Gather insights about team morale, communication styles, and work preferences. Evaluate your team's strengths, weaknesses, and interpersonal skills. Leverage this information to design a Team Building program.

Is it to improve communication, boost morale, or enhance problem-solving skills? While you may have many aspects you want to work on, the focus should be just one critical issue. Basis this, build a theme and choose activities. This helps in the debrief and evaluation of the success of the Team Building program.

Activities must match the theme and objectives, but must also be relevant to the organisation. The team’s demographics - age, sex, designations involved, cultural background - should be considered when choosing activities to build a program. The location, travel involved and other activities (Reward & Recognition, Cocktail Dinner etc) also have a bearing on the structuring of the program. Ensure a balance of fun and learning, to keep all engaged!

Plan all aspects of the Team Building program - budget, location, timings, meals, prizes and props. Communicate the purpose of the program in advance to the team, but don’t reveal all the details - retain an element of surprise. Remind folks to carry their prescriptions and other medications - and collate ‘in-case-of-emergency’ contact details.

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Form temp WhatsApp groups - one for core organizers including vendors, and one for the whole team. Do mental and when possible physical rehearsals to ensure feasibility and timelines - to avoid shocks. 

Be aware that while competitive games can get the team to bond, they can also create rifts in terms of blame game and accusations of cheating etc. Foster friendship by incorporating activities that encourage team members to bond. Whether it's a shared meal, interchanging teams to create friendly competition, or a collaborative project, creating opportunities for social connections strengthens the team's unity and boosts morale.

Infuse learning into the fun! Design activities that offer insights into team dynamics, communication styles, and problem-solving approaches. Use these moments to reflect on workplace challenges and discuss how the lessons learned can be applied in daily tasks, enhancing overall team performance.

Acknowledge and celebrate both individual and team achievements during the Team Building program. Recognition reinforces positive behavior, motivating team members and creating a sense of accomplishment, which contributes to a positive work culture.

After the Team Building program, collate feedback from participants. What did they learn? How did they feel? Use this feedback to enhance future programs. Continuous improvement and adaptation upgrade Team Building.