Transform Your Team Dynamics: Insider Tips For Planning Effective Team-Building Activities
Every team can benefit from team-building activities and time dedicated to coming together, learning more about one another, and building trust. Team building frequently comes to mind when a team is plagued with conflict or underperforming, but even teams who are doing well can find value in team-building experiences.
Take one of our clients, E, for example. She led the Strategy, Communications, and Innovation teams for her organization. Her teams had many successes and effectively navigated their organization through the twists and turns of an ever-changing industry. They were often seen as a model for other teams to follow.
When Team Dynamics Shift...
It wasn’t something E could quite put her finger on. Their once seamless collaboration and infectious energy seemed to dim. Despite their track record, a sense of disconnection lingered. Things weren’t exactly broken…yet. And E wanted to proactively address what she sensed was happening before it became a bigger problem.
E brought me in to assess what was going on through conversation and data collection. Once we’d gathered enough information, we were able to bring the team together and address some of the key areas where they were struggling. Much of it stemmed from being in so many cross-functional groups without established relationships. So, our first step was to work on building trust.
Then, we used a series of experiential modalities to allow team members to experience, reflect, and share their current state. They then went into action-planning mode, for themselves and their teams. The discussions allowed them to surface issues that the organization could address and allowed folks to feel seen and heard.
How Team-Building Results Create A Ripple Effect
The results from our team-building efforts were better and stronger working relationships, where team members learned that their thoughts about processes and approaches were welcomed. They became more comfortable navigating conflict and felt empowered - and that led to a great commitment.
For E, the journey wasn’t just about revitalizing her teams; it was also a personal evolution. By stepping back from her usual directive role, she gained a deeper understanding of her teams’ intricacies, which shaped her leadership style for the future.
With newfound clarity and common ground, E’s teams underwent a transformation. Energized and purpose-driven, they embarked on innovative projects redefining what was possible. The ripple effects of this transformation were felt company-wide, setting a new standard for others to follow.
Tailor Your Team-Building Activities To Your Needs
Whether your team is struggling or performing well, the powerful effects of team-building experiences, like the one illustrated in E’s story, highlight why we do this work and put so much time and effort into crafting an experience that brings people together so they can do their best work.
Each of our offsites is customized to the culture and unique experiences of the organizations we work with. We also recognize that not everyone has the budget or support to bring in an outside facilitator, so we’re sharing 14 tips to make planning your next offsite easier.
As a facilitator and leadership development professional with years of experience facilitating offsites and helping turn groups into teams, building trust is often the first step to great teamwork. However, there are many reasons to engage in team building and many approaches to take.
For example, perhaps you have a new leader who wants to take the team in a new direction.
Allowing time for the new leader to introduce themselves as a person first and foremost and to share how and why they are interested in change can dispel fears. Giving people a chance to weigh in on the changes and the possible positive and negative impact while connecting around shared goals and having some fun would allow for healthy debate, minimize risk, and maximize business impact, including the likelihood that attendees would be more on board with the new strategies.
OR IT MAY BE TIME TO FINALLY ADDRESS THE CONFLICT APPARENT WHEN TWO TEAMS WORK TOGETHER.
Learning about and practicing Crucial Conversation techniques may be helpful. Understanding people’s typical conflict responses, sequences, and approaches, along with some discussion about healthy conflict, may fit the bill.
OR, PERHAPS YOUR TEAM IS EXPERIENCING A LACK OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, MOTIVATION OR COLLABORATION.
In this case, you might design exercises to explore people’s individual, team, and organizational dreams and goals. Further activities to capture and share people’s values, interests, and skills may reinvigorate teamwork and point to ways the organization can positively shift roles and responsibilities.
In many cases, the results from an effective team-building event can influence everything from performance to retention to the company’s bottom line.
Tips For Planning Your Next Team-Building Event
Many details go into every step, whether blocking calendars, setting the mood, figuring out what you hope to accomplish, securing an event space, setting the agenda, or designing activities.
So, each of the following steps is a place to begin, a jumping-off point, or something to consider when planning an effective team-building event:
Tip #1: Goals
A great place to start is with your end goals in mind. Define the objectives of your team-building event, and we suggest inviting input from the team. Asking for input is a great way to make sure that the activities you’re planning stay relevant and that team members have a sense of ownership. Setting goals can be tough. You may know you want to gather but not know exactly what you’d like to accomplish. Just like the first step with E’s team was gathering information, you may want to start with a survey to identify some areas to work on. Sometimes, reaching out to an outside facilitator, consultant, or HR leader for advice, support, or design can help you arrive at some common goals.
Some examples of objectives (to get you thinking) could include improving communication, building trust, enhancing collaboration, boosting morale, developing leadership skills, identifying strengths and weaknesses, promoting creativity and innovation, managing conflict, or improving problem-solving.
Tip #2: Expectations
Don’t expect your team to be in two places at once. When you respect team members’ time and commitments, you allow them to engage fully without distractions.
Let everyone attending (and their managers) know that there’s no expectation for them to dash back to their teams, emails, or offices to do work during the breaks. In fact, give them permission to temporarily disengage from other obligations as much as possible to be truly present.
If your team-building event is onsite, you may want to set up a “do not disturb” area. That way, other persons who want to know what’s going on or perhaps check in with a colleague are aware that it’s a closed event and the space is off-limits.
If you have team members from out of town or team members who usually work remotely and are there in person, consider setting up some kind of post-event gathering where others can join. Or consider creating some transition time before an evening event so those who want to say hello to ‘Suzie from Idaho’ can pop in.
Tip #3: Setting
Choose a time and place that’s convenient or enjoyable. Whether onsite or offsite, select a time and location for the team-building activities that accommodate team members’ schedules, preferences, and accessibility needs, making it either convenient or a wonderful place to stay.
Here are a few questions to consider when choosing a location:
- Do the facilities have what you need (for example, WiFi, audiovisual equipment, catering options, accessibility, etc.) - and what will you need to bring with you?
- Do the facilities align with your planned activities for the day?
- Does it have the capacity and space to meet as a whole, and can you also set up breakout sessions?
- What’s the ambiance you’re aiming for (for example, something relaxed and casual or something more formal)?
- What’s your budget?
- If you’re planning outdoor activities, what happens if 'Mother Nature' doesn’t cooperate?
Tip #4: Agenda
Develop a plan for the gathering with activities that support your objectives, time for breaks, socializing, activities that are fun or new, and space for reflection and integration. With E’s team, we focused on reflection, discussion, and experiential modalities. Developing an agenda will help you create a flow for the day, ensure you have all the things you need for each activity, and help others plan their time (for example, catering, outside facilitators, etc.). And when you share the agenda with the team, it’ll give them something to get excited about.
Tip #5: Ground Rules
When you communicate the agenda to your team, it’s a great time to set some ground rules. Let team members know what’s expected during the event, from phone use and confidentiality to what makes a healthy debate and how conversations can remain inclusive and respectful. We recommend setting the ground rules every time so everyone is on the same page. And if the reason your team is gathering is to address ongoing conflict, then this step is especially important.
Tip #6: Possible Activities
The activities you choose for your team-building experience should align with your objectives for the day. This list below is not exhaustive; it’s just a place to get your creative juices flowing...
// Problem-Solving Scenarios
Present the groups with real or simulated workplace challenges and have them work together to brainstorm solutions. This activity encourages critical thinking, collaboration and creativity. (Note: It's best for small teams or large teams broken into smaller groups.)
// Strengths Assessment
Conduct a workshop where team members identify their strengths and discuss how to leverage them to contribute effectively to the team. This activity promotes self-awareness, appreciation of diversity, and collaboration.
// Team Cooking Challenge
Have groups work together to prepare a meal. This activity fosters teamwork, communication, and time management skills while providing a fun and interactive environment with delicious results. (Note: It's best for small teams or large teams broken into smaller groups.)
// Team Reflection Session
Give time for team members to reflect on past successes and challenges, share feedback, and set goals for future collaboration. This activity encourages open communication, mutual support, and continuous improvement within the team.
// Inclusive Team Game
Plan a team challenge or competition that requires diverse skills and perspectives to succeed. This encourages collaboration, creativity, and appreciation of individual contributions within a large group setting.
// Role-Playing Exercises
Conduct role-playing exercises where employees simulate workplace scenarios such as difficult conversations, customer interactions, giving and receiving feedback, etc. This provides hands-on experiences, enhances communication skills, builds trust through constructive feedback, and complements workshops on communication.
// Outdoor Adventure
Organize an outdoor activity such as a ropes course, rock climbing, or hiking. These activities promote teamwork, trust building, and resilience while providing a break from the office environment.
Tip #7: Inclusion
Perhaps one of the most important elements that can sometimes be overlooked is creating a safe environment where team members feel comfortable expressing themselves, actively soliciting opinions, and welcoming healthy debate. With E’s team, one of the results we found was that team members learned it was okay to share their thoughts about how an initiative was approached or the processes that had been put in place - in fact, new ideas were welcomed. It’s always great to lead by example and demonstrate the desired behaviors and attitudes that you’d like to see in team members. You can also try speaking last to encourage active participation and diverse viewpoints.
Don’t forget that adults learn in different ways, and you want to create an event where everyone can play. Identify and consider processing and learning needs and do your best to customize the activities to accommodate different preferences, interests, and abilities within the team.
Tip #8: Reflection
Try to incorporate some opportunities for reflection into the day. Perhaps give team members time to reflect on their experiences about halfway through the day and again at the end. Reflection allows participants to integrate what they learned and perhaps leads to a few “aha” moments. It’s also a great way to check in and ensure engagement and understanding. Plus, the introverts will thank you for it.
Tip #9: Excellent Facilitation
Facilitators can make or break the success of your team-building event. We’ve all experienced events where the person at the front of the room has a dry delivery or seems to be out of sync with the audience - it’s awkward, your mind wanders, and you end up disengaging before you’ve begun. Hopefully, we’ve also all experienced warm, enthusiastic, engaging facilitators who make you want to lean in and roll up your sleeves. Choose wisely!
Another benefit to bringing in external facilitators to lead activities is that it frees you up to participate fully and enhances the session's effectiveness.
Tip #10: Connection
It almost goes without saying that connection is at the heart of a team-building day. And it can be tempting to want to pack as much structured time into the day as possible. But it’s important to remember to create space for informal interactions. Allow time for people to connect on their own, network, foster relationships, and build a sense of community.
Tip #11: Fun
Team building should not be boring! And it should never feel like a chore (to facilitate or participate). This is a day to step away from the regular routine and truly embrace something new or different. And it should definitely be fun! Incorporate novelty games and enjoyment into activities, keep people moving (as they are able), and maintain engagement throughout the day. Experiential exercises, like the ones we used with E’s team, are a great way to help keep people engaged.
Tip #12: Follow-Up
Even if you think the day was a smashing success, it’s important to follow up by asking for feedback from attendees. Gathering input from team members allows you to improve future team-building events and ensure ongoing development. Following up also allows you to continuously reinforce what was learned, celebrate successes, and assign homework to keep the momentum going.
Tip #13: Celebration
It’s always good to acknowledge the achievements and individual contributions of team members and get them to celebrate the collective achievements. Measure these successes through feedback and observable improvements. Taking time to celebrate can improve employee engagement and morale—after all, people want to feel appreciated for their hard work!
Tip #14: Pay-Off
We’ll wrap this up with a couple of things to consider after your team-building event. Sometimes, it takes a little time to see the true impact of team-building efforts. So, it’s good to continue to monitor the group’s progress on performance and dynamics in case you need to adjust the approach or course-correct.
Finally, we’d love you to consider making team building an ongoing priority by investing in continuing development. When teams truly come together, they can discover their best work yet.
We hope that these 14 tips make planning your next team-building event a little less daunting and help you tackle all those details with confidence. As we saw with E’s team, a day of team-building led to stronger working relationships, greater commitment and renewed motivation. The only question left is: What is your team ready to achieve?
If you’d like our help planning, designing, and facilitating a memorable team-building event where you achieve your objectives and have fun doing it, please reach out to us.
