Oakhill Consulting

Specialists in delivering facilitated teambuilding events

 

A Message from Founder and CEO of Oakhill Consulting, Mark Russell

From the desk of Mark Russell in Farnham, Surrey.
Date:

 

Welcome to Oakhill Consulting, a proactive and dynamic training company that will help you find the real answers to your teambuilding and learning and development needs.

The flagship product is Teamwork Activities©, which are a series of intellectually challenging exercises designed to promote teamwork and problem solving. They provide a dynamic and informal teaching tool and may be used as part of a teambuilding or personal development programme, an icebreaker for delegates at a conference, or part of a corporate day.

Teamwork Activities© frequently include learning and development workshops. These focus on improving personal and professional effectiveness through a range of bespoke half-day or one-day courses that are designed to address client specific issues.

An example of a Teamwork Activity© is given below:

 

 

 

Crossover

The target time for this exercise is 50 minutes. The team is divided into two groups, each starting in one of the widely separated gravelled areas. Between them is a suspended rectangle. The objective of the exercise is for each group to swap places with the other by going through the rectangle. Their task is aided with the use of planks and wooden blocks, which they can use to form bridges.

 

Issues addressed include the importance of teamworking, co-operation, collaboration and communication. It is ideal as an icebreaker.

Experience of working with a range of businesses of various sizes and from different sectors allied with expertise at creating customised programmes to meet specific needs has enabled us to achieve truly astonishing and profound results for our clients, so that:

  • Individual Leaders and Managers are more effective in contributing to organisational success;

  • Groups work more as a team making the best use of their talented resources;

  • Organisations are better equipped to solve problems; to survive and prosper in 21st Century.

And the results are absolutely guaranteed!

(Yes, I just said "guaranteed." More on that later!)

Here's what one client said about one of our programmes:

 "I wanted to thank you for all the help and guidance you have given us over the course of the past year.

In all that time it is probably the focus that you have given to both myself and my partners and our staff within, which has helped us concentrate on doing the important things well, giving us guidance to set up procedures which proved invaluable for the smooth running of our company, which in turn can only enhance and help our profitability.  Many thanks, Mark."

Roger Atkinson

Director

Arcadia Ventures (Southern) Ltd

A definition of insanity is doing the same thing you have always done while expecting a different result. Is this the case with you and your business events and training workshops?

Can you really afford to miss out on this unique opportunity?

The 21st Century Challenge

Businesses like yours, like mine face enormous challenges in 21st Century, namely:

  • Rising complexity of organisational problems such as rapid globalisation, competition, rapid technological change, talent war etc.;

  • Need to develop new leadership skills;

  • Increased importance of effective, high performance teams;

  • The drive to capture and transfer valued knowledge;

  • A greater need for learning but less time for it.

Businesses and business leaders need help to solve problems and challenges with truly innovative and sustaining strategies; develop teams that continually improves their capacity to perform and adapt; and capture, transfer and apply valuable knowledge at the individual, group, organisation and community levels.

Typically, business people prefer to listen and learn from other business leaders and peers whom they admire and respect. They also believe that valuable knowledge and skills are gained from acquiring relevant experience solving real problems in the real world. In other words, they learn through doing in a process known as action learning.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. 

Willing is not enough; we must do.

Johann Goethe (1749-1832)

What services do we offer??

Teamwork Activities© are a remarkably simple programme of facilitated exercises that stimulate action learning in a peer-to-peer group.

The activities have been designed to challenge teams, provide a different context for learning and be fun to do. They test the brain more than the body, and are therefore suitable for everyone.

Teamwork Activity©

 

 

 

Electric Fence

The objective is to get all your team members across the electric fence. The team starts from one side of the fence. A bridge has to be constructed using the resources provided and all the team has to cross the fence.

Addresses: teamworking, creativity, analytical problem solving, leadership, co-ordination and communication

At the end of each exercise an expert facilitator helps the group reflect on the process and gives feedback to each other on what has taken place. Typical questions posed by the facilitator include:

  • What did the group set out to do?

  • What did they achieve?

  • What went well? Why?

  • What not so? Why?

  • What did the group learn?

  • What will they do differently next time?

  • What is the explicit discovery to take back into the workplace?

The review process and the inputs from the expert facilitator gives delegates:

  • An opportunity to step back and reflect on personal and professional needs with valuable input coming from other group members;

  • A powerful and effective way for people to learn from one another and to develop personally and professionally;

  • A process where you support other group members and learn with and through one other;

  • A way of learning from, and being supported by, a skilled facilitator;

  • Shared experiences and a chance to take on board learning which is transferred back into the workplace;

  • Improved trust and rapport and increased support for one another, the team and the organisation.

Frequently, delegates raise and tackle difficult questions, discuss sensitive and sometimes controversial issues but at all times they share their learning in a supportive and "safe" environment. 

The exercises are staged at a bespoke venue with a dedicated training environment and an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. This enables you to take a step back from the business and focus on developing personally and professionally.

An example of such a venue is Barnett Hill in Wonersh, nr Guildford part of the award winning Sundial Group of quality venues.

You can also choose your challenge at 3Pks who are based in Farnham, Surrey. They offer a range of dynamic and exciting activities that motivate and stimulate participants to develop new skills and increased self-confidence.

What are the benefits of Teamwork Activities©?

  • Flexible and easy to use;

  • They many different solutions;

  • Challenging yet safe;

  • Various degrees of complexity/difficulty;

  • Provide a different context for learning.

 

 

 

Japanese Water Gardens

A bell is located at the top of a high bamboo pole. The team must ring the bell by using water power only. Ten sunken taps that control water flow lie within the garden but the team has no information on the function of each tap. The challenge is to establish the cause and effect of the tap and so generate a water supply from a stand pipe. Directing the water onto a water wheel will trigger a mechanism that will ring the bell.

Addresses: teamworking, co-operation, collaboration, analytical problem solving and communication. Japanese Water Gardens is ideal as an icebreaker.

How can Teamwork Activities© be used?

  • Icebreaker/FUN activity;

  • Programme energiser;

  • Learning re-enforcement;

  • Team achievement rewards;

  • Developing teambuilding;

  • Building art of leadership;

  • Creative thinking/problem solving;

  • Facilitating organisational change. 

 All Backed up by a remarkable Guarantee:

"I'm so convinced that your decision to have me as a facilitator at your event is one of the most important you will ever make, I am offering you the following 100% Guarantee:

If at any time during your event, you feel that you or your business has not benefited from my facilitation of Teamwork Activities©, I will personally refund your investment.  That's how convinced I am that facilitated Teamwork Activities© will impact your business or training event beyond what you may believe possible.  I only want to have clients who are delighted with my services and who will be comfortable recommending us to others."     

Mark Russell

Why do I need a facilitator?

To facilitate means to “make easier”. Your expert facilitator will help you identify which exercises build on aspects of teamwork and leadership and how the learning theory promotes changing awareness and subsequent behaviour i.e. doing an exercise, reviewing how it went, deciding what was learnt and how the lesson might be taken back into the workplace.

Who is the facilitator?

The facilitator for Teamwork Activities© is Mark P. Russell MBA (Henley).  A Business Skills Trainer and Action Learning Coach, Mark has worked across private and public sectors and in senior management positions for a number of world-class businesses, including Fidelity and Dell Computers.

After completing an MBA, Mark set up business to help Chief Executives and Management Boards improve personal, team and organisational performance.  Mark is experienced at Executive and Team coaching, delivering Masterclass workshops and working with Action Learning Sets on challenges relating to strategic planning, change management, problem-solving and business performance improvement.

Mark is a member of Blackwater Valley Business Network and Forum of Private Business. He has written and published articles on Leadership and Management and holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from University of Cape Town, an MBA from Henley Management College and is qualified as a PRINCE2 project manager.

Mark also has access to a network of experienced facilitators in the event that the group is too big for one facilitator to manage effectively alone working with you, the client. 

 

 

 

Mark Russell MBA (Henley)

Mark was born and raised in Kenya and has lived in Africa, Middle East and Europe.  A retired rugby player who played with Harlequins and represented in England and South Africa, he travelled the world touring and playing rugby at the highest level. He believes that these experiences taught him the importance of proper planning and preparation and the extraordinary results that can be achieved through teamwork, co-operation and learning by doing. After completing his MBA in 2003, Mark set up Oakhill Consulting and has also joined forces with Rick Peet to establish AVN Picktree Business Strategies. Outside of work his time is taken up by being an All Pro Husband and Dad, keeping an aquarium of tropical fish and playing golf (often very erratically!).

What Facilitator Services are Available?

There are two levels of Facilitator Services available:

  • Full Programme Consultancy

  • Teamwork Activities© Facilitation

Full Programme Consultancy

This is suitable for clients seeking a more comprehensive and bespoke service aimed at achieving or re-enforcing a particular learning outcome using facilitated Teamwork Activities© as the catalyst. It includes:

  • Pre-event meeting with the client to identify the objectives and desired outcomes;

  • Event design according to agreed objectives;

  • Pre-event briefing for delegates (objectives, content, preparation, learning theory);

  • Supervision of Teamscapes® and other exercises by an experienced facilitator;

  • Facilitating team review after each exercise for participants to discuss and plan what they will do on return to work;

  • Leading discussion on group models & theories (team development, problem solving, decision making, learning styles, feedback, etc.);

  • Follow up (evaluation tools, repeat questionnaire & comparative analysis, further event/learning activities).

Typical Investment:

Depending on requirements, costs are £450 to £650 + VAT per day for consultancy and services of an experienced Teamscapes® facilitator.

 

Teamwork Activities© Facilitation

Clients may also want to use Facilitated Teamscapes® as an icebreaker/FUN activity, programme energiser, learning re-enforcement, team achievement rewards, developing teambuilding, building art of leadership, creative thinking/problem solving and facilitating organisational change.

 

An experienced facilitator provides:

  • An introduction & safety briefing;

  • An overview of learning theory (if required);

  • Guiding co-facilitators from the client company, or providing extra facilitators, if there are several teams;

  • Supervising the Teamscapes® exercises;

  • Facilitating a team review after each exercise for participants to discuss and plan what they will do on return to work.

Typical Investment:

Again, depending on requirements £300 - £500 + VAT per day for services of an experienced Teamscapes® facilitator.

Testimonials

Comments from participants on previous programmes include:

 It was fun - you made it relaxing yet constructive. The messages that we wanted to get across were perfectly complimented by your presentations. You managed to get everyone involved and interested. We all learnt an awful lot and went home buzzing with enthusiasm.

 

I particularly liked the way you included photos of the teams involved in the team-building activities in your final presentation. We will definitely consider using your services again in the future.

Sarah Ling

Event Co-ordinator

Triple Arc Ltd

Other comments include:

"I have had lost of positive response from our Sales Staff and from the Management. Everyone was in agreement that the conference went really well and that we got a lot from it."

 

“It made me feel positive about achieving our goals.”

 

"But can I thank you personally for doing such a marvellous job, I think you managed to make your presentations fit seamlessly to our needs. I will develop more on my feedback form next week."

 

“It opened my mind but also gave me the required focus to take action.”

 

"Thanks again for all of your support and help on the day. It really did make a difference having you there to facilitate. We have had a lot of positive and constructive feedback, not one negative response! We have noticed the difference in people's attitudes. There is generally a more upbeat positive feel to the office. Thank you!"

“It made me think about what I want from my business and to go and get it.”

“Thanks very much for all your help, support and guidance. It has been a fun learning experience, very interesting and informative and has changed the way I think about my business.”

If you have any questions or want to book your place,

then call us NOW!

 

 Here's The Best Part!

The Price of Your Investment

is backed up by a remarkable Guarantee:

"I'm so convinced that your decision to have me as a facilitator at your event is one of the most important you will ever make, I am offering you the following 100% Guarantee:

If at any time during your event, you feel that you or your business has not benefited from facilitation of Teamwork Activities©, I will personally refund your investment.        

That's how convinced I am of the value of facilitated Teamwork Activities© to your business or training event.

Mark Russell

We do not claim to have an answer to all your problems. Nor do we have a solution that is a fit for everyone. In fact, you may not even qualify. But if you want to get involved in an action learning peer-to-peer learning programme that will help you with your teambuilding and learning and development needs then Teamwork Activities© and our personal and professional effectiveness workshops may be just what you are looking for.

If you have any questions or want to book your place,

then call contact us NOW!

 

Registered Office:

Oakhill Consulting Limited

Oakhill House, 15 Parish Close, Ash, Surrey GU12 6NU

Tel: +44 (0) 7980 564402   email: mark.russell@oakhillconsulting.co.uk

The information in this site is of a general nature and is not a substitute for professional advice.

You are recommended to obtain specific professional advice before you take any action.

 

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