Team building activities help teams learn and grow. It is important to educate teams on teamwork concepts and help them with work processes during all stages of team building. For leading teams, a few tips on planning a team building activity can be critical to the team’s success.
First, determine the purpose of the team building activity to determine if it can be part of a meeting or should be a separate event. Is the activity to introduce a topic, communicate a point, improve relationships, review previous training, or teach a new technique? All of this can be done in a meeting as long as a safe environment and enough time are provided. If not, plan a special event so other jobs don’t interfere with the learning process.
Decide how much time to spend on the team building activity and when it would be best to do it. If the activity is to be part of a team meeting, schedule it for the appropriate place on the specific meeting agenda. The beginning of the agenda is a good time for “meet you” activities and icebreakers, or to go over points from a recent training course. If a non-controversial topic is going to be presented or a new technique is going to be taught for a few minutes of the meeting, that can fit anywhere on the agenda where it needs to happen. For example, if a new decision-making process is to be taught, explain it just before the team needs to use it to make a decision. The immediate application of techniques to work makes them more meaningful. The introduction of new training concepts that will not be used within the meeting should occur near the end of the meeting time.
If the time/date for team building needs to be outside of a regular team meeting, plan a special training session or team building event. This will require additional work by a team member or leader to find a good date and place that meets the needs of the activities to be carried out. Decide on activities before choosing a location or they may need to be rescheduled to meet physical requirements. When selecting an activity for the event or training, consider the physical limitations of team members. When planning a multi-exercise team building event, activities that all team members can participate in should be considered before those that may require one member to “stay out” during the exercise because it can make them feel left out.
Find the activities or exercises that best represent the intended training point or exemplify the desired team concept. Then narrow down the selection list to which ones are best to use based on the materials needed, the time available, what’s relevant to a particular team, and the fun factor. It is a key to success that team building events are fun and informative. In meetings, it’s nice to have a fun activity, but what’s relevant to the job at hand will mean more to the team, so aim for what’s relevant first and both whenever possible.
Before the date of the meeting, training session, or team building event: Decide who will facilitate, invite participants, provide the agenda if applicable, and gather any necessary supplies. If it’s a breakout session rather than a team meeting, it may be more fun to surprise the team with the agenda at the beginning rather than in advance. If you are facilitating the activity, arrive early and be prepared with all the necessary materials. If someone else is facilitating, then make sure they understand the expectations they need to meet, as well as when to be there and where to go. It may be beneficial to have someone from outside the team as a facilitator if the activity requires special training, facilities, or materials that a team member does not have.
Use these tips when planning any type of team activity. Continuous learning will motivate the team to contribute better results as they mature and go through various stages.
