A lot of the work I do with businesses and leaders is within a workshop or on-site training setting.  However, a couple times I year I host a team building event in Bloomington-Normal.  Last week several teams braved the cool and rainy day, and bonded with each other.  So, team building is on my mind!

Many times when people think of team building activities, they are usually looking outside the office.  I love this for many reasons, but mostly because people enjoy the change in atmosphere and become engaged, regardless of the activity.  The event I host has people going to many different locations throughout the area on a scavenger hunt.  So there is a lot of variety, fresh air, and community feel.

Getting out of the office from time to time (at least a few times a year) to work with your team is crucial.  It’s refreshing, uplifting, and fun to be out of the office on work time.  Remember when you used to go on field trips at school?  You still were expected to learn something, just in a different setting.  It’s the same for team building activities.

What about the rest of the year?  There are many team building activities that are important to incorporate that take place inside the office.  In fact, team building activities should be done daily.

Team building is all about getting your team to work together better and creating better or sustained results, right?  Therefore, virtually any activity that helps that goal is team building.  But before I start to sound like I’m rambling or going off on a tangent, let me put it this way.

In order to build your team you must work to build communication, get to know each other, learn to problem solve together, and learn how to help each other grow.

As I write this article, I’m torn between giving you a list of games and puzzles to use in planned team building time and talking about daily actions to work on.  This time I will focus on the latter and next time I will put together a list of my favorite games and puzzles you can use.  Sound good? 

Daily Team Building Activities

Communication

In your meetings, are you watching how information is being received?  Pay attention to body language.  Approximately 55% of communication takes place through body language.  What is your team telling you?  What are they telling each other?  What are you telling them?  As you pay attention, ask questions to see if you are interpreting the body language correctly.  (I try not to cross my arms, but sometimes I’m just cold!)

Bonding

We spend more time at work than we do at home.  How often do you make sure you are getting to know others?  Relationships hold great workplaces together.  People want to know that it matters that they show up or not.  Make sure that each person on your team feels like they are more than their work each day by asking a simple question or two and listening to the answers.  It’s that easy!

Problem Solve

Teams that problem solve together are stronger teams.  Newer members learn from seasoned members and vice versa.  Structure your environment so that individuals aren’t the only ones solving problems.  Can there be a pair or small group tackling that next problem?  Encourage your team to ask each other for advice, assistance, and ideas.  Show them that it is a safe environment to ask help in by asking for help yourself.

Growth

Similar to problem solving together, find ways to help each other grow.  Ensure that your environment rewards for helping others grow their skills.  Then look for ways every day to help someone learn, try, repeat, lead, fail, or question.  This will help your team challenge the status quo as part of the norm, which leads to greater innovation and productivity.

Incorporating increased communication, bonding, problem solving and growth into your daily activities as a leader, will build a strong team.  Instead of you looking for ways to make them get work done, your team will be united and looking for ways to be successful.   Big difference!

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