Boost Team Confidence Fast with This Wildly Successful Team Training Activity

Confidence Bursts create energy, build vital habits, and drive results

Have you ever rolled out a new strategy and watched your team stare back like you suggested they wrestle alligators? You set a clear vision and explained why it matters, and instead of a chorus of “Let’s do this!” you get polite nods and a lot of side-eye. They get it—they’re just not sure they can pull it off. You need to boost team confidence fast. What do you do?

That’s where a Confidence Burst comes in—a wildly successful team training activity that boosts team confidence, creates a ruckus (the good kind), and shows your team what they’re capable of.

Ruckus, Results, Repeat: The Magic of One Wild Day

The magic isn’t just in the ruckus—it’s in focusing on the one habit that makes the biggest difference.

I (Karin) once took over a struggling 2200-person sales team at Verizon. They felt they couldn’t compete because our biggest competitor, AT&T, had an exclusive iPhone deal (I know, it’s been a minute since this was the case, but stay with me, it’s a powerful story).  Morale was in the gutter.

Then I met Yomi—a rep who was crushing his numbers. He wasn’t selling iPhones. Or chasing gimmicks. He just asked one powerful question:

“Where do you work?”

That question unlocked everything. When he asked “where do you work,?” he found lots of customers who owned small businesses.Yomi targeted small business customers who needed secure, reliable devices and custom solutions—not flashy phones.

Now we needed a wildly successful sales training activity to get everyone jamming with Yomi’s best practice.

So we didn’t just talk about his habit. We celebrated it. We created a ruckus.

Small Business Madness Day: A Tactical Confidence Burst

We launched “Small Business Madness Day.”

• Balloons
• Just in time training
• Peer-to-Peer Coaching
• Best Practice Sharing
• Celebrating every time the habit led to a sale
• Highlighting success stories
• Executives and managers modeling the way
• All about one clear, celebrated habit: Ask every customer, “Where do you work?”

We didn’t just recognize sales—we recognized and celebrated the habit.

Result? Our sales quadrupled that random Tuesday. More importantly, the team walked out saying:

“If we can do this for one day, we can do it every day.”

That’s the magic of a Confidence Burst. It’s a fast track to boost team confidence and give them a taste of what’s possible. That team blew away the other regions in sales results that year, and won the President’s award for customer growth.

More stories and tools for discovering micro-innovations like Yomi’s in our book Courageous Cultures (and more on this story in Chapter 6).

Choose Your Game-Changing Habit—Because ‘Do Better’ Isn’t a Strategy.

If you want to try this wildly successful training activity with your team, start by asking:

• What’s the one habit that could transform results?

• Is it clear, simple, and measurable?

• How can we make shine a spotlight on this habit with fun and enery?

Tactical Habits (Perfect for Short Bursts)

These are fast and direct habits that help isolate a habit you can tie directly to business results.

• Sales: “Ask every customer, ‘Where do you work?’” (or other probe to uncover key insights)

• Process Improvement for a laboratory “Save unused reagents to avoid waste.”

• Contact Centers: “Create empathy in the first 40 seconds of every call.”

• Productivity: “Prioritize the most critical tasks before noon.”

Collaboration Habits That Drive Results

Because these habits appear in everyday interactions, you’ll need a longer burst– to ensure enough opportunties to apply and celebrate the habit

Here are a few collaboration habits from our SynergyStack® Team Development System. 

• Active Listening: “I give you my full attention and respond thoughtfully.”

• Celebrate Wins: “I generously acknowledge others’ contributions.”

• Define Success: “We establish clear outcomes and expectations.”

• Check for Understanding: “I ensure the message sent is the message received.”

• Schedule the Finish: “We always agree on who’s doing what by when.”

• Clarify Ownership: “I ensure everyone knows who is responsible for what.”

How to Boost Team Confidence With Your Own Confidence Burst Team Training Activity

1. Pick Your Game-Changing Habits

Choose one or two habits that will make the biggest difference (think: small change, big impact).

2. Build Buzz Like It’s a Rock Concert

Set the date, tease it like an epic event, and let your team know something exciting is coming.

3. Kick Off with Energy (Think Holiday Vibes)

Start with music, snacks, or even a funny kickoff speech. Make it feel different—like a celebration, not just another day.

4. Set Crystal-Clear Goals

Give your team a simple, measurable target they can crush by the end of the day.

5. Quick-Hit Training (No Snoozefest Allowed)

Offer a fast, focused training session so everyone knows what success looks like.

6. Pair Pros with Learners

Your team members who rock the skill should work alongside those still learning—instant coaching and confidence.

7. Celebrate Every Little Win (Loudly)

Got a success story? Shout it out. High-fives, cheers, and spotlight moments make success contagious.

8. Share the Stories Behind the Wins

Don’t just celebrate—explain the “how” so everyone learns what works.

9. Debrief Like a Winning Locker Room

Wrap up the day with a quick chat—what worked, what surprised you, and what you learned.

10. Don’t Lose Momentum:

Start the next day with a quick recap—keep the best lessons alive.

Want so help with your ruckus? Transform Your Team with the SynergyStack® Team Development System or a SynergySprint Team Retreat

• Ready to elevate your team’s performance? Explore our SynergyStack® Team Deveiopment System  to help your team identify key habits and leverage proven collaboration strategies.

• Want fast, focused improvement? Let’s talk about designing a SynergySprint Team Retreat for your team.  Contact us at info@letsgrowleaders.com