What is Team Building?
Team building is an act to promote unity within a group. The aim is to improve collaboration between members through activities or events that differ from a typical workday to help strengthen communication, build trust, and connect workers on a more interpersonal level. It is proven that “companies with a fully engaged workforce are capable of generating twice the revenue,” (TeamStage, 2024), as it helps promote a positive work environment.
Team building can take on many different forms ranging from informal activities to structured programs and is often used by organisations to boost morale, improve productivity and align team members with a common goal.
Different Types of Team Building Methods:
There are many different types of team building methods, each with its own distinct goal and function. These methods can range widely in their approach, from structured workshops and interactive games to collaborative projects and outdoor activities. However, all are designed to strengthen team cohesion and increase workplace productivity.
- Activity-Based: Activity-based methods are designed to nurture collaboration, communication and trust among team members through engaging activities and tasks. These exercises often involve hands-on activities that require participants to work together to solve problems or complete challenges. Some examples include escape room challenges or team sport games where team members can strengthen their relationships and improve their ability to effectively work together. Activity-based events also provide employees with a break from their regular working schedule allowing them to connect in a more informal and enjoyable setting.
- Problem-Solving-Based: Problem-solving-based activities are ideal for improving internal communications within a team. They are designed to challenge teams with complex scenarios that require a collective effort and creative thinking to solve. These exercises often include tasks that stimulate hypothetical situations where the team is encouraged to analyse the issue, brainstorm solutions and collaborate to implement effective strategies. Some examples include strategy games or simulations where teams are required to devise a plan under certain constraints or time limits. These activities can help test and develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking as participants must work together to overcome obstacles and achieve a common objective.
- Skill-Based: Skill-based methods focus on developing and refining essential skills that a necessary for effective teamwork and individual performance in a fun manner. These exercises focus on areas such as communication, decision-making, or time management and often involve activities that challenge participants to practice and improve these skills in a supportive environment. For example, a workshop aimed at improving effective communication might include role-playing scenarios to practice active listening and clear expression. By focusing on skill development, these exercises help team members improve their abilities which in return strengthens the overall team performance and dynamics.
- Personality-Based: Personality-based exercises aim to improve team dynamics by focusing on understanding and leveraging individual personalities and strengths. By discovering each individual’s personality traits and working styles, managers can delegate tasks more suited towards the individual or assign team members based on their personalities and strengths which in return leads to a more cohesive and collaborative environment. Some examples include employees completing online personality assessments, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or personal sharing sessions where participants share personal stories and experiences related to their work styles and preferences.
- Communication-Based: Communication-based team building activities are used to help team members develop their ability to convey ideas, listen, and interact with each other effectively. This generally helps build rapport and relationships between members as they get to know each other. These activities assist in improving verbal and non-verbal communication skills, active listening and clarity in expression. Examples consist of role-playing scenarios where participants must communicate under specific restraints or activities such as the ‘telephone game.’ These team building exercises help members develop better communication practices and nurture a more open and collaborative work environment.
- Team Bonding: Team bonding events are slightly different to team building events as they focus more on providing team members to connect on an interpersonal level, relax and build trust. The events usually consist of social or recreational activities outside of a typical work environment where they are often informal and fun. Some examples include dinner outings or game nights where the goal is to create a positive team atmosphere which could lead to improved teamwork and collaboration in the workplace.
Recently at Marketing Eye, we hosted our own team bonding event where the team was tasked with making gnocchi from scratch. From peeling the potatoes and kneading the dough, everyone had enough gnocchi to take home and enjoy with their friends and families. Throughout the event, there was a lot of talking and laughter going on where you could easily tell the bonds within the team were strengthened. Participating in such an activity fostered a positive working environment where all team members became more comfortable communicating with each other and more motivated to stay productive. Thank you to Mellissah who took the time and effort to provide the team with the required ingredients and teach us the steps necessary to make authentic gnocchi.
Feel free to watch us make gnocchi [here].