Team Building isn’t just fun and games. It builds effective teams.
8 ways Team Building contributes to workplace success:
Competitive challenges help individuals see each other’s strengths and complement weaknesses, creating trust.
Actionable Idea: Make two or more teams compete in an outdoor challenge like Treasure Hunt or a physical puzzle.
Key Debrief: Obstacles and competitive pressure bring out individuals' strengths while overcoming weaknesses.
Communication is the backbone of successful teams. Active listening reduces misunderstandings and increases mutual understanding and respect.
Actionable Idea: Practice “mirroring” - a game where a speaker’s anecdotes are repeated by other team members. The ‘mirror’ must get more than the words reflected; he or she must get the tone and emotion.
Key Debrief: Active listening improves communication within the team, and with vendors and clients.
They also create a positively energized workplace.
Actionable Idea: Design a “wall of fame” where teammates could handwrite or even stick pictures or printouts. Could be letters of appreciation from clients, random acts of kindness, contributions by peers, impact made by juniors or seniors…
Key Debrief: Recognition and appreciation are often more valued than a reward. To increase the frequency and magnitude of wins, celebrate even small wins.
…Through collaboration, which encourages critical thinking and innovation.
Actionable Idea: Arrange a set of pictures, or matchstick puzzles, or a jigsaw for the team.
Key Debrief: Collectively brainstorming/ ideating/ solution-generating are better than one individual’s idea.
…To drive creativity and better decision-making. Team Building activities celebrate these differences.
Actionable Tips:
Key Debrief: Inclusivity & Diversity ignite people’s creative spark, and help them become great decision-makers.
Emotional intelligence is a sign of improved empathy, self-awareness and conflict resolution.
Actionable Idea: Role Play: Break up into two teams. Introduce scenarios that require one team to be the customer and the other a teammate, to practise empathy and resolve conflicts.
Key Debrief: Individuals high in EQ are able to build stronger bonds and relationships. They are more likely to succeed.
When every member understands their role and responsibility in the system (and also when team members mess up), it affects commitments made to clients, cost escalations and output.
Actionable Ideas: Use Skits - where teams demonstrate a scenario (a) with a casual attitude and lack of ownership and (b) being professional and claiming ownership.
Key Debrief: Ask a knowledgeable senior to indicate where they were right and wrong.
Regular Team Building activities reduce stress and prevent burnout. When teams take time to relax and have fun together, creativity and focus naturally increase.
Actionable Idea: Incorporate sessions on practicing mindfulness, fun games (no learning outcome), or outdoor activities on lighter work days.
Key Debrief: Include discussions with domain experts to highlight how stress reduction leads to improved overall performance and creativity.
