The executive leadership is under continual pressure to develop methods to make teambuilding a sustainable and successful tool for bringing people together to work towards a common vision.
The correct kind of team building exercises may help tremendously with that problem by encouraging people to work together.
Teambuilding activities for meetings
Building trust and rapport within a team requires a level of cohesion that can only be achieved by getting to know one another. Members of a group who share a passion for the great outdoors are more likely to become close friends off the field. Maybe three of the crew goes sailing, four of them like to cook, and two of them have kids who play soccer. Obviously, this advantage only materializes if team members become conscious of these commonalities. Here's where exercises in creating cohesive units might be useful.
Intensive team building exercises can last two to five days, according to U.S. News & World Report. These activities aim to promote team cohesion and facilitate goal-setting. Make sure everyone can participate to avoid shame. If the crew is going paintballing, don't bash your boss or coworker. Same rationale applies if you're the top volleyball hitter in college. Whatever you do, avoid a severe rivalry.
#1. Common interests whiteboarded
Make use of a whiteboard by having the meeting's organizer make interest-based columns (e.g., runners, surfers, sailors, musicians, singers, educators, authors, and so on). Then, everyone should sign up for the sections they are interested in. Gather everyone gathered and head to the board if the group isn't too big. As people move around the table to fill out the various sections, they naturally start talking to one another. Then, have everyone stand in a circle and introduce themselves before sharing the categories of interest under which they signed. Don't forget that this can even benefit teams that have been collaborating for some time without ever exchanging contact details.
#2. One lie two truths
This is a great way for teammates to have some lighthearted fun together while also learning more about one another's character traits. Pass the hat around the circle, and have each participant share three “facts” about themselves, one of which is a falsehood. The obvious truths should be masked a little bit. Each member of the group then casts a vote on which of the two statements they believe to be false. By being taken aback by what another person has done or accomplished, this might also assist us to suspend our judgment of them. Who would have guessed that the CEO meditates, or that the shy librarian is an avid skydiver.
Participants can electronically vote on the veracity of one other's statements using their smartphones, tablets, or computers, as demonstrated by this game.
#3. Endless Name Circle
Everyone on the team must respond to the same question. In other words, “How many people should a team have?” One by one, everyone in the circle responds with their name and a response. Next person says their name and response, then everyone else's names and responses are repeated. It's a lively game that stresses the importance of paying close attention, especially to the names of the other players.
#4: Who Done It?
Another great way to break the ice and learn more about your colleagues is with this game from Notre Dame. Invite everyone to record a noteworthy accomplishment on a notecard. Try to come up with anything that the other people won't immediately figure out. Place the cards in a pile, shuffle them, and give one to each player. Each player takes a turn reading the item of interest in their hand and attempting to identify its owner. If the estimate turns out to be wrong, additional people can keep trying their luck until the individual responsible for the desired action is identified. When the missing individual is located, the owner can give a succinct explanation of the situation.
