Employee team building exercises

I’ve been going on a tear lately about what’s wrong with employee team building, in NYC where I am as well as other parts of the country/world. As a passionate enthusiast for creating memorable experiences designed to recognize & reward hard-working staff, I know how effective appropriate, well-planned group bonding activities can be for producing lasting positive results.

And that’s why it KILLS me that they have earned such a bad rap.

Like you, my knee-jerk reaction to “employee team building exercises” has always been negative – from the fact that most activities are cheesy, boring & lame, to the ridiculously dated & misleading name itself. It’s so bad, in fact, that at some of the events I produce, I’m often told afterwards by attendees that they had actually considered skipping and GOING BACK TO WORK, before realizing it was actually going to be fun. How crazy does that sound – especially to the thoughtful boss who wanted to do something nice for his people!

Here are some ways you can present employee team building activities to staff at all levels, which will make the very idea of them more digestible:

1. 1. Give Staff a Say in Planning – Maybe you’ve always done the same activity, at the same venue, at the same time of day, same time of year. Maybe staff loves this – or maybe, they don’t. Why not ask them: what kind of event would you like to have? They may surprise you with their responses, so take them into consideration!

1. 2. Make it Sound Fun – I can’t emphasize this enough. Nobody has ever, EVER opened an Outlook calendar invite entitled “Staff Team Building Event” and gone through the roof with excitement and anticipation. To get staff genuinely enthused about the event, you MUST make it sound more compelling – either through the name you give it, the venue, or perhaps teasing fun surprises which will be in store. Something. Anything.

1. 3. Let Them Know There Will Be Booze – Okay, this one’s a little controversial – while serving alcohol is by no means necessary at a team building event, in my experience the presence of a bar does two things: A) it helps set the tone for the event, allowing folks to let their guards down – an essential component for learning about each other, and B) provides a social lubricant which naturally fosters a fun, high-energy atmosphere, which is key for creating a positive shared experience.

In order to help ensure a successful team building exercise which has genuine impact on the group – ultimately imparting positive workplace skills which can be employed back at the office – it is crucial to get the group excited from the get-go. To obtain this vital staff buy-in, you must give some serious consideration to how you will make the event more palatable to attendees, before it is even announced.