April 2008
Teambuilding
By Amy Blagg and Charlie Starr
Our second Leadership Farm Bureau Class brought us to Sacramento, where we would be focusing on teambuilding. Little did we know that as we built our LFB team we would also be building self-confidence, friendships and a sense of awareness for our community.
After completing a 24-question DISC personality profile, we were on our way to discovering our own personalities and how we interact in a group setting. The DISC system is based on four factors: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. The system interprets one's strengths and weaknesses based on these four factors. Through this assessment, we quickly learned that our class had one dominant trait, and that trait was not dominance! Over half of the class identified the strongest with the “S” personality: steadiness. The “S” type personality is characterized as someone who is likable, diplomatic, easy-going, conservative and practical. Three class members fell into the compliance “C” personality. Those who are “Cs” are described as analytic, idealistic, loyal, talented and conscientious. In the “I” or influence personality group were two classmates. They are seen as outgoing, charismatic, compassionate and the life of the party.
Armed with a wealth of new information about our strengths and weaknesses and how they affect our interaction with others, we were ready for a day of teambuilding. Leo Van Warmerdam of Fulcrum Adventures joined us and we jumped right into activities that would take us out of our comfort zone to help us learn more about each other and ourselves.
After a few ice breakers and lunch, Leo brought out the blindfolds for an activity that would show just how well we worked as a group. All 12 class members were blindfolded and asked to step inside a rope circle. Our only direction was to follow the noise maker that Leo controlled. Once blindfolded, our personalities began to show. Leaders emerged and gave direction, while others focused on the comfort of knowing who was next to them at any given time. We followed Leo out of the board room and down the stairs of the California Farm Bureau building and quickly realized just how important communication is, especially when one of our senses is taken away. As we blindly traveled around the building, through the landscaping, and out to the grassy area where our trek would conclude, trust, confidence and a sense of oneness was formed in our group. We found that even without a dominant personality in our class, we were all capable at being the leader in any situation.
As our afternoon with Leo progressed, we revealed our strengths, weaknesses and what we hope to gain from our LFB experience. Our final activity with Leo gave us the opportunity to open up and share very personal information; all while teetering on a cable stretched three feet off the ground. As each class member completed the “life line,” we relied on the others to provide support. Being surrounded by our classmates and their open arms, ready to catch us if we were to fall, we learned to trust one another and found that we could each walk a tight rope without any disasters!
Our second day of class brought us back to the CFBF board room for a morning of discussion, planning for future classes, review of homework and preparation for our afternoon volunteer project. We would be visiting St. John's, a shelter for homeless women and children. The shelter helps homeless women with children go from the streets to a position of self-sufficiency. Their various programs empower the women through job training, drug and alcohol treatment, nutrition education, fitness classes and numerous self-development activities.
When we arrived at St. John's we were greeted with a warm welcome and given a tour of the shelter. We found that we would be helping warehouse manager Avon Brown, and would be making deliveries to families that had completed the shelter's program and were now living on their own. Although we had little direction, each class member quickly found a job in the warehouse which held the many donations received by the shelter. Kurt and Stephanie found themselves folding clothes as they organized shelves by size and style; Kevin Kohnen, Jim and Charlie sorted through bags of baby clothing and learned the difference between “3 months” and “3T”; Amy Roberts, Kevin Robertson, Greg and Shannon worked their way through new donations, determining what was out of season and where things should be placed within the warehouse; Amy Blagg and Danielle sorted undergarments with the help of Steve who was definitely outside of his comfort zone! As we worked, Avon contacted the women who would be receiving deliveries from our group. Items including a sofa, computer and tables were loaded into pick-ups and taken to the homes of two families who were now living on their own. For those class members who made deliveries, it was heartwarming to see the joy that they brought to the women and children receiving these items that we take for granted each day.
We had a very productive afternoon and made the most of our time at St. John's. Although folding clothes and sorting through donations may have seemed trivial – it was important to those at the shelter who rely on those donations for their necessities. It also gave us the chance to interact with the residents as they visited the warehouse in search of their needs, which that afternoon included helping one woman choose an outfit for a job interview. Many of us had never been exposed to life in a shelter and gained a new awareness of what is going on in our backyards. We also were able to see how our varying personality types functioned in this setting.
The impact of our volunteer activity was evident that night throughout dinner as we recapped the day's events. It was a humbling experience that truly opened our eyes and hearts. We also noticed the level of comradeship that had developed in our team as we spent the evening in a constant fit of laughter, often brought on by our resident type “I” personalities.
Our teambuilding class came to a close on Saturday morning as we learned and discussed the impact of age demographics in the Farm Bureau setting with Bob Wilson of the American Farm Bureau. We saw that much like variations in personalities, we must address the different ways of thinking that people in different generations have. Through this class, we truly became a team. A team that could walk a tight rope, help our community and effectively serve as Farm Bureau leaders.