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Ceramics studio builds teamwork, leadership skills among corporate workers

By Julie Fishman
Staff Writer

October 25, 2002

Morty Bachar wants corporate America to get its hands dirty. But he's not referring to corporate scandal, he's talking about old-fashioned earth and water.

Bachar, the owner of Lakeside Pottery, a ceramics and pottery studio on Newfield Avenue in Stamford, says that molding clay and team-building activities together is an excellent way to help workers fire up their leadership skills and learn how to interact as a team.

Bachar, who spent his career on the corporate treadmill before opening the Stamford studio in February, admits a pottery workshop is not your typical corporate retreat.

It may be viewed by some as a touchy-feely break from the daily grind, but clay is actually a perfect medium to learn about people's personalities and work styles, he said.

One reason that working with clay is so effective, Bachar said, is that when people step into the studio they drop their established work roles.

"In most cases, few people have worked with clay before, so everyone is on an even keel," he said.

Working with clay is difficult, so there needs to be a lot of interaction, which helps to break down the traditional hierarchical barriers people often face in their work environments.

A company's top manager can sit next to an hourly wage worker and they have the same advantages and disadvantages, he said.

"Here, they are all equal," he said.

Bachar created the pottery team-building workshop with Ruth Nelson, president of The Executive Resource Center in Woodstock, N.Y.

Nelson, who has spent the past 16 years as a corporate consultant teaching leadership and team-building seminars, said she was immediately attracted to the unique idea.

It's one thing to do a seminar about team-building, it's a whole different experience when clay is added to the mix. Adults learn best through interactive activities, she said.

"It's fun, you get dirty. It's a time to dig in and create something. I think they will adore it," Nelson said.

When people are having fun, it can only enhance the learning, she said.

The two-day workshop works best for small groups of about 10 people, Bachar said. Participants are first taught basic skills and techniques associated with pottery, then the group is broken into small teams. Each team is given a challenging project they must complete together.

For example, Bachar said, a team will be assigned to build a two-foot sailboat out of clay that can float. Each person on the team is given a role to play, but little direction is given as to how to go about the project.

The situation simulates a work team, and it gives workshop participants a chance to evaluate how well they break down barriers, enhance communications, develop group problem solving and overcome obstacles, Nelson said.

So participants walk away from the workshop with a new artistic talent, as well as a better understanding of how they interact with their colleagues, she said.

On day two of the workshop, Nelson evaluates each team and debriefs the workshop participants on what skills they need to work on.

Globalization and technology has changed the American corporate culture, and more businesses are seeking ways to help their employees work better as a team, Nelson said.

One person doesn't have all the answers anymore because there is too much information. And today, people aren't just working with their office colleagues, they are working on virtual teams with people they've never met.

"It was assumed that when people were told they are on a team, they would know what that meant. But in America we have a very individualist society," Nelson said.