
Team Building Tips to Help You Plan
By: Karen Crockenburg / Event Manager / Cheers! Events
Break out of your everyday routine and break into FUN! Here are some categories to help narrow down what the type of team building that will work best with your group.
Outdoor/Indoor Activities
Social Events/Ice Breakers
Changes in the Workplace
Workshops
Charitable Work
Training/Development
Now that you have a purpose behind your team building, it’s time for the details. Here are 5 tips to help maximize the group experience and steer your team building in the right direction.
- Know your participants. What would be appealing to them? Is this an active group? Should the event be held indoors or out? Some events are more suited for men than women, and vice versa- would all of your guests be able to participate?
- Keep it 3 hours or under. The 3 hour mark is the magical time that people STOP feeling the magic! Team Buildings are a great way to lead into a dinner or lunch event. Your guests will have plenty to talk about with smiles on their faces if you direct them immediately into a comfortable setting with cold beverages and tasty food.
- Keep Their Attention. Make sure that all your participants have something to do. Waiting their turn in line to play a game is a good way to lose their interest. A professional DJ pumpin’ out the tunes will infuse the event with high energy and keep everybody dancing and singing.
- Keep It Simple. The directions need to be clear and simple. Don’t make anything too complicated. Whenever possible, give the teams hand-outs with important bullet points or have enough attendants to float around to the different teams to explain anything they may have missed during the initial instructions.
- Bring Everyone Back Together. During the closing ceremony, bring all the teams back together by honoring more than just the winning team. Awarding the Runners Up with certificates for title of “Most Spirited” or “Most Likely To Get Lost” will surely lighten the competitive shadow in the room and pull your guests back into a unified team.
We hope these tips have narrowed down the path of the endless possibilities in the expansive world of Team Building. Go Team!