCR and much much more.

Just ask and you will receive. From Martini receptions, Catered Breakfasts, Lunches, and Dinners, both in our Chalets and Condominiums or in our Banquet and Restaurant facilities, our renowned chef, Jerry Barber, will not disappoint you: Chalet breakfasts and Fondue dinner parties, live theatre, gala dinner and dance, antiquing, moonlit wagon rides, art classes, gallery tours, brewery tours, chalet Spa treatments, luncheon inclusive of fashion show and live auctions are just a few of the options available for recreational and social activities during the course of a Blue Mountain Chalets Retreat. Dream of all the possibilities and we will deliver!

Our Activities

Some of the group activities available for a team building retreat would include sports, skiing, mountain biking, guided escarpment hikes, caving, bicycle tours, photo hikes, horse back riding and golf tournaments, while family events would include a Olympic Field Day where games, races and a treasure hunt are held on-site. Off-site family activities could include go-carting, tournament style mini golf and indoor paintball. Prizes and trophies will be awarded for all competitive activities. Remember there are countless activities that include Murder Mysteries, Scavenger Hunts, and many tried and proven fun games from survivor to Trumps new Apprentice.

Kid's Activities

Blue Mountain Chalets offers supervised games, crafts and live entertainment including a magic show will keep the children between the ages of 5 - 14 kids amused while the parents are participating in the more elaborate retreat programs. Sitters will be supplied for each chalet from 7pm – 12 midnight on order during the Retreat.

Chalet/Condo/Inn - Accommodations

Accommodations in groups or families as determined by the client. We have great variety and can accommodate most groups wishes and desires. Mid week retreat (Tues) check-in is 4pm and check-out (Thurs) is 12 noon. Cost of $35 per person per night applies.

Chalet - Production Office/Entertainment Centre

One chalet will be required for production and entertainment purposes and will not house any guests. Blue Mountain Chalets will utilize a Large Chalet to act as your headcounters for your retreat. It can act as an head office, boardroom, meeting room, or simply the centre for your fun to begin. Cost of chalet $500 plus taxes.

Blue Mountain Chalets will designate a full time Team Building Coordinator. Their job will be to work with you to create an event unique to you, to ensure you achieve all your goals.

Your Event Partners

Blue Mountain Chalets will provide administration and billing of Guest accommodations and entertainment/production chalets for approximately up to five hundred families.

We can provide corporate productions and entertainment, Blue Mountain Chalets will act as your exclusive team building partner. We will provide hard costs for your event programs; services and suppliers in that you will may knowingly set ticket prices. BMC will provide a “line item” order form for chalet meals, spa treatments and off-site activities for guest reservation purposes. Upon completion and submission, BMC will be responsible for providing logistical confirmations and billings of all activities, suppliers, event staff, décor, catering, transportation and housekeeping services.

Chalet Pricing

A 50% deposit is required for Chalet Accommodations to confirm your booking and is payable to Blue Mountain Chalets. Balance due is due 30 days prior to check in. A fully refundable deposit is available up to 30 days prior to your tenancy date. Billing will be per chalet and will also require a preauthorized damage deposit of $500 for each unit.

Event Pricing

A 50% deposit is required for all events as based on chosen meal plans and activity programs and is payable to Blue Mountain Chalets, as your event coordinator. Balance due 30 days prior to event date prior to production start. A fully refundable deposit is available up to 30 days prior to event date.

Groups and Conferences