Conducting a teambuilding activity is an excellent way in overcoming team challenges, enhancing people skills and add fun and excitement into the workplace.
With careful planning, clear objectives, and post-activity reinforcement, you can harness this golden opportunity to gain and retain valuable learnings, creating a long-lasting positive impact within the workplace.
1. CHOOSE WISELY
Start with a clear objective & choose an activity that meets the brief.
Ask yourself…
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What do you want the team to learn or accomplish?
Your goal should be attainable, relevant and reinforceable post-activity.
If your objective is just pure fun, consider and activity with less structure such as office karaoke or a movie night.
2. PREP FOR SUCCESS
Demonstrate confidence and competence going into the activity by…
- Familiarizing yourself with the activity’s instructions/logisticcs
- Obtaining all of the required resources (budget, prizes, pens, paper, etc.)
- Organizing the room/venue
- Anticipating potential problems
3. DO A "BUY-IN"
Whether it’s a bowling night or office activity, explain what the activity is, why you’re doing it and how this benefits the team.
Remember to promote the activity with enthusiasm and positive language to get the team excited about what they’re about to experience!
People are more willing to participate and learn when there’s something for them to “buy into”.
4. CHECK UNDERSTANDING
Clarify any questions or misunderstandings before the activity starts.
Ask, “What questions do you have for me?” and activity specific questions such as, “How many minutes is each round?” and “What happens if your ball goes out of bounds?”.
Lastly, declare that you are the final judge on the winners to avoid any disagreements between the teams.
5. RUN IT LIKE A PRO
A pro knows when to step in, stand back and allow the team
to make mistakes. As the activity gets underway…
- Check that the steps are being followed while allowing opportunities for self-correction
- Keep the activity running unless it becomes unmanageable
- Be everyone’s cheerleader
- Support and redirect without taking over
- Take notes for the debrief
6. DEBRIEF
This critically links what the participants experience, to their behavior on the job.
Ask impactful questions such as…
- What was your strategy approaching the activity?
- In terms of working as a team, what went well and what would you do differently next time?
- What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
- How can these insights be applied to how we work together on our projects?
7. REINFORCE
With a conscious effort, the learnings from the activity can continuously contribute towards a supportive team environment.
This can be done by…
- Displaying anything the team created during the activity
- Post photos of the activity in the office, on social media and in internal communications
- Refer to the activity when coaching, giving feedback or holding staff meeting
- Give acknowledgement and praise when you see the learnings being put into practice on the job.
If you’re planning a teambuilding activity in your workplace, explore how to plan, execute and reinforce, with our ‘7 Essential Steps to PERK UP Your Office Teambuilding Activities’.
If you need support in creating an experience that is fun and engaging, while meeting your organization’s objectives, send us a message and let’s design your next exciting people experience together!