Corporate team building activities vary widely, some good and some ridiculous. A 'hot new trend' in corporate team building has been using cooking as the activity. Does it work? The answer to that lies in how it is facilitated. There…
Key learnings for participants: It is important to be aware of assumptions, and recognize one is making them, though sometimes it will be necessary to make assumptions (due to urgency of decisions, lacking complete information) Dynamic tension between speed of decisions and cost…
Here is a recent request from a person on our website looking for the right tool to collect, rate and assess problems: "James, in a nutshell, we know some issues exist and we know some have not yet been identified. …
By James Carter In this article, James discusses team building and some activities that are outside the norm. First there are a few examples of what we provide to create meaning in team building. Secondly, there are a couple of…
Participants walk through a course blindfolded and lead by a partner. This is one of the most powerful and, ironically, one of the simplest events we offer. The Trust Walk is about leading, following and communication. Many leadership styles emerge during this event. Some find it difficult to be responsible for another person’s safety and others find it exhilarating. To trust or give up control can be very hard for some people. Whatever the experience, the Trust Walk is a powerful learning opportunity.
This event is designed to get the group interacting, having fun and is traditionally an icebreaker. Although a great icebreaker, there are great insights that are possible in the areas of: leadership, trust, communication and changing perspectives. Any of these can be touched upon during discussion and connected back to work. To complete the tasks the team will need to use teamwork, cooperation and creativity. This event is also great way to get people touching each other without feeling threatened.
Walk across a series of planks as a group without falling off. This is a great physical activity to challenge participants. Leadership, trust and problem solving are all outcomes from this activity.
Each group member to change the board they are standing on, so that they are not standing on a board with any original board members. This activity will highlight the need for leadership, communication and interdependence.
All group members are to stand on the platform long enough to count to 10. Begin with the largest version of the platform and move to the smallest. This is a group activity that involves increasing trust through proximity, dealing with dwindling / limiting resources and problem solving. Like many activities, this has typical communication and leadership challenges. Best of all, it is actually fun too and can get the group laughing with each other.
Move the entire group through the center hole in the web, the ‘Hole in Space’ as quickly as possible. This is a fine event for demonstrating to a group that they can improve their efficiency performance by discussing previous attempts and by working together as a team. Decrease in performance time can be dramatic.