Team building exercises in a workplace are essential as they help create a productive, motivated, and an inspired environment.
The real question is what do you expect to achieve from these activities? Do you believe that team building activities can lead to better communication skills and efficiency? Which possible benefits can be gained by your organisation through team building?
Team building exercises for work are meant to increase the amount of communication amongst the group. Also, they help employees bond and learn about their one another which helps them communicate with more ease.
Here are some of the most popular team building exercises:
1. Zoom
Zoom is a problem solving game which requires the wordless book, Zoom, by Istvan Banyai. If need be, you can replace the book with a similar guide. The entire purpose of the wordless book is so that you and your colleagues can narrate a story in a continuous sequence. Each participant may only take one look at their picture, and then they must keep it hidden from the rest.
Participants are given 10 minutes to take notes of the situation and think of where the picture fits best. Once everyone is prepped, players are allowed to talk about their picture, give a description of it, and form a story when everyone has been given a chance.
This game gives colleagues a platform to communicate on because everyone has a common goal that they’re working towards. Zoom is easy to find and learn. The game is one of the most effective team building exercises for work.
2. Mine Field
The game will be played by forming a group of two. One participant will guide the other participant through a field of scattered objects while being blindfolded. The one who is guiding will be given a list of objects they are needed to find. The person with the list must help his/her partner find or reach the objects.
To make this game interesting, a timer of 5-10 even 15 minutes can be set to see which team is able to work well the most. The spectators are encourages to distract the current team which are in play by shouting and making noises to increase the level of complexity. This game will help colleagues communicate, solve problems together, and will help them work together.
3. Egg Drop (Duration: 1 Hour)
Although it can get a little messy, it is one of the most classic exercises that focuses on team building. Divide the members into groups of two or three. Give them the task of building a package for an egg which should ideally prevent it from breaking after dropping it from up to the fifth floor. Tools provided can include newspapers, straws, tapes, balloons, and rubber bands. Give them 30 minutes to communicate, share ideas, and observe while they experiment. If possible, start from the 2nd floor and work up to the fifth to see which team did the best job.
4. Board Game Night
This is a great activity to get the competitive juices flowing and organising a team-wide board game tournament shouldn’t be that hard. Don’t forget to offer prizes for first, second, and third place!
5. Office Trivia
Office trivia is the perfect way to bring colleagues together and challenge the brain in areas that don’t necessarily connect to their daily jobs. The trivia can be business or pop culture related.
6. Two Truths and a Lie
This icebreaker is a favourite at house parts but it can work for co-workers.
The premise is simple: Organise your team into a group, and give each team member a chance to introduce themselves but, they each also must include three details about their lives—but only two of those “facts” are true. It’s up to all the other team members to discern what is truth and what is fiction.
7. Karaoke Night
What better way to get your employees laughing and bonding then by making utter fools of themselves? You can even create a contest with bonus points for stage presence. This may not work for everyone but those extroverts on your team will entertain the introverts.
8. Room Escape Games
This particular gathering requires leadership skills, teamwork, logic, and patience. Escape rooms essentially “lock” a team of people in a room for an hour while they work together to escape. Most have clues, hidden objects, and puzzles that need to be solved. These things aren’t easy, but they are fun.
You can download our paper on Creating a Dream Team HERE which includes practical guidance on team building as other tips to intentionally attract and build dream teams.
