Should the Boss Attend a Corporate Team Building Event?

So you’ve decided to plan a corporate team building exercise for your employees. Whether you are seeking to improve workplace morale, reward your hard-working staff or just have a fun event to blow off steam, there’s still that nagging question you haven’t quite got worked out yet: should the boss attend?

On one hand, this is supposed to be an event for the employees; one where they get to let their guard down, show their true selves and not feel inhibited in any way. Is it really possible to create an environment where your people feel “free” to be who they are, with the Big Cheese right there?

But then again, the boss is a part of the team – in fact, he/she is the team leader, whom other members look towards for direction and feedback. Excluding the boss outright for the sake of encouraging group bonding, well – it’s like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

What, then, is a boss to do?

Perhaps taking a step back to evaluate the situation holistically will help you arrive at the correct answer for your particular situation:

1. What’s the Goal of the Event? – Are you doing this team building activity to help integrate new members? Improve morale? Get people to know each other better?

1. What’s the Boss’s Management Style? – Are you seeking to instill more independence upon your team? Do you wish for them to make better group decisions on their own? Are they not communicating & working closely enough with the boss to reach goals efficiently & effectively?

1. Did the Boss Participate in the Last Event? – If so, what was the consensus – helpful, or harmful?

1. Does the Boss Even Want to Attend? – Let’s not forget the biggest consideration, after all. If he/she wants to participate, it’s going to be very challenging to make the case not to; conversely, if the boss wants nothing to do with it, well – that may just answer that question.

The point here is that, alas, there is no simple yes/no answer to weather or not the boss should participate in the event. Just remember, the ultimate goal of a corporate team building activity is to have your group practice positive skills which they can employ back in the office. Take look at your individual situation, and try to figure out whether the boss’s participation would add to the event, or take away from it.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone – for our Jewish readers, have a safe and easy Yom Kippur fast!