Engaging team building activities New York City

Last week, TrivWorks announced our newest partnership with Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, a musical improv comedy show. I was drawn to BNHM for a number of reasons: the show is absolutely hilarious, the troupe is exceedingly talented and professional, and they have tremendous experience in corporate event entertainment, NYC and nationally. But perhaps above all else, what I found most compelling about this unique theater company is that is highly interactive.

If you’re reading this, then you’ve probably had some exposure to group bonding exercises for the office. If they’re anything like the types I had to endure during my time as a cubicle dweller, then they probably sucked: cheesy, lame, forced, and generally unpleasant from beginning to end. More often than not, people participating in these things can’t wait for it to be over. But I have built a career (and a business) on the belief that team activities CAN be useful, and produce a positive shared experience which will have direct impact on teamwork and revenue, provided they are done in a fun, meaningful way. And there is no better way to accomplish this than to give your people an opportunity to engage with one another.

Here are some proven methods for maximizing the level of engagement for your team, so that they get the very most out of whatever you have in store for them:

• 1.     Let them be involved from the planning stage – If you want staff to “buy in” to the corporate outing idea from the start, you have got to let them have a say in what exactly it is they are going to be doing. Are there any activities which they are or not interested in? Do they want to repeat something which has been done in the past, or try something completely different? Should it be something physical, competitive, clean, or brainy? Do they want something involved like an office scavenger hunt, or a puzzle such as Escape the Room? Will they want to build something together, or perhaps enjoy a meal afterwards? Also, what time of day should this be held – morning, afternoon, or after hours? And where should it be held? These are all things that you as the planner have the power to unilaterally decide on your own, but doesn’t it make sense to ask the group what THEY want to do, rather than just saying, “here’s what we’re doing?”

• 2.     Break them into smaller groups – Unless your audience is very small to begin with, if you want to maximize engagement, you have got to sub-divide the group into smaller teams. Otherwise, you’ll just have a big room full of people zoning out, since they won’t feel what’s being done is actually relevant or pertinent to them, specifically. However, if instead of being just one person in a sea of employees they are now in breakout groups, they can actually feel like they are participating (I see this firsthand when producing trivia team building for companies in New York City and elsewhere – I typically recommend that the little groups be no more than 8-10 people, because once you start getting higher than that not everybody feels their voice is heard, and won’t be as interactive as they should be). Follow this link for another article on how to break your big group down.

• 3.     Select an activity which lends itself to interactivity – This seems obvious, but in practice, it’s actually not. I you do even a cursory search for “staff bonding ideas, NYC” or the like, you will probably get about a million different types of things pop up, ranging from paintball to fish racing (yes, I’ve seen that). There’s more to teamwork than just doing something fun, however, and you must be sure you are choosing something which is appealing and accessible to your ENTIRE staff in attendance. It’s why I’ve chosen to collaborate with the types of trivia hosts I have: magicians, comedians, mixologists, and now master improvisers. The “thing” your people will be doing during their time at the offsite must naturally foster the type of experience you are seeking to create, in order for it to produce your desired result of improved collaboration, communication, trust and overall happiness in the workplace.

• 4.     Keep the enthusiasm and energy high – This goes hand in hand with Tip #3 above, however the room has to be pumped with excitement and enthusiasm if you want people to participate. Even the most compelling exercise won’t mean a thing if everybody’s bored – it’s imperative that whatever you’re doing, the zeal only builds throughout, rather than stars strong and peters out (which I’ve also experienced firsthand – especially for events held in the morning or immediately after lunch). That’s why I personally believe that some form of contest – be is trivia or something else – lends itself so well to this sort of environment, where you’re progressing steadily towards an overall goal, that being winning. And I won’t lie, alcohol helps this process (provided you’re doing it after work hours, and everybody there is of legal drinking age).

As I’ve stated many times previously on this blog, there is no recipe for a “perfect” gig; even if everything lines up ideally, there will invariably be somebody who just doesn’t want to be a part of whatever is going on. Speaking again from personal experience, I know that I’ve tuned out when forced to attend some silly office thing of one kind or another, letting my mind drift and wishing the clock would go faster, rather than diving in with both feet and getting to know my colleagues better. But that said, there ARE steps which the planner can take to improve the attendee experience, and maximize the prospect for allowing the most people present to get as much as they can out of it.

For more information on this topic, check out this useful article from Forbes magazine.