>Team building > Rally of Excellence 
Rally of Excellence - Learning to grow as a Team
Overview
The Rally of Excellence is composed of a series of short events (30’), intended to reinforce team spirit and discover keys to success in an efficient team.
The contents of the Rally is a challenge sent to the participants, who form teams. They will have to use all their skills in order to face all the tests, events and surprises of the route.
Teams will be challenged to pass various events demanding communication skills, motivation amongst team members, the use of individual and collective abilities.
Each activity is designed so as to require specific qualities. And all the activities are complementary, as a variety of immaterial resources are called for.
The persons will move around in a very pleasant and relaxing context. But the very subjects will be serious and fundamental.
During each event, the participants will discover the factors of success and will analyze the difficulties they met. Then they will draw conclusions. And they will apply immediately during the next event.
At the end of the seminar, everybody will have improved, in a pleasant way, without even thinking of it.
A team is composed of ten people, no matter their post, hierarchical level, age, job.
Any group of any size can play the Rally of Excellence.
Simulation
An event is composed of three stages :
- Participants read the rules and get ready (5')
- Action (15')
- Analysis (10’)
Teams have a road-book at their disposal, which shows the sequence of the events they will face. They simultaneously change every 30 minutes. As many as 8 to 10 different events can be proposed.
The Rally of Excellence happens over one or two days.
Each event is facilitated by a facilitator, who explains the rules, check the scored points and debriefs with the team .
At the end of the seminar, a general debrief allows the participants to discuss, express themselves in front of everybody. They can explain which difficulties they faced, and how they overcame them.
This is an opportunity to share what they experienced and discovered.
Some of our activities
The Maze
You are lost in the Jungle, and you arrive to a marsh, where you can possibly meet quicksand. You'll have to find your way across the marsh.
Urged by the time constrains and organization difficulties that force them to choose between talk and action, they are to discover what the word communication and preparation do mean !
What is highlighted :
- Solidarity
- Efficiency of the communication
- Observation
- Discipline
The Track
The principle is easy and simple : the members of the team are standing on two skis. They have to move along a route, following certain rules.
They must get really ready at the beginning, for if unorganized and unsynchronized, there might be some surprises !
What is highlighted :
- Synchronizing efforts
- Apprenticeship
- Trust
- Mutual help
- Concentration during action
The Target
The participants must control their movements to mark a certain area on a target. Each has a means of action and can influence the others’ actions, but optimum result can only be achieved provided every body work together, listening and caring for others’ behaviors.
What is highlighted
- The importance of a common objective
- The choice of the objectives and the appropriate strategy .
- Clarity of the communication
- Real time monitoring
- Sharing a same vision
- Agreement of the group on a common method
- Managing the interactions and how it affects the results
The Squares
Two alpinist ropes suddenly meet together on a very narrow path. They have to find a way so that each rope can come on with their trip.
What is highlighted
- The objective must be clear and agreed upon.
- The method must be effective, known and followed by all.
- Communication must be open, direct and peaceful.
- Leadership and motivation.
The Tower
You are lost in the jungle. You walk on the ground, under the high trees of this area. You know that a plane is to arrive around in half an hour. You have to build a tower with a flag to its top, so that the pilot can see the place where you are.
What is highlighted
- Common vision and common objective.
- Vision and Leadership
- Perseverance in team
- Creativity
- Taking risks
- Agreement on a process.
The Architect and the Mason
The Architect describes to the Mason, a drawing, that the Mason has to build with different pieces. Of course, they can only talk !
What is highlighted
- Verbal Communication
- Accuracy of the words
- Method
- Checking the understanding of the other.
- Step by step processing
The Dark Room
You have to find the colour and shape of two missing pieces among a number of pieces. Through communication and listening, the team must find out the shape and the color of these two pieces. Easy ? Don’t be so sure !
What is highlighted
- The role of a common language
- Accuracy and quality of the exchanges
- Comprehension of the other’s point of view
- The importance of checking the hypothesis
The special Mission
This event deals with a theme specific to your company : it consists of creating the most beautiful and original T-shirt showing – for example – what is team spirit for your company.
What is highlighted
- Common vision
- Conveying a concept
- Imagination and humor
- Creativity
The Analysis :
All through the seminar, commitment, motivation and performance are put to test and valued. Each team has its own scoring sheet and is able to calculate its current score during the challenge.
Forms must be filled at the end of each game, during the debrief. If not, no points will be scored.
Setup
- The Rally of Excellence requires as many areas (rooms) as events. A specific area must be found for the Track.
- At some time in the seminar, a T-shirt show will take place. The teams will then explain their ideas about the chosen topic.
