Team Building
UTSA True Colors Initiative
The UTSA Division of Student Affairs implemented the True Colors® model of personality assessment and identification as a method of improving communication through recognizing and understanding your own and other individuals basic character traits and strengths- the lens in which they view and interact in the world. True Colors®, utilizing orange, green, blue and gold to differentiate four basic personality types, provides uncomplicated language to convey complex ideas simply.
Student Affairs uses True Colors® as a common language across a division of 500 staff and approximately 500 student staff members who serve campus students in a variety of administrative, service or programming functions.
In one year, the True Colors team trained over 600 campus staff and 800 students with great success. Resident Assistants, Orientation Leaders, Campus Recreation and University Center student employees reported enjoying the training. It provided them with an increased ability to communicate effectively and assurance to remain focused on the same objective. It helped them bring context to difficult situations. It enables the different areas across the division a way to start conversations—simple to complex or contentious—and move forward successfully.
Position: Various
Institution: University of Texas at San Antonio
Office Phone: 210-458-7818
Email Address: gage.paine@utsa.edu
Junk Box Wars
This is a friendly competition that emphasizes creativity as well as working with other people in a team setting. To start out, we give each team a tool box full of “junk” which could include, but is not limited to: index cards, paper clips, rulers, scotch tape, thumbtacks, string, wooden dowels, scissors, etc. I literally walk through the aisles at Walmart, Staples, and Office Depot and purchase random supplies that could be useful for building.
Next, we give each of the team a couple of tasks such as: create a bridge long enough to span a 2 foot gap and strong enough to support a phone book; create a racetrack for a marble that will take the longest amount of time for the marble to stop rolling; make a paper launching device that will launch a crumpled piece of paper the farthest distance. More ideas can be found at http://www.sciencespot.net/Pages/junkboxprojects.html. We give our teams three challenges and keep track of how each of the teams performs. Then, we invite the top 4 or 5 teams to compete in the finals.
The final challenge our first year was to make a boat out of PVC pipes, a blue tarp, and duct tape. The second year our final challenge was to make a wheeled vehicle out of some random pipes, wood, and wheels that we provided for the teams. In both of these challenges, the vehicle they created needed to be sturdy enough to transport a team member in the final race.
Position: Director of Student Leadership
Institution: Palm Beach Atlantic University
Office Phone: 561-803-2661
Email Address: neil_Best@pba.edu
The Keychain Game
A more personal twist on a simple ice-breaker: The keychain game – This is a handy ice breaker to keep on deck and always works. When a group of students are meeting each other for the first time, I find it useful to give them a backdrop to tell everyone about themselves. In this case, at freshman orientation at UT Dallas we ask new students as to take out their keys and tell us a story related to it. Often times it is a favorite keychain or maybe the key to their first car. Since people handle their keys everyday there always seem to be a good personal story for them to share. After everyone in the group has gone, we thank them for sharing a story about themselves. Then, because their new university will be an important part of their lives, we give them a new UT Dallas keychain to add. While key chains are a fairly simple gift for new students, it’s amazing to see their faces as they immediately attach it to their keys with pride. It’s a symbol of a new stage in their life and gives the group a connection.
Position: Assistant Director for New Student Programs
Institution: The University of Texas at Dallas
Office Phone: 972-883-6171
Email Address: dlong@utdallas.edu