When individuals who are not used to working together in a team, are compelled to talk and communicate, they realize that are enjoying the communication and bonding. Those who earlier may have had an issue with being along with others will have to get rid of any sort of negative mindset. They will then all try and work together as a team to achieve a common goal.
Team building helps to get rid of these obstacles by making enforced communication between the recognized groups and generates chances for friendships and network to prosper.
Here are some reasons why team building adds value to any organization.
- Team building helps improve communication in any type of organization.
- Team building makes the workplace a fun place to be in.
- Team building helps people to motivate each other.
- Team building helps and guides people to know each other better.
- Team building helps the members of a group or team to learn the life skills of coordination and cooperation.
- Team building helps the team members to recognize their own strengths and weakness and those of their colleagues or fellow group members.
- Team building helps to improve the productivity of the organization.
- Team Building allows group members to see the human side of their co-workers or group members in a non-threatening environment.
- Team Building creates lasting memories through fun activities that even the most stubborn or difficult team member will participate in.
Ice-Breaker Group Team Building Activities
Here is an example of some Ice-Breaker Team Building Activities
- Life Highlights Game: This game requires half an hour. This is a brilliant introduction activity that is just perfect for both large and small groups. Start by asking each member to close their eyes for a minute and think about the best moments they had in their lives. This may contain moments, which they have experienced all by themselves, with their friends or family. After the members have thought about a moment, let them know, them that their hunt for highlights is about to be narrowed down. Ask them to keep their eyes closed and ask them to choose the best 30 seconds of their lives which they would like to relive if they only have 30 more seconds remaining in their lives. The first portion of the activity allows the members to look back on their past lives, whereas the 2nd part allows them to know their colleagues much more closely. The 2nd part of the game is the called the “review” part. The group leader will ask every member what their 30 seconds involved, and why they picked it, this will allow members to get a touch for each other’s desires, loves, and characters.
- Coin Logo: This is a relatively short game and requires only five to ten minutes. Ask all the members to take out any coins which they might be carrying in their wallets, pockets, and purses and ask them to place those coins on a table. Ask each participant to make their individual logo using the coins in one minute.
Each member can explain his / her logo for the rest of the group. This activity helps in promoting self-awareness.
- Ice Breaker Activity – With One question: 20 to 25 minutes are required for this activity. This activity helps the members to communicate and work with each other. The leader picks a question on any common issue. The members are first paired into teams and then the leader shoots his question. After the leader has asked the questions, the participants can clear any doubts which they might have. Once their doubts are cleared, the teams, which are grouped in pairs, are allowed some time to discuss it. Say, they are given ten minutes to discuss. Once the time limit is reached, the leader asks everybody to stop talking, from here on nobody can speak to their partner. Now, the leader asks every member of the individual teams to answer the question he posted earlier. It is would be seen, that although they discussed the answer, they are not on the same page. This activity is meant to make the members understand the importance of coordination to build a successful team.
Team Building Activities should be fun and teaches the participants the skill of building a team and working together as a united team.
These activities are used to identify the strong points in the personality of the individual, leadership skills for an example. This can help the individual by offering them more job satisfaction and the chance to grow and prosper in their career.
Job satisfaction is a critical component of anyone’s occupation. Feeling valuable, worthwhile, a team member and having a sense of accomplishment inside the office are important elements which lead to happiness. These feelings can inspire staff and guarantee they are the most dynamic, and, this attitude, in turn, will inspire their co-workers.
Working together as a team is a special skill and one needs to learn about how to work and survive with a team.
Easy to run Team Building Activities
One lie and two truths
Begin having every member of the team to write two truths about themselves secretly followed by one lie. Do not disclose to anybody what you have written. After everyone has finished this phase, allow 15-120 minutes for an open discussion, quite like that of a cocktail party. The idea is to persuade others to believe in your lie; on the other hand, you will try and guess another person’s lies/truths by asking probing questions. Don’t disclose your lie or truths to anybody – even if most of the members have figured it out! After the chat session, all the members should gather in one place and they start reading out the truths and lies they wrote down and the rest of the people would vote on a lie or truth. This game can be very useful to improve the overall communication in the office and at the same time helps you to understand your colleague better.
Problem Solving orientated Team Building Activity
A game called “Picture Pieces”
Activities aimed towards solving problems demands that the group leader selects a recognized cartoon or picture which has a lot of details. This picture is then to be cut into equal squares to the number of members. Each member should be given a portion of the puzzle and asked to make a precise copy of their portion of the puzzle, which is at least five times larger than its actual size. The group leader can distribute markers, rulers, papers and pencils to the other members to make the procedure easier and help it run smoothly. When all the members have finished their process of enlarging the piece, ask them to accumulate their bits into a massive duplicate of the actual picture on a table.
This activity, which is meant to teach the art of problem-solving, will impart skills in the participants on how to operate with a team.
WorkFrun is a comprehensive library of group activities and games structured for a variety of outcomes from having fun to the debriefing of serious outcome deliverable’s.
