Get together

Tips for Generating Team Spirit on the Yearbook Staff

When people work together as a team, it shows in the finished product. Without a yearbook “team,” it would be impossible to produce a book.

However, it is up to you how tight your team is. The tighter the team, the better the book. Below are some suggestions for bringing your staff together, and creating a family atmosphere inside (and outside) the yearbook room.

Presents
Draw names for gift exchanges. Make them inexpensive, homemade or themed gifts easy for everyone to do.

Road Trip
Carpool or walk your deadlines down to the local post office as an entire staff. Grab some Slurpees on the way to celebrate.

It’s a Yearbook Thing…
Create staff songs, select team mottos, find a publication mascot and design staff T-shirts.

Love One Another
Send get-well cards to staffers who are home sick or recouping from having their wisdom teeth out.

Zip It
If excuses are bringing the team down, create a Top 10EZ Excuses list. Choose the top 10 excuses heard all year long for why things did not get done (“I had to work last night,” “I didn’t know it was my job,” “I didn’t understand the assignment,” etc.) Create a poster of these EZ Excuses and hang it in the yearbook room. Next time a staff member begins to use one, stop him, have him acknowledge it is simply excuse #3, and move on to resolving the problem.

You Look Marvelous
Toss a tennis ball around the room. The person tossing the ball has to pay a quick compliment to whoever catches it. This also works as an icebreaker for new staff members.

Building a team should be done outside the yearbook room as well. Organize movienights or a bowling event.

Win-Win
Consider a community service project sponsored by the yearbook staff. This not only helps the community and unifies the troops, it is great public relations for the yearbook.

Get Motivated
Once a week, share an inspiring story or quote from a “Chicken Soup” book, or any other quote or piece that might inspire.

Participate in a Friday Fun activity that is exciting and enthusiastic. Have a different staff member responsible for planning the activity each week.

Before a big game, cheerleaders decorate athletes’ lockers to pump them up for the big event. Do the same for yearbook staff members when approaching a big deadline.

What’s in it for Me?
Hey, you work hard. Plan time and budget dollars for a little partying now and then – you deserve it.

There is no better time to party than when you are shipping a plant deadline. Pizza, beverages, cake, ice cream Ç do something fun to mark these successes.

Celebrate monthly birthdays with cookies, candy or donuts. And, of course, take some time to celebrate major holidays as a staff.

These are just a few great ideas! For more ideas and in-depth information on everything from developing a ladder to selling a book, check out Walsworth’s brand new Fall 2001 Yourbook yearbook curriculum.