Team building exercises have a bad reputation. Over time, what started out as a great idea to encourage collaboration, establish trust and spark conversation has turned into a dreaded activity that makes most people cringe. Whenever employees, team members or other groups are told that they’re going to participate in a team building activity, their first reaction is usually to roll their eyes and look for the nearest exit as they whisper to themselves, “Trust falls? Again?”
Here’s the deal: team building activities don’t have to be cliche, awkward, or unproductive. They don’t have to provoke feelings of anxiety, dread and uneasiness. They don’t have to live up to their negative reputation. There absolutely is a way for them to be unique, comfortable and effective.
The best way to ensure that your team building activities are accepted by your team is to focus on the point of them: to — you guessed it — build your team, encourage collaboration, establish trust and spark conversation. Keeping those objectives in mind can help you determine which activities are useful and which ones aren’t (trust falls, for example, are more anxiety-inducing than anything else). If you need some extra help, here are some out of the box team building activities that will do an effective job of reaching those objectives.
Art Wall
The art wall is a great idea for casual, unstructured team building. The premise behind it is this: Designate one wall in the office for employees to decorate however they like. You can leave paints, pencils, markers and other craft supplies nearby for them to use. Encourage your employees to spend time each week decorating the wall however they like (so long as it’s appropriate, of course). You can even use the art wall to host word-storming exercises to see which words employees would use to define your brand.
Having an art wall is great for a few reasons. First, it isn’t forced. Though employees are encouraged to participate, they don’t have to, which makes them more accepting of the idea. Second, it inspires creativity and acts as a simple but effective creative outlet for all. Third, it will undoubtedly spark conversations between employees who maybe otherwise wouldn’t have spoken to each other.
Paper Games
For a more structured and official out of the box activity, try playing the “Paper Games.” Divide the participants into groups of 3 or 4. For each game, every team is given one piece of paper, some scissors and a roll of tape. They are then asked to compete against the other teams to accomplish a series of tasks using only those materials (each task will require its own piece of paper). The tasks include:
- Creating the tallest free-standing tower.
- Supporting the most weight .5 inches off the ground.
- Making a paper airplane that flies the farthest.
The “Paper Games” require a lot of innovative thinking, planning and communication, which are all great things to have your team practice. Plus, who doesn’t love a little friendly competition?
One Man’s Trash…
This one requires a little forethought, because you will need to bring in a collection of random objects. Divide the participants into groups of 3 or 4, and pile all the “trash” in the center of the room. The teams will then take turns picking one item at a time from the pile. Once all the items are taken, each group will need to create an invention out of those items, and come up with a business and marketing plan to sell as many of the invention as possible. They will then present their idea to a board of “investors” while the other groups watch on.
This simple game will inspire creativity, collaboration, teamwork and plenty of laughs, making it a perfect choice for your next team building exercise.
Role Play Crucial Conversations
Here’s a more serious one. “Crucial conversations” are any conversations where opinions differ or tensions begin to climb. We all know that an ideal workplace would have no conflicts, but we also know that it’s easier said than done. When employees do come to a disagreement, encouraging them to communicate effectively is a great idea, and there’s no better way to promote that than to practice.
For this game, write down a few common problems that occur in your workplace and place them in a bowl. The participants will divide up into groups of 2 and will draw a random problem from the bowl. Their task is then to act as if they are discussing that problem with their partner, and to do it effectively.
Though it can be awkward at first, it will get easier with time. Having a staff that frequently and effectively has crucial conversations brings plenty of benefits, including more open communication, greater team unity, fewer heated discussions, a safer workplace, and more.