#Team building

Offer impact experiences

The Ritz-Carlton created Give Back Getaways to provide guests immersive experiences while also offering them the opportunity to make a difference. Experiences can range from building nests for migrating birds in China to cleaning up coastal trails in Hawaii. Simpler onsite activities, like prepping food for local hunger relief charities, are also available and are used for team building exercises during conferences hosted at their properties.

Increase empathy by putting yourself in another employee's shoes

Southwest builds empathy among staff and accelerates their development by finding ways for employees to understand the job roles of other staff through shared experiences:

• The Cutting Edge Program: Throughout the year, Southwest pilots will work side-by-side with Ramp Agents to learn first hand about what goes on underneath the plane when it's at the gate. Pilots help with unloading bags, dumping lavatories, and fueling the jets.
• Customer Relationship Training: New Customer Relations Representatives go through four weeks of training which includes firsthand experience in all things customer service, like selling tickets, issuing boarding passes, and tagging bags. They also shadow senior Representatives as they take calls and work on the computer for a week before they even can answer a call themselves.
• Walk a Mile in My Shoes: For six months one year, employees and leaders were asked (not required) to come in on their day off and visit a different department or other station and spend six hours "walking in the shoes" of another employee. Over a 6-month period, 75% of employees participated. Read the experience of one Ramp Supervisor.
• A Day in the Field: This experience is practiced all year long, and is specifically for Officers and Directors to spend several hours and sometimes days working alongside staff to better understand their roles and to say that they can truly "walk the talk."

Use real-life scenarios when training

To reinforce the Starbucks Five Ways of Being (the guiding principles of the Starbucks Experience), Starbucks uses two types of training exercises to help their employees anticipate customer needs and to help build their confidence and team camaraderie.

'Conversations and Connections'
Each week, a lesson will focus on one particular Way of Being. Partners are given a customer comment card and must evaluate and discuss how the barista made a positive impact on the customer's experience.

Role playing
Both baristas and managers review customer comment cards and are then asked to reflect on the experience. They are asked to answer questions like:

• Name three behaviors that detracted from or enhanced the service.
• Which Green Apron Book behaviors could have made this situation a more positive experience for the customer?
• How would you act or coach the partner in this situation?

Create opportunities for employees to engage with your products

It is the job of every Trader Joe's employee to try and experiment with every product in the store. During working hours, staff are encouraged to cook dishes in the backroom to share with their coworkers. This environment, not only increases every employee's knowledge of the products, but also has fostered a "You should try this!" mentality when employees interact with customers.