Team building activities in NYC

As the founder of a company dedicated to creating New York City team building activities, you might think it’s odd that I’m writing a post like this. However, despite being a champion for employee recognition/reward and a firm believer in the value of quality team bonding experiences, having been in this line of work for nearly 10 years now, I know firsthand the limitations which these types of events have.

While the goals of each group are different, here are 10 things which even great team building ideas in NYC or elsewhere simply cannot fix:

• 1.     Underlying Causes of Low Morale – Why does your group need a morale boosting activity in NYC or beyond to begin with? It’s the symptom of something else, which only a systemic change will address

• 2.     Personality Conflicts – People are difficult to change, and you can’t expect a single event – no matter how positive – to result in a fundamental shift in personality

• 3.     Toxic Workplaces – Is there something permanent about your environment – either with the people, the systems or the physical space – which is causing a sustained drop in morale?

• 4.     Bad Business Practices – Is there something fundamental about the way your business is run which doesn’t sit right with you or the team?

• 5.     Your Industry – How are things going in your business area? If the answer is “not great,” then people like me are only a band-aid solution, rather than a long-term one

• 6.     Other External Factors – Recessions, regulation, market trends, competition – these are all things which cannot be influenced even through a fun group activity

• 7.     Entrenched Managerial Attitudes – Nobody has more influence on the workplace than those at the top, and if these key leaders are not willing to acknowledge problems or make necessary changes, then morale shall remain low in spite of any attempts to correct

For those interested in TrivWorks events, learn which companies trivia team building won’t work for.