I was asked to lead a team building activity last week at the Boston branch of Metsa Wood, and good fun it was too; it differed vastly from the usual workshops I run, which are over three days and the participants work on a large log: this one was over one afternoon and each participant worked on a small (roughly 8″ square) piece of pine.
The idea of the session was for each individual to work on their own piece which ultimately formed part of a larger carving when all fitted together; the design had to be relatively simple, so what better than the words “Metsa Wood” and the company logo in the centre?
I had liaised with the company prior to the session and they produced some lovely bench-hooks built on site, which kept the work-pieces steady and safe; the timber to be carved was also from Metsa ~ it would’ve been silly not to use it!
To save time I had printed out the text and then divided it into eight equal sections ~ one for each carver ~ and prepared some carbon paper for them to transfer the design onto their pine squares.
Then it was straight on to the carving….
The time flew by, yet there was no panic; the individual pieces were placed in position creating a fantastic 5ft carving, a real achievement for the group in such a short period of time. It was a pleasure watching the team work together , coaxing and encouraging each other towards the completion of their sculpture, and it was nice to have some positive feedback on the experience from them.
