Not everyone enjoys going on team building exercises. Perhaps they have a looming deadline, or they may enjoy the work but their colleagues sense of humour not all that much. Getting them to go on a team building day out isn’t easy, and it doesn’t help much if it’s made compulsory either. For reluctant people, their fear is that nothing will be learned and that it will be an unexciting experience.
Here are 5 ways that businesses can help to keep team building enjoyable.
1. Rapid-fire Games in Small Groups
Playing quick games in small groups that rely on creativity and fast thinking are useful ways to break the ice. People who won’t excel at the physical challenges may find these types of games more up their alley. Mix up the groups of people to randomise who’s in each group to get people to work together across departmental lines.
2. Allowing Everyone a Turn at Leading
For staff who are young or who have never had the chance at a leadership position, overseeing anything will be a new adventure for them. Whether they’re calling the shots at a game of tug-of-war or they’re in charge of calling out a strategy during a competitive ball game, just having the opportunity to discover if they have any leadership qualities makes the day more interesting.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy team building activities that permit each attendee to get a chance to lead. If this is a worthwhile goal for the company, then it’s a good idea to mention it to the firm running the team building exercises so they can ensure the leadership opportunities will be there.
3. Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt, which can be organised through companies such as Team Tactics who offer team building activities in London is a great outdoors activity that gets participants moving around on foot where they cannot move too slowly, or they’ll miss out. The winning team should enjoy a meaningful prize, like a restaurant meal out for the group, which is made known at the start of the hunt. For difficult hunts, hints can be given out to help find all the hidden clues, but there must be a time penalty for every hint requested, making it a challenge of smarts as well as speed.
4. Provide Meaningful Rewards for Winning
Rewards for participating doesn’t set a very good example. Just showing up isn’t enough. The reward has to be for the team that won or the individual who came in first (depending on the event). It doesn’t always have to be a physical challenge either as that will only favour certain people who are slimmer and keep fitter through regular visits to the local gym. There should be mental challenges and other types that tap into the other skills that people naturally possess.
In terms of rewards, they should be substantial enough to be motivating. A minor prize that no one cares about is worse than no prize at all. Whatever the rewards are, they should be attractive to the employees. Tap into what matters most to them. It could be a cash bonus, an extra day off, a spa day or something else that will get their juices flowing to participate to try to win. With their greater buy-in, the company will indirectly achieve more team building.
5. Night-time Events
Office workers are used to going to work in the hours when the sun is just beginning to peak out and going home when the sun has already set. They’re used to dealing with each other during regular office hours, not in the evening when it’s dark. Combining challenges that use darkness and shadows will encourage people to communicate more and work together more closely.
Conclusion
There are many ways to keep team building motivational and fun. It just takes a bit of creativity to introduce new elements that will work especially well within the team and other ideas that will transport them way outside of their comfort zone. Getting a reaction out of the usually non-communicative staff members is part of the fun of any team building event!