Team Building with Laser tag - 1

Laser tag is a great team builder. After playing more than 30 sessions I am drawing from my experience in the game. Laser tag can mimic team work of a family, a military unit, a corporate department, sports team, etc. After all, teams are found in nearly every field and department today.

As I write this blog I would like my readers to know that I am a son in a family, a family man, worked for 6+ years in the corporate in analyst to managerial capacities and played club level basketball and done some coaching for basketball teams as well.

1) Different Gameplays

Laser Tag has a variety of gameplays. In each gameplay, since the goal is different the team has to work together to achieve the goal. It brings realistic scenes as at some point in the game you run out of 'ammunition' at crunch situations or the team might be faced with that same scenario, 

2) Different Venues

Each venue brings its own challenges for the teams. We have played out in the woods, in the parks, in apartment blocks, enclaves, inside houses, confined spaces with minimal lights and heavy sounds. The teams have got to decide on communication methods, best course of 'attack' or 'defense' etc.

3) Different Times per session

Ever had those days at work when the team suddenly has to finish something in a short period of time? Or the work assigned has a longer time period and you are pacing yourself without having to drop productivity of yourself or the teams? Well laser tag games can be of different time lengths depending on game play or availability of time to just 'sneak' in a game!!

4) Realising who are the best people within my group for me to work with

In my case even within the team, I usually work even better with just one or two other people. This is not to say I ignore the rest of my team. Its just that when these team members and I come together we can keep our entire team strong and achieve the gameplay goal more efficiently.

5) Realising my strengths and weaknesses.

One thing I learnt really quickly in laser tag, is I am not all I thought I was. In my first few games I thought I would be taking my team to victory and when the results came out I was hit the maximum number of times without landing a single shot!! Delusions of myself broke quickly. However, I also started realising where my strengths were. I was better off listening to a leader and following instructions than giving them. Learning my strengths and weaknesses helped me push my strengths up to help the team and go back and work on my weaknesses. While I had some of my ego busted during some of the games I was also grateful to lend my strengths to benefit the team.

6) Realising others strengths and weaknesses.

Taking up from the last point, I realised strengths and weaknesses of others. So where I was weak I would have to depend on the others who were strong and where I was strong I went forward and covered the others. I did realise there is no place for ego or pride if the team is to win together. 

7) Teaches us where to take risks.

There are some times when the team needs to take risks. It isn't nice but sometimes its the only way to go forward and possibly win.

These are just a few points that I realised are important for team building. In part two I will be talking about a few more points that I had realised progressively as I kept playing the game.

If you find these points useful for team building I strongly suggest that you go ahead and call for a laser tag game whether at home or the office. Contact www.skirmish.in ASAP.

The power of 1%

Did you know it takes about just 1% of your day to enhance your energy, burn fat, increase muscle and improve mobility and flexibility?

If you are really hard up on time you can have a really good training session in 15 minutes. The key is form and intensity. Technique should be acccurate and not going slack. Intensity should be high so you maximise results.

Especially Employees or busy executive professionals can employ this technique. Although you can choose tools of trade, bodyweight exercises in my opinion rule the 1% training sessions because you are quickly hitting multiple muscle groups and all facets of fitness in a short period of time. 

Never underestimate the power of 1%. Invest in the one pc of your day and change your life.

Corporate World - You know you need this!

While most corporates have embraced the idea of fitness being part of the work culture, to precious few are actually doing it right. There are some companies who are getting their fitness focus bang on and thats great! Thank you for making the effort and investment to get it right.

Others look like as if they have just just thrown some 'fitness room' in which they call a 'gym,' most of the time to satisfy their own conscience. Its very strange because most of the time the gym hardly has anyone in it!

I have usually noticed most people in corporate gyms usually just go on the treadmill or cycle and thats about it. for companies that are screaming about 'Cost- Cutting' I would wonder why they spend thousands for that kind of work when they could have just let the employees have time to go for a run around the office building or rented a bunch of cycles. It would have saved them at least a few hundred thousands rather than an entire space being 'unproductive.'  That to me is amusing since they expect their employees to be productive and overperform at every minute and hour. 

Lets get this straight. The people are what keeps your company up. If your people are healthy and strong they will not fall sick. That means less absenteeism. Less absenteeism means more productivity. Fitness is vital to your employees health and that does not mean sticking a gym which is not being used somewhere in the premises and running some marathon competition once every six months.

Real fitness for the corporate is when the most relevant issues that need to be addressed for all your employees are addressed and sending out ways that can practically help them. That also includes getting the right fitness program for them, the right nutrition, the right exercise, the right education on fitness that pertains to them and more importantly how to keep the right frame of mind and destress. Effective programs can be done in 30 minutes. Studies have shown just 15 to 30 minutes of exercise boost productivity.

When was the last time you actually got professional help to address those issues and FOLLOW-UP with the employees? Or did you drag them for another so called seminar in which none of them were interested to go for and expect them to meet EOD targets? 

Fitness is important to your business. You can't afford absenteeism. You can't afford bad backs You can't afford hurting necks and shoulders. You can't afford not being able to keep your staff mentally happy. They are your staff! They are people. treat them like people and not like cattle. 

Please remember this. If you take care of your staff, they will take care of your business and your clients. You have got to empower them to do what they have to do. 

Corporate World you know you need this!! Get working on it! So how are you going to do it? Get a good fitness company to handle the fitness for you or at least a fitness trainer/coach. Don't scrimp on the money here. You will end up making and saving a lot more. If you want a fancy gym thats great. If you don't want one, thats great too. Just get a decent basic one but have a good fitness company or trainer who will take care of your company's fitness issues or at least you on how to get it done. 

Hidden danger of Technology

The technology age is supposed to make life easier and better. Well that is true. However there is a downside to all the technology around us. We are being poisoned slowly by electromagnetic radiation. This happens through 'hanging out' with our best electronic 'friends'- laptops, tablets, computers, mobiles, etc. The prolonged exposure to these cause a host of problems and its possible that maybe you have felt some of the effects as well.

What are the symptoms?

Tiredness
Fatigue
Lethargy
Mental Dullness
Migraines
Irritability
Headaches
On a higher level since radiation is involved it could cause cancer or at least a very high probability of cancer.

Troubleshooting the issue
So how do we deal with this? I mean we live in a world where we are exposed nearly 24/7 to these gadgets. I mean as I write this I am using my smartphone. So what can be done?

1) Switch off and unplug: More importantly you have to unplug, not the gadgets. Once every week take a 24 hour break from technology. Switch off phones. Pull the computer plug out. Just stay away from gadgets. Everyday try and get at least 10 minutes away from gadgets. Go for a walk in the sunshine. That way you will get the benefits of a walk, sunshine and fresh air. See how much better you feel. Its a great feeling to know life still goes on without a mobile phone!

2) Exercise: Use your training time to disconnect. One thing that I really dislike is people continuously on the phone texting or on a call while they are to be training. Its strange but usually they are also the ones who make the least progress. Use the training session to disconnect and get your blood flowing and muscles working. Your mind will clear and get sharper.

3) Nutrition: From the eating point of view the best bet is pure nutrients and water. That means veges is the food group that wins and water. Eat green leafy veges as much as you can and beetroots as they are heavy antioxidants. If you can't eat a lot of raw veges try juicing them.   As far as water is concerned 3-4 liters during the day is essential.

4) Caveman sleep: Make sure that when you sleep your phone and laptops are not in your bedroom. If the phone is next to you for the sake of the alarm you have two choices.
- Put it in flight mode.
- Leave the phone out and get a manual - NOT DIGITAL- alarm clock.

I urge you all to do this. I can say this from personal experience and then researched to back it up. I would like to hear your comments and get your suggestions.