How often do you perform team building activities as a project manager? Do you plan it in or perform them arbitrarily?

Zaid -

First, I doubt Rita made that statement as she passed away a decade ago, but the authors of the guide likely are indicating that team building should happen regularly over the life of a project and not just a couple of times. Like recognition, if there isn't an ongoing commitment to it, individual motivation and how well the team gels will suffer.

Kiron

Dear Zaid
Interesting your question
Thanks for sharing

I am convinced that there are many project managers (nowadays) who think that having lunch with the team from time to time is working as a team.
Project managers spend most of their time in air conditioning

Do you know the famous Tuckman model?
In my opinion, in forming, storming, norming it is very important to promote team development activities.
These should be well planned.
In performing, it is important, as the Japanese would say, to "go to the shop floor" on a daily basis

It has no sense in the actual world, just in case Rita wrote it. We are working (in fact from long time ago) inside multi-country, multi-cultural, highly-distributed virtual teams. I am working with people from 8 years ago I do not know face to face. I am leading teams with 250 people in average so the best my company can do is, sometimes if budged allows it, join us together (a subgroup) a week in some place. So, what we have to do, is using tools and techniques to create a team from a group and keep them enganged and motivated along the program and projects.

Dear Sergio,

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

Zaid

You are welcome. "It has no sense" does not mean is not important. Due to english is not my first language perhaps it sounds rude. Just my personal experience for more than 20 years ago is what I stated.