Exercises for team building you can introduce
By incorporating team-building exercises into your workplace, you can help employees take a break from their work to connect with their colleagues in a fun environment. These exercises are usually recreational and help yourself and the rest of your staff gain a better understanding of each employee’s strengths, weaknesses and unique personality traits. Here are three popular team-building exercises:
Picture pieces
The picture pieces game is useful for teaching employees about the importance of teamwork, both within their department and throughout the organization. By using this game, you can also foster collaboration and communication. These steps can help you successfully conduct the exercise:
- Divide a large puzzle into five to six sections. Each section becomes a tiny puzzle and, when placed together, they result in the completion of the bigger picture.
- Sort the participants into five to six teams. Assign one section of the puzzle to each team without telling the players that their pieces are part of a larger puzzle.
- Place the separated puzzle pieces together. Once the teams have finished their section, place them together to form the completed puzzle. This shows employees that, even when they are not conscious of it, their actions influence the performance of the entire organization.
Campfire stories
This simple activity allows members of the group to share their unique stories and to get to know their teammates better. You can use this exercise either when colleagues are initially meeting each other or when a team has already been working together for a length of time. Here are the steps:
- Choose a topic. You can either choose the topic or ask your group members if they have any ideas.
- Take turns sharing stories. The first member of the circle can share a story from their life related to the theme. Continue sharing stories around the circle so everyone gets a chance.
- Share more stories. You can either choose how many stories each person tells or allot a certain amount of time to this activity. Either way, encourage more stories around the circle until the activity is over.
Back of a napkin
In his book, “The Back of the Napkin,” author Dan Roam explains how to play this game to promote creative thinking among employees. It also encourages collaboration, which is a valuable skill within organizations. Here’s how to play:
- Choose a set of open-ended problems. These issues may be real ones the organization is experiencing, something currently happening in the world or a problem you make up.
- Divide employees up. Divide employees into groups of two to four and provide each team with a napkin so they can discuss the problem and devise solutions.
- Ask teams to present their solutions. Using only the space on the back of the napkin, ask teams to create and present their solutions to the problem.
Team building FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions to team-building exercises:
When should you conduct team-building exercises?
You can try team-building exercises in a variety of situations or for several reasons. They are common when a new employee begins at the organization so they can feel more comfortable with their group and in new surroundings. You can also conduct team-building activities regularly to provide time away from work tasks and reemphasize the important of collaboration, communication and trust.
How should you organize your employees into groups for exercises?
Team-building exercises are often most beneficial when you group people together who have rarely worked with each other before. This can help those employees get to know each other better. However, team-building activities are also helpful for employees who always work together because it can show that in an office environment, there continues to be opportunity to learn from one another.
How often should you plan team-building exercises?
Consistency to your team-building exercises can help you maintain a higher level of productivity in the office. Consider planning team-building exercises monthly. They can also be an enjoyable way of commemorating the end of a challenging project.
