Team building is about focusing a group’s energy on problem solving, task effectiveness, and maximizing the use of available resource to achieve a common goal. Team building involves a variety of activities and discussions that create a climate that encourages and values contributions of the team members.
Most companies plan one or two events per year to address the issue of team building; but the reality of the matter is that, in order to create a strong team, frequent activities are necessary. A solid team is the result of constant practice; a professional athlete doesn’t train one or two days a year, they train constantly. In the same manner, company leaders should seek frequent team building activities that will strengthen the company as a whole.
Team building serves and addresses different team issues, so before you begin make sure you identify the areas that need improvement; some common challenges are:
– communications kills.
– leadership skills
– personality differences
Here are some examples of activities
Back-to-Back Drawing
Divide your group into pairs, and have each pair sit on the floor back to back. Give one person in each pair a picture of a shape, and give the other person a pencil and pad of paper.
Ask the people holding the pictures to give verbal instructions to their partners on how to draw the shape – without actually telling the partners what the shape is. After they’ve finished, ask each pair to compare their original shape with the actual drawing, and consider the following questions:
– How well did the first person describe the shape?
– How well did the second person interpret the instructions?
– Were there problems with both the sending and receiving parts of the communication process?
Activity from mindtools.com
Following activities from onlineexpert.com
Push-Push
Time: 1–2 minutes
Purpose: Releases anxiety and reinforces idea of cooperation
Participants: Partners
Materials needed: None
Instructions: Partners face each other and place hands palm to palm. Partner A is told to
push as hard as possible. Next, Partner B is told not to push but to move their hands in a
gentle swaying motion.
Desired outcome: When you push, others push back; when you dance, others follow
your lead
Wear Your Attitude
Time: A few seconds
Purpose: Encourages all to be conscious of attitudes they are displaying
Participants: Everyone can play
Materials needed: Attitude buttons
Instructions:
Have buttons or laminated cards with a variety of attitudes on them; such as happy,
angry, friendly, generous, sad, worried, excellent, etc. As each person enters work, allow
them to pick the attitude they would like to display. People who pick unattractive ones
can be avoided and the pleasant ones will get all the smiles, encouragement, and
positive attention.
Anyone can change their ‘button attitude’ at any time.
Desired outcome: Bring awareness about how transparent our moods are and what we
get as a result.
Purpose Mingle
Time: One minute
Purpose: Focus participants before the meeting begins
Participants: Everyone attending the meeting
Materials needed: None
Instructions:
Before the meeting begins, everyone must stand up and tell as many others as they can in
one minute what they hope to contribute to the meeting.
For best results, offer a simple prize for the most people contacted and a bigger prize for
the most generous contribution expressed.
Desired outcome: Allows players to think about what they will give to a meeting rather
than what they will get. Encourages participation from the start.
Other sources: exforsys.com
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