# Paintball  - team building or waste of time?



## Liamos (12 Jan 2010)

Has anybody gone on one of those paintball outings which are supposed to be good for team building and problem solving? I went on one recently and found it to be a waste of time and money!

I spent the whole day running around not having a clue what I was doing and regretted partaking almost from the first minute!

Anybody have a similar experience or am I missing something?


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## Mucker Man (12 Jan 2010)

Have done it twice, it's a waste of time. 

A previous employer of mine banned it as a company event as an employee lost the sight in one eye after been hit in the face with one of the pellets.


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## ivuernis (12 Jan 2010)

Liamos said:


> Has anybody gone on one of those paintball outings which are supposed to be good for team building and problem solving? I went on one recently and found it to be a waste of time and money!
> 
> I spent the whole day running around not having a clue what I was doing and regretted partaking almost from the first minute!
> 
> Anybody have a similar experience or am I missing something?



You're just not a team player ;-)


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## Liamos (12 Jan 2010)

I think you're right. I did shoot one or two of my own teammates as my goggles kept fogging up!


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## Firefly (12 Jan 2010)

Did it once - thought it was fab. Everyone did, except our manager


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## haminka1 (12 Jan 2010)

Paintball is playing soldiers for big boys - a great excuse to behave like little kids but look really mature and team-building


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## shopgirl (12 Jan 2010)

Paintball & lots of those team building days are much less popular now.  Corporate volunteering has now become very popular for companies for lots of reasons, it doesn't cost the co. very much money, the company is seen to be contributing to a worthy cause & most importantly it is a much more effective team building exercise as people tend to pull together when given a real purpose & it's usually great craic.  (I have to declare an interest here, I recruit volunteers!)


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## Cahir (13 Jan 2010)

I loved it with friends but wouldn't fancy playing with colleagues.


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## VOR (13 Jan 2010)

shopgirl said:


> Corporate volunteering has now become very popular for companies...


 
I would agree with this. Call any local service such as a nursing home, children's hospital, rape crisis centre, homeless shelter and ask to help. The money spent on paintballing would help a great deal.

I remember doing this years ago in a hospital. There were three floors with a patients' lounge area on each floor. We split up in to three teams to paint and decorate the rooms. Each team had a budget for furniture etc.
The hospital management voted on the best room. As we had to organise a tight budget and buy tvs, chairs, tables, book shelves and books we learned a lot about teamwork. Then we had to manage the painting. 

Another year we did a garden in a womens' shelter. Again, the teams split up and took a section each.

I have done the whole paintballing thing and found it to be great fun but of no benefit to the team dynamic. You get so much more from corporate volunteering.


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## Latrade (13 Jan 2010)

As it bit of craic, I enjoyed it from a very basic bloke pretending to be a kid level. Within seconds we were diving in puddles and (when we were being battered) reverted to some kind of trench kinship that was just missing harmonicas and photos of loved ones as our impeding demise loomed. This was all made worse by the fact that we were playing against Boyzone and their dancers who completely kicked out backsides.

However, as for team bonding: well I'm cynical of any attempts to do this in any way, whether paintball, building lego or even volunteering. An occasional day out shooting each other or painting a wall is not a substitute for basic managerial skills and organisational culture. If they don't have the skills and competencies to have a team within the workplace, no matter how satisfying a shot to your boss' kidneys is in paintball, they shouldn't be a manager.


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## truthseeker (13 Jan 2010)

Waste of time, Id never do it.


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## MANTO (13 Jan 2010)

I went as a kid when i was younger and had a great time, buts thats what it is for - Kids..


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## Teatime (13 Jan 2010)

I enjoy paintball but it does depend where you do it. I did it twice in Wicklow somewhere and it was very good. I did it once in Westport and it was useless and boring - the course was just silly and designed to spend money (i.e. waste ammo). There is a place in Limerick that is supposed to be good too. It's not for Dublin softies though...


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## elefantfresh (13 Jan 2010)

> There is a place in Limerick that is supposed to be good too...



Theres a joke in here somewhere, I just know there is...


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## haminka1 (13 Jan 2010)

Teatime said:


> I enjoy paintball but it does depend where you do it. I did it twice in Wicklow somewhere and it was very good. I did it once in Westport and it was useless and boring - the course was just silly and designed to spend money (i.e. waste ammo). There is a place in Limerick that is supposed to be good too. It's not for Dublin softies though...



I actually thought that in Limerick you can play it anywhere, you just need sharp ammunition.


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## Purple (13 Jan 2010)

Great fun, so it is.


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## Caveat (13 Jan 2010)

Purple said:


> Great fun, so it is.


Ted.


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## Ciaraella (13 Jan 2010)

It's good fun but the pellets are actually quite sore! or maybe i'm just a wuss


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## VOR (13 Jan 2010)

Ciaraella said:


> It's good fun but the pellets are actually quite sore! or maybe i'm just a wuss


 
Oh they hurt alright!!! 

The one in Limerick is in Shanagolden in west Limerick. www.combatzone.ie


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## Teatime (13 Jan 2010)

Yeah they certainly do hurt!

I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days.


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## DB74 (13 Jan 2010)

Teatime said:


> The enemy was in us.


 
Barack Obama?


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## haminka1 (13 Jan 2010)

Teatime said:


> Yeah they certainly do hurt!
> 
> I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days.



But be that as it may, those of you who did make it have an obligation to build again. To teach to others what you know, and to try with what's left of your lives to find a goodness and a meaning to this life.


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## Complainer (13 Jan 2010)

It is certainly a great way to ensure that anyone on your team with a significant disability feels excluded and divided from the rest of the team.


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## Mpsox (14 Jan 2010)

it depends on the team of individuals. Where I work, we have a lot of "mature" ladies who really would not be into it. In addition, as the gaffer, last thing I want is to give everyone a paintball gun and let them shoot at me !!

We did do a samba drumming night a couple of years back, very enjoyable and a good laugh, indoors, in the warmth, with a bar, much better then running around a wood


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## Purple (14 Jan 2010)

Complainer said:


> It is certainly a great way to ensure that anyone on your team with a significant disability feels excluded and divided from the rest of the team.



If your team has people with significant disabilities then why do painball?


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## Husker (14 Jan 2010)

Latrade said:


> This was all made worse by the fact that we were playing against Boyzone and their dancers who completely kicked out backsides.


 
Surprised no-one has picked up on this.  Did you pay extra for the privilege?  I would.  Load up on extra pellets and target Keating.  That would wipe the shmile off his faish.


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## Caveat (14 Jan 2010)

husker said:


> load up on extra pellets and target keating. That would wipe the shmile off his faish.


 
 lol


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## Teatime (14 Jan 2010)

Husker said:


> Surprised no-one has picked up on this. Did you pay extra for the privilege? I would. Load up on extra pellets and target Keating. That would wipe the shmile off his faish.


 
Hmmmm, this post might belong in the begrudgery thread


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