SASD Successfully Team Builds One Piñata at a Time

In January 2011, the Sacramento Area Sewer District (District) Engineering Section began planning their quarterly all-hands meeting to be held on Cinco de Mayo. To make the meeting fun and interesting, the managers came up with a “team building challenge.” The four groups were given the challenge to make Piñatas. The rules were simple, come up with a theme, build it, and present to staff and three judges. It was a phenomenal experience; there was a sense of competiveness, surprising creativity, humor, and business focus, resulting in stronger bonds and better communication within Engineering. The awesome piñatas included a remote-controlled combo hydro-jetting/vacuum truck, a toilet with flushing sounds, and two elaborate District themed manholes, all filled with candy. This presentation will discuss the team building challenge along with how staff went from “working with someone everyday”, to “knowing someone.”