At Repp Construction, games help realize a bigger picture.
Before its annual "state of the company" meeting, Dave Olejniczak, production manager for Repp Construction in Orchard Park, N.Y., helped organized a Mission Impossible-like game to help introduce concepts of company culture, the main topic of the meeting.
The eight Repp workers, who were previously unaware of the game, were divided into three teams. A satchel containing various prizes was hidden, and each team was given hints toward finding it. Every player also was armed with a rapid-fire toy gun (purchased for about $20 apiece) to "shoot" opposing team members and eliminate them from the game. Olejniczak and company owner Chris Repp served as referees, complete with badges and whistles, and monitored the game.
"Everyone came in laughing" after the 30-minute game, Olejniczak says. "Having them work as a team earlier was a good way to break into discussions about developing company culture."