CHAMP’s Alaina Hansom spoke with Lt Col Corey Carnes, a Mental Health Flight Commander at 355th Medical Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, in Tucson, Arizona. Lt Col Carnes had been tasked by his wing commander to create a guidebook of team-building activities (a few of which are included at the end of this blog). However, Lt Col Carnes’s interest and passion for team building began long before that assigned task, perhaps even when he started his family. HPRC wanted to learn more about how he views team building as an important aspect of the performance optimization of Airmen.
How did you find yourself interested in team building?
I’ve always been interested in team building. In terms of formal training, I attended the Air Force’s Leadership Development Course at Maxwell Air Force Base. In terms of my job duties, I ran the Air Force Deployment Transition Center in Ramstein, Germany, prior to being at Davis-Monthan. I began developing my own team-building activities there, and it was certainly a catalyst for the product I developed for my current wing commander. While at the Deployment Transition Center, I had 4 permanent party staff and 19 deployed staff rotating in every 6 months. It was important to approach each team as a new team. We built on previous teams’ success, but I knew as a leader I had to let each new team develop their identity and bring their unique skillsets so that the Deployment Transition Center could be a success. Each team had unique conflicts that needed to be resolved, obstacles to overcome, and victories to celebrate.
In addition, I have a large family. My wife and I have 8 kids. Family is often compared to team, and teams to family. The lessons and logistics of running a large household translate to the work center (mostly because I watch my wife. She is my best half. She is an amazing planner and organizer and a loving mother). I’m a better husband and father because of my work. I’m also a better boss and co-worker because of my family.
Why do you think Airmen would benefit from engaging in team-building activities?
We’re never alone, and what we do affects more than ourselves, so it’s always important to consider team dynamics. We operate as a team and within various teams every day. Just because we do it all the time doesn’t mean we are good at. Friction can arise. We need to remember principles of winning teams to overcome destructive or damaging influences. Shared experiences, such as engaging in team-building activities, form relational bonding.
What role do you see team building playing in optimizing the performance of Airmen?
I believe this question is best answered with a quote from Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force: “Only through collaboration within and throughout will we succeed. Most importantly, we must empower our incredible Airmen to solve any problem. We must place value in multi-capable and adaptable team-builders and courageous problem-solvers that demonstrate value in diversity of thought, ingenuity, and initiative.”
Do you have a favorite team-building activity?
My favorite team-building activities are the ones that are dynamic, engaging, and often tactile. I enjoy the activities that pose challenges or solve problems. I also love the simplistic and mundane aspects of games. There are so many games that people can play together to learn tendencies and instincts of their teammates, and it gives you a chance to laugh and tease a little too. Laughter and joy in a team is huge.
How often do you incorporate team-building activities into your leadership?
All the time. I have found that if you wait until conflict arises to start focusing on team dynamics, it’s more difficult. By talking about winning team principles early and by playing games together, you can use the object lessons later as reminders.
What positive gains have you seen so far in the command that you attribute to team-building activities?
I’ve seen that high-performing teams incorporate team-building activities and conversations regularly into the normal fabric of the work center. If you think team building just happens on its own or you can start doing it if you notice things aren’t going well, you’re wrong and behind the eight ball.
What feedback have you received from team-building activities, if any?
When we teach or facilitate lessons, we get a lot of positive feedback. Sometimes having a third party come in so that the whole team engages and participates can make a big difference. My guidebook of team-building activities has also been warmly received across the installation. Leaders across the installation have let me know that several work centers have expressed appreciation for having a consolidated resource at the ready. Many units have utilized them at orientation and as part of regular Friday activities.
What leader inspired you to get to where you are?
There is a long list of inspirers. I was inspired to get into counseling by my mother. She always encouraged my gifts and talents and encouraged me to do the things I loved. I’ve grown under the mentorship of military social workers. There is also a sea of colleagues—active duty and civilian, psychologists and social workers—who I’ve leaned on for support and who taught me so much about counseling and psychology. I’ve worked on high-performing teams and with lots of good leaders in my career. I try to learn from the good examples and the bad.
Examples of Lt Col Carnes’s team-building activities
Role Models
- Think of someone you admire or respect.
- Tell the group who you admire.
- What qualities do they live that matter to you?
- What is one quality that you can practice today or over the next month?
- Check in on your teammate in a week and ask how they are doing with practice.
- When you catch your teammate living out their quality, praise them for it.
- Leaders are the stewards of organizational energy—in companies and in families.
- What gives you energy at work? What drains your energy the fastest?
- What gives you energy at home? What drains your energy the fastest?
- What strategies do you employ to raise energy levels?
- If you could wake up tomorrow with significantly more positive, focused energy to invest at work and with your family, how significantly would that change your life for the better?
SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Assemble your team in a conference area with dry-erase boards. Begin to examine team outputs or impacts by using SWOT questions:
- Strengths
- What do we do well? Or, even better: What do we do best?
- What’s unique about our organization or unit?
- What does our target audience like about our organization or service?
- What categories or features makes us stand out?
- Weaknesses
- What initiatives are underperforming? And why?
- What can be improved?
- What processes need improving?
- What resources could improve our performance?
- How do we rank against other similar entities?
- Opportunities
- What resources can we use to improve our weaknesses?
- Are there market gaps in our services?
- What should we stop doing? Start doing?
- What are our goals for the quarter or year?
- What is something that we aren’t doing yet but would make a big difference to the enterprise if we did?
- Threats
- What changes in the industry are cause for concern?
- What new market trends are on the horizon?
- Where are our competitors outperforming us?
- Where do you see waste?
- What is threatening our ability to complete the task?
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Lt Col Corey Carnes is a Mental Health Flight Commander who leads 42 staff in support of psychological services reaching 66 squadrons. Lt Col Carnes commissioned with the U.S. Air Force in 2008 after graduating from the University of Louisville. At the time of this Q&A, Lt Col Carnes was deployed in an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, serving as the sole Mental Health Provider.
Disclosure: The
opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not
reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this
publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for
the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
The authors have no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
