Meredith PerpetuaProject Leader| Cutanea Life SciencesRingoes, Nj, United States
What are some team building activities that actually work?
I am looking to incorporate some team building activities - 1 for an already formed team who I think could be higher-performing if we removed some of the hesitation for communication and brainstorming. Was thinking of an activity where each member tells about their best day and worst day at work; or something that opens everyone up to show vulnerability.
A second team that is just kicking off. Was thinking more of a team branding exercise where we define the brand we want to create. Getting some creative juices flowing.
My company is small, so my teams are a maximum of 8 people. There is also a reserved culture that I would like to respect, yet push the boundary a little.
Any ideas that are not one person closes their eyes and their partner leads them through a "minefield", or getting off a desert island type activities. Those have their place, but I am looking for something to work on a bit of a deeper level. Any ideas are welcome! Saving Changes...
Basically you toss the ball back and forth and answer one of the questions your thumbs land on when you catch it. It's maybe a little hokey, but it does help people get to know each other in a reserved way. Saving Changes...
Thilo WackHead of Existing Product and Test Lab| optimedTholey-Hasborn, Germany
Meredith, I think your ideas are quite good already. Depending on what you perceive to be the reason for the first team to be hesitant to speak up and participate in brainstormings, you could give it just a little twist. If your team is quite diverse then have them also talk about what the think are their personal strengths they bring into the team and then have someone else think about a situation where exactly that strength would be helpful for the team.
For the second team you could include a session to define the team ground rules, not in a general way but with a special focus on the team brand. Like having a weekly retrospective if growth/learning/self-improvement is one of the team values or having monthly presentations from team members for the team on a topic they have special expertise in.
Generally, to break the ice at the beginning of a team building it is also important that the leader goes first in showing vulnerability. I also recommend "The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni.
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1 reply by Scott Smith
Jan 17, 2020 12:42 PM
Scott Smith
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I second Thilo that you already show good ideas... and that you are reflecting on how to fit the activity to the team and the organization.
But I would respectfully tweak Thilo's suggestion: instead of asking each person to express a strength, which leads to one-upsmanship/bragging, ask them each to express a self-identified area for improvement, or something on which they seek complementarity from others. That plays nicely to your instinct about revealing vulnerabilities - and openness to teamwork.
Hi Meredith, the second idea sounds great. Not so sure about the first one though, what if one team member's worst day at work is due to another team member...
Re-energizing existing teams is difficult, I found a few articles that have some ideas though...
the types of outcomes you are looking for requires a team culture of high psychological safety and radical candor. Are those present within the team already? If not, then don't expect a team building exercise to cause them to appear...
Kiron Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Meredith
Interesting your question
Thanks for sharing
To create standards for teamwork, use a team building game: Lost at sea
If properly coordinated, it allows you to draw conclusions about:
- Formal and informal leader
- Individual vs. Team Results
- Advantages of working in Euipa
- Creation of at least 10 rules
Train the decision making process by consensus
Other benefits:
- Create team cohesion
Improve interpersonal relationship Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Meredith,
From a team-building perspective where you want to increase collaboration juices, trust, and other intangibles, I have used “Juggling” (it’s not hokey). I’ve been able to train individuals often in one session, but sometimes it takes a few. You can purchase an inexpensive book/kit that each person can take home and practice with; if you don’t have someone proficient enough to train.
Each person on the team learns the mechanics of the 3-ball shuffle, then they learn to pass with one other party. Once those mechanics are learned, then the whole team can literally be passing to each other in a circle. Metaphorically, juggling has multiple relationships with project management, besides the fact that it can be done almost anywhere and has immense stress-reducing qualities.
Otherwise, I have used activities such as:
- Indoor kart racing
- Entertainment Centers
- Dinners
- Games at site (e.g., table tennis)
- Team shirts/gear
Probably not what you were looking for, but I wanted to share what has worked in the past for me. Saving Changes...
LORI WILSONRETIRED - Technical Project Manager| RETIRED - LifePoint HealthClarkston, Wa, United States
Hello Meredith: One of the best team building attempts in my career was this one. I asked everyone to select a small rock from a bucket for each person on the team. Then, I asked everyone to write one word on each rock to describe each person on their team. The rocks were handed out to each person, and they were powerful. I had purchased a pottery bowl for everyone to keep their rocks at their desk - this was years ago and those rocks remain as a reminder of their strengths. My rocks had works like: family, leader, honest, etc. They were powerful positive words and everyone in the exercise told me the same thing. Maybe it would be something you might try? If you do, will you circle back and let me know if it worked for your team too? Saving Changes...
Meredith,
It depends a lot what are you trying to accomplish and your budget.
I joined team building activities were nobody wanted to be there a were a real disaster.
The previous comments give you a few ideas, to add a new one: Personally, I really enjoyed an activity that we did years ago, we did a cooking class including a contest for the best team and we eat all together the food that we prepared.
Keep us posted how your activity goes! Saving Changes...
