Taking Time Out for Teambuilding

If you’ve been in the workforce for more than a few years, chances are you have taken part in a company teambuilding exercise. Perhaps it was an icebreaker, group puzzle or problem-solving exercise. Or perhaps it was something more adventurous like a ropes course, maze or white water rafting expedition. These creative training sessions, aimed at fostering teamwork, respect, communication and trust, have been in vogue since the 1980s and their popularity continues to rise due to the positive returns they generate. In fact, the benefits of teambuilding exercises are so significant that many corporations have incorporated them into their standard training programs. The benefits of teambuilding programs include:

  • Improved productivity and motivation.

  • Improved morale and leadership skills.

  • Improved processes and procedures.

  • Improved problem-solving abilities.

  • Improved creativity.

The basic principal behind teambuilding is simple enough. In most cases, people are a company’s most important asset. So finding ways to help employees work well with one another — and to their own full potential — makes perfect sense.

People learn more when they are having fun.

The Games People Play

People learn more when they're having fun. That's why games, sports and other fun activities are by far the most widely used vehicle for teambuilding. Getting employees out of the office and participating in interesting endeavors that require teamwork, creative thinking, trust, effective communication and mutual support for success is the key to effective teambuilding. Below are several ideas for your organization's next teambuilding activity that combine active learning and fun.

Teambuilding:
SCAVENGER HUNT
Give each team a list of landmarks and photographs they must take in a set amount of time and arm each team member with an instant camera (Polaroid One 600 Pro Staples No. 564830) preloaded with instant film. One assignment on the list might go like this: Go to the fish pier and have a bystander take your group's picture with the captain and crew of a fishing boat (with everyone holding their noses from the smell of the day's haul). At the end of the adventure, all of the teams meet in a park for a picnic lunch or dinner and share their stories, photographs and souvenirs.


Polaroid One 600 Pro
Staples No. 564830

Teambuilding:
MURDER MYSTERY
Give each team a trunk filled with costumes, accessories, props, pens and index cards to write clues on and instant cameras preloaded with instant film. Each team has a set amount of time to develop and photograph a cohesive (and fun) murder mystery. When time's up, teams exchange clues — complete with photographs — and have one hour to work together to solve the mystery. At the end of the hour, all of the teams meet for dinner in their costumes and take turns guessing "whodunit."

Before you decide to use any teambuilding games with a group of people, think about whether the activities are appropriate for the team members and the situation. If you don't have the in-house expertise to make this determination and/or to devise the game, there are a number of reputable firms who specialize in running teambuilding games and exercises.

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