How To Create A Successful Team Building Event
Team building exercises are popular among management, but they tend to be a source of some not-so-subtle eye rolling from many workers. The reason for this disconnect is simple: most team-building exercises just aren't very good. Exercises that frustrate, bore, or annoy employees can be counterproductive and even build animosity among team members. This is why it is so important to craft or choose the right exercises for your employees, especially if you intend to build an entire event around team-building. While this might be easier said than done, these tips will help to put you on the right track.
Understand the Purpose of Team Building
The number one mistake made by many leaders is misunderstanding the purpose of team building. These exercises exist to help your teams better understand each other so that they can be more cohesive, productive, and happy at their jobs. The exercises should leave team members feeling as though they have a deeper understanding of each other that will carry forward to their regular day-to-day interactions. In other words, the exercise itself is far less important than the interactions that it promotes.
Know Your Teams
Is there already some animosity or conflict among members of one of your teams or between different teams? It can be tempting to craft competitive activities to allow these interpersonal conflicts to "work themselves out," but this can easily backfire. Instead, focus on activities that will allow team members to work through their differences. It is also incredibly important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your teams. Exercises can be designed to help address weaknesses, but allowing your employees to play to their strengths is also a great way to build confidence and bonds.
Consider Smaller Exercises
If you are planning on a full day event, then consider multiple, smaller exercises instead of a single, lengthy exercise. Even activities that your employees generally enjoy can quickly wear out their welcome, so having smaller events throughout the day can help to reduce employee fatigue and keep everyone engaged with the process. You can also design exercises to target multiple areas where your teams might need help. If conflict resolution and communication are two trouble spots, for example, exercises can be designed to individually address these problems rather than attempting to build one exercise that focuses on both.
Never Ignore Comfort Zones
It can be tempting to push boundaries, but it is important to understand where your team's comfort zones lie. If you have team members who may be out of shape or uncomfortable with their fitness, then scheduling physical activities can easily lead to disaster. Likewise, your exercises should never include sensitive topics or encourage employees to share personal information that they are not comfortable divulging. It is important that team building activities be inclusive, welcoming, and judgment-free.
Spend Enough Time Planning
Whether you are using a professional organizer or building an event on your own, it is important that you spend a significant amount of time planning. This means both planning the activities themselves and planning a schedule that allows for breaks and downtime. When scheduling multiple activities, be sure to consider how they fit together as well. Can lessons learned in one exercise be applied to a later exercise? Chaining activities in this way can help your teams to feel a sense of accomplishment and ensure that everyone walks away from the event with a sense of accomplishment.
Contact a service that provides team building events for more ideas.