Archive for the ‘Grand Dynamics News’ Category

The 3 peaks was a “cracker!” I am sitting in a cabin on the coastline of Wales looking at White Horses (ocean waves) reflecting and getting ready to go climbing over the ocean this afternoon (shocker I know).

This event, the Coins Peaks Challenge involveves climbing the highest peask of Scotland, England and Wales in less than 24 hours. WHY? It’s a construction industry event fund raiser which brings together people from all over the construction industry in an effort of building an inclusive world through building sustainable communities for those in need around the world. Details of the 3 Peaks UK story are below.

Wow what an experience and tons to share! The experience was invaluable for connecting with the Coins Foundation staff and in furthering our knowledge for an exceptional design of the 3 peaks USA challenge. Holly and I arrived in Glasgow after a long trip from Sacramento, and met up with the great Will Leggett who travelled from New York. After an evening tour of the city  complete with some of the best karaoke (oxy-moron in know) I have eve heard and late night fun at Social Club, we met with Team USA the next day and travelled through he mountains of Scotland. On the way I indulged in a taste of haggis (yes this is the Scotish dish liver and “aweful bits”) which required a hike to shake it off! We were situated a he Chachaig hotel. http://www.clachaig.com/ Oddly enough his very lodge was the place I had originally intended on returning to after our event to climb in Scotland! Cool. And they have an ice-axe as the door-handle – way cool!

The next night in Scotland was a great welcome reception where Larry, Coins President, reported the conditions on he mountain being “awful with ice pellets so hard they might bash your face in!” and minus 30 celcius temperatures. We began to realize that “The Ben” would present a worthy challenge.  In the am we headed to fort William. I can’t say enough about how beautiful the country in Scotland is. Steep rock, flowing rivers and waterfalls and sheep everywhere!  We have one word to describe Scotland… “Moist!” Ha-ha – It was pouring rain intermittently from when we stepped off the plane until we left the country!

At the base of Ben Nevis Will, Holly and I spent the afternoon interviewing and observing mountain operations, briefings and logistics before heading up. Our energy was high and we were so excited to finally be on he move.  The hike was stopped 45 minutes as a woman was heli-evacuated by search n rescue after falling down a ravine near a bridge crossing! The hike continued through Scottish landscapes with bens and glens (mountains and valleys) in the distance. Mountain sheep were everywhere. The hike continued up past the snowline into foggy and icy conditions.  We were eventually stopped by mtn marshals who deemed the summit attempt too dangerous, as there are steep cliffs on each side and white out conditions. Hop, skip and a jump through shimmering sunlight and 4hrs 20
minutes later we made it safely back to base.

Then off for the 5-hour drive to England to Scafell Pike, arriving at 1 am. 2 and a half hrs later we were up and, after some confusion at check-in, we left 15 minutes late for the final hour – turned 45 minutes via back road race to the base for a 5:45 am start. This time holly stayed at base camp to observe operations and mingle w the drivers and staff.
Beautiful valley hike along a sweet river near gritstone rock and… More sheep! Will and I climbed with coins team USA to support their effort. False summits and slick boulder fields highlighted the journey. Oddly enough, we returned to base right at 4 hrs 20 minutes!  We “enjoyed” a British “recovery meal” of bacon on a hamburger bun. Good one. Another 5 hour drive in uncomfortable positions and we were in Wales – the land of magicians and dragons – and at the base of Snowdon for the final summit bid. A striking day! We enjoyed the hike with team USA again and I stopped on 3 occasions to administer first aid on the mountain for ankle and blister injuries (one was a nice young welsh girl hiking with her family and they were all shocked and happy to receive help from a nice USA person.) We continued to the summit passin g… you guessed it… more sheep! And amidst strong wind and thick fog along a narrow ridge, which made for a nice dramatic feel to the final summit. We arrived at the base at a remarkable 4 hours 20 minutes! (No kidding – totally weird) an outstanding finish with everyone celebrating and feeling great.

We DID meet the goal to complete the race in less than 24 hours and, even more importantly, observing the event, operations and dynamics. Nearly 10,000 feet of climbing in 13 hours and 10 hours of driving on about 3 hrs of sleep!  We had a nice debrief and meeting with coins staff and we provided them with several insights about how the USA 3 peaks will be a bit different (all positive GDI elements which were not present in this race, but could be). Overall the whole event was “cracker!”

IMPACT
And what’s most important about this event is the incredible impact that is being made by the people in the  construction industry. In the celebration closing event Ric Law, COINS Foundation CEO echoed Larry’s thanks and explained further that the COINS Foundation is all about construction but that the legacy is not the buildings themselves but thriving, sustainable communities.  Ric went onto explain how funds would be spent this year. Project priorities this year include providing housing for hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children in Mozambique; physiotherapy, play and family support programs for disabled children in the UK and Zambia. Health programs combating HIV aids, Malaria and illnesses resulting from poor sanitation in Zambia and Tanzania; Projects to train and employ orphaned youth in Rwanda and disabled young people in Zambia and a place at school for over 1,200 children in Kenya, Zambia and Uganda. More information about the event and the Coins UK 3 Peak Challenge Course Report can be found at http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/cp_root/h/The_Event/2009_Event_Report/329/

For more information on the COINS Foundation projects keep an eye on the web site  www.coinsfoundation.org
3 PEAKS USA!   Sound awesome?  Well we’re creating the same type of event in the USA to take place this year September 19-20. Check it out at http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/usa/h/Home/Home/21/

We plan to follow up with them about the pr and other items on Monday at their office in London. More stories about the rest of our trip are soon to come!

Wow, what and exciting past few weeks and and exciting future ahead! I am writing now from our Californina office where things are ramping up quite nicely.  Here are a few recent highlights!

Multi-day Team Building event with Web-Sense in Jackson Hole – Grand Dynamics delivered an action packed multi-day program for Web-Sense participants from across the globe. More than 42 participants representing more than 15 countries converges in Jackson Hole to celebrate their success and foster team-work and collaboration. Our three days includes a custom-designed sled-building event, an intown teaming with GPS program and complex search and rescue scenario on snow-mobiles! Thanks to the awesome GDI Team – Chuck, Diane, Adrian, Rob and Brendan – for spot on delivery.

Data-Net Solutions Team-Building - I travelled to San Diego to work with Data-Net President Mandy Parent and her Datanet team. What a pleasure that was!  What can I say about Mandy Parent? She’s AWESOME!  She exemplifies exceptional leadership and continiues to make her professional, team and organizational development a MUST.  The program was a series of team initiatives that provoked excellent insights about how to foster a positive culture and environment for success. It continues to be an honor to work with Mandy and her team – a relationship we have mainted for more than 5 years!

STAFFING UPDATES – We are excited to have Stephanie Sibille joing the Grand Dynamics as Western States Regional Director. She will be representing Grand Dynamics at industry conferences, including the upcoming Association for Experiential Education Western Region conference and, and leading sales efforts with Holly Baade in the Western States region, including San Francisco Bay area events. Stephanie is a sharp, energetic individual and we are excited to have her join our team! Welcome Stephanie!

Summer Interns – We are also excited to be finaliziing our Grand Dynamics summer interns for both Jackson Hole and New Yor offices. I’ll comment more about that later – but it is always great to share the wealth of experience with excited interns!  

UPCOMING EVENTS

COINS 3 Peak Challenge – UK – and USA!   One may 6, the GDI Team is travelling to the UK to climb the high peaks of Scotland, England and Whales in the Number 1 construction industry networking and fundraising adventure!  Check it out! http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/cp_root/h/Home/The_Event/1/  And what’s more is that we are doing so to create the Coins 3 Peak Challenge – USA!  This construction industry networking and fund-raising adventure will take place September 19-20 in the North East where teams of 4 will climb the high peaks of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont! http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/usa/h/Home/Home/21/

SEEKING TRUE NORTH – LAKE PLACID – check out the info about this incredible opportunity!  Rick and I will be together with whoever wants to join us for this amazing weekend of leadership development in an inspiring setting. This will take place over Memorial Day Weekend. Please register today and join us!  See the Compass on this home page for Seminar info and registration.

SEEKING TRUE NORTH – BALTIMORE – One June 11th we will be delivering a one-day program for CFMA members and is also open to the public to join us for the ACTION-PACKED LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DAY!  I will be joined with the great Todd Walther, brother and GDI managing partner. Todd primed the pumps with his CFMA breakfast presentation – Riding the Possibility Curve  and Seeking True North.  Todd facilitated a series of leadership development topics related to HOW WE VIEW THE WORLD, our perspectives on business and how we can optimize our resources and experiences during current economic challenges.  Yeah Todd!  Register today! See the compass on this page for seminar information.

SEEKING TRUE NORTH JACKSON HOLE – Another STN event at the place where it all began – Jackson Hole WYoming!  Save the date for this incredible event the end of September this year.See the  Compass on this home page for Seminar info and registration.

TIM’s ADVENTURES – Well – I am off for my annual Spring Abalone Diving Trip!  What an adventure it will be. Diving 30 feet down to search for the elusive abalone amidsts crashing waves, flowing kelp and abundant rocks… let’s not forget dodging great white sharks! (Keep your fingers crossed for me!)  From there we will head to Yosemite Valley for a couple days of rock climbing!  Gary, my long time friend and climbing parner will be there and I can’t wait for the Yosemite Cracks!   I will give updates upon my return next week.

Keep on smiling … and LIVE YOUR ADVENTURE!

Tim

Let’s SIFE IT UP!  That was the mantra for the evening as we built up with energy just before I went on to deliver my keynote to the Sheridan business community. The speech was a fund-raiser event for Students in Free Enterprise at Sheridan College and was the culmination of a series of events with an international cultural theme.  What a crowd and what a speech.  I felt very welcome there – much thanks for Curtis and Loren and the crew for the hospitality and just totally embracing the message. 

After a nice run with TELOS, (yes-he made the 8 hour harrowing road trip with me) I warmed up in the afternoon with a speech to the college students that started out with my story of Entrepreneurship and GDI highlights of the last ten years. I started and finished that speech by asking the question that every college student hears over and over and over…  you know the one,  “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?”   Interweaving the story of creating your future with passion and some stories of challenges and successes over the last several years was quite fun and, from what I heard, impactful.  Then I transitioned into The Spirit of Mokwai story which I just love.  One of the highlights was the debeau of BRING IT BACK – the trailer Scott Fessler put together. The crowd loved it and cheered at the end! Sweet. Nice work, Scottie. 

And then the Keynote – well there’s about a thousand things I could say about how exciting that was for me and how the Seeking True North Message was delivered and received.  I will say this – The STN Message is one of PRACTICAL INSPIRATION.  And yes, that’s a phrase that I just thought of, and it seems to ring true.  An inspiring message that engages the audience to think about the principles and how they apply to their life, and how they can be APPLIED in a practical sense.  In the end, as i concluded my speech, the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop – and everyone was still awake – amazing! HA HA.  Seriously, the emotional ride included  smiles, laughs, a few audience jeers (yes this happens when you reference leadership and Obama in the same sentence in Wyoming), questions, answers, big-time audience interaction and as I said my last word there were notable tears of inspiration – awesome!  I was psyched – and I am sure you will be to when we share our next Seeking True North experience.

Peace -  Tim

It’s Sunday night and I just finished up a killer few days of team building programs with the Websense International Best Sellers.  Today was a Search and Rescue Simulation on snowmobiles in the Togwotee Wilderness. Yesterday was a combination of ZOOM and Teaming with GPS – Urban. The day before that was a unique sled-building slalom course event. No pictures at the moment~ but you can imagine!  The group was very eclectic international bunch from places like Brazil, Scotland, Sweden, Canada, HongKong, and of course, New Jersey. Many folks had never seen snow before!  The program was really about the incentive and relationship building through a series of amazing Grand Dynamics Jackson Hole Experiences. As with all of our events, I am continuously reminded of the one characteristic that makes all our events so great. ADAPTABILITY.  The ability to monitor the group, balance the needs of multiple clients (participants, Meeting planners, 3rd party vendors) and adjust on the fly is a hallmark of Grand Dynamics programs.  Timing, Weather, Site, Participant and Meeting Planner Expectations and Staff insights and communcation all come into play. 

I am also continuously reminded that my work is a direct metaphor of my life.  The ability to begin with the end in mind while maintaining a hightened sense of awareness and thus be able to adapt is a critical component of PRACTICE.  Develop Sensory Acquity and notice what is working, and what might need to be shifted to achieve your desired end result!

How are YOU adapting?

Here it is!  For the past 8 years, Grand Dynamics has partenered with the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) to provide the Spring Creek Annual Incoming Chapter President’s Leadership Advance. Comprised of mostly CFOs of large construction companies, these leaders come to Jackson Hole for a 4 day Grand Dynamics training and development experience. The business results and ROI of this program have been featured in the New York Times.  Watch for yourself as construction industry leaders comment about CFMA, Grand Dynamics, and the power of the Seeking True North models methods and tools.  The following questions/comments are addressed in this interview series.

1. How can a Spring Creek Program benefit an incoming Chapter President?  

2. Describe your Grand Dynamics experience.

3. How will this training impact your personal or professional life?

4. Describe the effectiveness of the Seeking True North Models, Methods and tools.

5. During challenging economic times, why is it important to invest in team building and leadership development?

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Thank-you to Mike Molaro, the CFMA team and all the incredible Chapter Presidents we have had the joy to share insightful and impactful learning experiences.  Thanks to Cal Beyer and Arch Insurance for their continuous support of this program. Thanks to Master Erick Erickson and Master Josh Morris, the Grand Dynamics facilitators I have been lucky to work with over the years. Thanks to the following 2009 Incoming Chapter Presidents for their interview:

Christopher Zaucha – Philadelphia; Sonya Quazchnick – Dallas/Forth Worth; Catherine Granger – Las Vegas; Bryan Johnson – Georgia; Jason Henley – CFMA National Chairperson; David Whiteman – Houston; Jeremy Vokt – Nebraska; Jack Geiffels – San Diego; Melissa Turner – Last Frontier; Larry True – New York; Charles Tasto – Arch Insurance Group Sponsor

We have lots of great things ahead in 2009!   A few things to look for this year include:

Grand Dynamics on television world-wide!

The Winning Edge – a public television series will air beginning this Spring 2009 and continue throughout the year across the country – the globe. This program will educate viewers world-wide on our personal and professional strategies on gaining and maintaining the winning edge!

This is a feature on Public Television Segment with Hugh Downs – the Emmy Award winning news anchor of 20-20. This program will broadcast on Prime-Time to an extimated 84 million homes in addition to distribution on Public Television Stations Nation-Wide to over 40 million Households. This feature will also broadcast on Voice of America – an international broadcast funded by the US government with a daily viewing audience of 96 million people airing in 200 cities in 127 countries!

A new web-site launch this Spring! 

Our DYNAMIC site will be include comprehensive service and program overview, Goals, Solutions, Locations across the nation and globe, Resort Partners, Grand Dynamics Blog, Feature Videos, Free Articles and Resources and much more!  Our New Corporate Documentary will also be online and ready to motivate.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort – Big Red Revealed!

Our partnership with the JH Mountain Resort will continue with featured programs on the mountain. Big Red, the New Aerial tram, will access our breathtaking Corbett’s Couloir Tyrolean Traverse and All Mountain Challenge Programs – ultimate mountain adventures. Other mountain team building programs launch from mid-mountain and include team rock climbing, rock balancing and challenge initiatives.

Seeking True North Programs!

Seeking True North programs are based on Tim Walther and Erick Erickson’s book and explore a multitude of models, methods and tools in an engaging experiential format. Program dates are soon to be released and include one-day programs and multi-day advances. Locations include Tahoe, California, Lake Placid, New York; Baltimore, Maryland; Anchorage, Alaska; Jackson Hole, Wyoming and other select locations.  Contact us today to host your 2009 STN Seminar!

California Expansion!

Holly Baade has joined Grand Dynamics as Creative Director and will lead the West Coast operations out of Sacramento California.  Holly holds a Masters in Public Administration and has been delivering experiential training and development for over 10 years. Feature programs will include the Leadership Challenge, Find the Line, and The Problem Solving Journey. New locations include coastal Bodega Bay sites, Lake Tahoe and at new locations along the American River.

These are just a few things that Grand Dynamics has planned for 2009.  This year will be the year to ADVANCE, and to seize the opportunities that we find along the way. JOIN US!