Team building can either be a complete success or a complete failure; there is no middle ground as far as these group activities are concerned. The sole purpose of such activities is to build the comfort levels of the employees with each other, have some good old-fashioned fun, and build a rapport between people from different ranks of the company (like the management and the employees).
Employee motivation is closely related to the ability of the employees to work together in harmony. In that direction, certain fun events, functions, games, and other activities can really work as effective icebreakers and energizers, as well as help employees improve their team skills. These activities can take the form of excursions, puzzles, quizzes, and other games and are seen to be very popular as warm-ups for meetings, workshops, and seminars. The idea of all such events and activities is to ultimately ensure that the participants have fun and interact with each other. Getting to know each other beyond a mere superficial level is something that is not possible during working hours, so many companies regularly undertake these activities to build employee morale and teamwork.
Examples of Team Building Routines
Here are some popular team building activities for the workplace that many companies use in order to build employee compatibility. Each of these have a common agenda - to improve employee communication and interactions, and to help the employees understand the concept of team work.
The Egg DropThings Needed:
- 1 Egg
- Handkerchief
- Scissor
- Tape
- Paper mache
- Cardboard box
- Strings
- Newspapers
Instructions:
The entire group is divided into smaller teams of about 5 people, and each team is given an egg, along with all the other mentioned materials. The objective is for each team to devise a method of dropping the egg from a specified height without breaking it, while making use of all the tools given. This lets the members of each team interact and brainstorm with each other. Ultimately, each team must try out their invention in the grand showdown between all of them.
Mine FieldThings Needed:
- Chairs
- Cardboard boxes
Instructions:
This is a great exercise for teams of 2 people each. You need to set up an obstacle course of sorts using a variety of commonly found objects (chairs, cardboard boxes, etc). One member of each team will be blindfolded and asked to clear the obstacle course, while the other member shouts out instructions from outside the course. The team that completes the course the fastest, without disrupting any items will be declared the winner.
Treasure HuntThings Needed:
- Locket
- Photograph
- Broken earring
- Red slipper
Instructions:
The number of people in each team can be anything between 2-6 people, and the objective is to find all the items on a list that is given to them (a sample of the kind of items you can use is listed to the left). The organizers have to conceal the items effectively, and leave a lot of confusing and perplexing clues in order to aid the participants. The team that finds all the items first, wins.
Create a MasterpieceThings Needed:
- Stationery
- Craft Paper
Instructions:
Each team should be given some random pieces of stationery and craft paper. Within 30 minutes, each team is supposed to make something original and creative using the craft paper that they are given.
Tug of WarThings Needed:
- A thick (very strong) rope
Instructions:
This is a classic team building exercise, and involves a lot of brute strength from each side. A tug of war rope is pulled from both sides by two teams of about 10 people, and the team that manages to pull the other team over the center line is the winner. This activity is popularly used as the finale for many team-building activities and events that occur from time to time at the workplace.
Blind Hula Hoop ThrowThings Needed:
- Hula hoop
- Ping pong balls
- Blindfold cloth
Instructions:
Team the group into pairs of twos. Blindfold one of them while the other gives him directions. Have a hula hoop hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room and at the other end of the room, the blindfolded person stands with his partner. The partner has a bucket full of ping pong balls. At the blow of the whistle, the partner has to instruct and direct the blindfolded person to the spot that has been marked, which is at some distance from the hula hoop. Once there, he has to hand him the ping pong balls in quick succession to throw through the hoops. For each ball that manages to go through successfully, a point is added. The tricky part is that the hula hoop may be moved up and down or right and left and the partner has to keep pace with the same and give his partner the directions. He is not allowed to touch the partner. A stipulated time (say 30 seconds to a minute) is given to each team. After all the pairs have had a go, the pair with the maximum number of points, wins.
More than WordsThings Needed:
- Marker pens
- White craft paper
- Tape
Instructions:
Tape a sheet of thick paper onto the back of each person with the help of a tape. Give each person in the room a marker pen and ask them to write something positive about each person in the room on the paper stuck on their back. After everyone has had a go, each person can read through their list. There is nothing more encouraging than being reminded of one's good qualities and that helps keep one motivated to work well. It also leads to feelings of positivity towards their colleagues.
The Unusual FeatsThings Needed:
- Hula hoop
- Ping pong balls
- Blindfold cloth
Instructions:
Give each person a piece of paper and ask them to write down 2 things about themselves that they think no one else knows. These could be anything unusual, weird or bizarre that they've done or a talent, perhaps. Ask them not to list their names on the paper. Collect everyone's paper at the end of the 1 minute (or whatever time you want to list) and put them all in a bowl. Then read out each of the papers while everyone guesses who is being described. It's a really fun activity that lets people know a lot about each other and the whole setup creates for some great bonding.
Tied DownThings Needed:
- String
- Tape
- Wrapping paper
- Empty box
- Scissors
Instructions:
Team the group in pairs of two. Tie their little fingers together with the help of a string (the left finger of one and the right of the other). On a table, arrange for an empty box, scissors, wrapping paper, and tape. Make sure that the empty boxes are all the same size so that everyone has a fair chance. At the go of the buzzer, all the pairs get down to wrapping the gifts with their hands tied. This, no doubt, leads to a lot of difficulty. The team that manages to wrap their gift first, in the neatest manner, wins.
Blanket Shout OutThings Needed:
- A thick blanket
Instructions:
This is a really, really fun game and even though there is no serious message being spelled out, it is still a great game for getting the employees to bond. Have a thick blanket hanging in the middle of the room. Blindfold two people and get them behind the blankets, then get their blindfolds out and drop the blanket. The person who screams out the name of the person standing opposite him first, wins. The game will require a referee to ensure the proper winner. Continue the game till everyone has had a chance and then pitch the winners of each game against each other.
Apart from these popular games, here are some other options that can be incorporated by organizations for the same purpose.
- Celebrating Birthdays: This is an activity that will bring people closer together. The individual whose birthday it is will also appreciate the gesture and harbor good feelings about others.
- Open Houses: This is something that every major organization undertakes. It is simply an official gathering of employees and they are then encouraged to bring up any issues that they may have. This can be carried out on an inter-departmental or intra-departmental level.
- Official Trips: Many companies organize day trips, overnight trips or company retreats for their employees. This gives people a healthy break from the monotony, and it also allows them to recharge their batteries and interact well with one another.
There are several advantages to be gained from undertaking team building activities for the workplace, and all major business organizations recognize the advantages that such activities bring to the table. The underlying aim is to improve the productivity and the profitability of the organization, and this is achieved by ensuring that the various employees get to know each other better, at a more personal level. Moreover, by conducting such activities, the organization ensures that the employees develop a strong sense of camaraderie with each other and learn how to function in tandem with others to make the set organizational goals a success. Some of the most widely recognized benefits of such activities are as follows.
- They lighten the mood of all employees.
- They make the employees more comfortable around each other.
- They help in increasing interactions among those employees who might not have had a chance of doing so otherwise.
- They improve the morale and the enthusiasm of the employees.
- They help employees feel happy about their achievements, and this motivates them to work harder.
- Appreciating well-performing employees also motivates others to work harder, so that they can receive the same recognition.
- They improve the problem-solving skills and leadership skills of many employees.
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