Team Building Ideas - How to Conduct Your Own Program

In this article, I would like to give you a guideline to team building ideas and maybe a way to use the articles on this site to conduct your own program...and how to sustain that motivation.

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To explain the purpose of team building, I would like to use the metaphor of a sports team. They train during the week and it is all focused at performing on match day.

Now, it’s the same with these team building programs. Our day-to-day work can be compared with the sports team’s performance on match day...and team building is all about "training" and "preparing" people to perform on your company’s match day. (which happens basically every day)

If we look at this metaphor, it makes sense that employee motivation and team building should happen regularly. It is of no use for a sports team to only pitch up on match day without any training. But this is what most leaders do. They expect their employees to operate as a team, without any training on how to do it on a regular basis.

Let’s have a look at the different types of interventions you get. This might give you some team building ideas.

Types of Interventions

In my experience, there are four types of interventions that you can use as team building ideas. Most trainers favor one type. Personally, I like to combine most of then in one intervention.

The emphasis, however, should depend on the needs of the team.

1. The activity-based intervention

Most people view team building as activity-based. There are two types:

The pure activity-based intervention.

This is where the team go away and do some kind of activity together with the intention of "building the team". There are no debriefings and no formal links back to the working environment

For example, a team go on a river rafting experience and the purpose is pure fun and enjoyment.

Personally, I am not a fan of these kinds of team building ideas. It is not that I am against the activities. It is just that I have seen so many times that people have a powerful experience during these exercises and then it gets lost because the link to what it means in the work and team context doesn’t go back to the workplace.

The activity-based intervention with a meaning.

This type of team building consists of activities that help the team to understand it’s dynamics.

During this type of intervention, transfer of learning back to the workplace happens in one of two ways:

• Direct learning – this is the learning of a new skill

• Indirect learning – The activity serves as a metaphor and the learning is transferred back to the workplace

2. The interpersonal intervention

The purpose here is on developing social and personal awareness amongst team members. It facilitates better understanding of one another and increases team member’s ability to communicate with one another

Team building activities can fulfill this purpose, because it serves to increase familiarity among team members.

3. The task-based intervention

Here the emphasis is on the team’s task. It also focuses on the unique way in which each team member can contribute to the outcomes of the team.

The emphasis is less on relationships. Instead, it focuses on goals, objectives, resources and the skills of each team member.

The intervention highlights the action steps required by the team to ensure success.

4. Assessment as an intervention

Here teams make use of psychometric assessments as a team building idea. The interventions that are used most often in this category assess personality (e.g. MBTI), style, role, or climate.

The results of the assessment are then conveyed back to the team (either individually or collectively). These feedback are then used as a development tool.

The Five Steps Of A Successful Team Building Program

Step 1: Before the start of the Team Building session...

What you do before your session is just as important as what you do during the session. In my experience, it sometimes has more team building value than the session itself.

Moreover, it gives purpose, depth and meaning to your session. I strongly advise you to sit down and have a 20 to 30 minute chat with each individual team member about the session. Questions that might be useful during these chats can include the following (Feel free to add more if you think it is necessary):

• How do you feel about the upcoming intervention?

• What would you personally like to get out of the session?

• What would make the session a success to you?

• Do you view yourselves as a team that need each other on a daily basis?

• How would you describe the general culture of your team?

• If you had a magic wand and you could change anything in this team, what would you change?

• If you were offered a job at a competitive company with the same pay or slightly higher, would you go?

• Do you feel part of this team?

• What’s your biggest fear about your job and/or this team?

• How do people in this team react when someone else makes mistakes?

• How do people in this team react when they make mistakes themselves?

• What would happen if the leader would be taken out of the team for a month? Would you still be able to make decisions on your own?

• Where do you see your biggest motivational need on the performance pyramid?

You will find that after interviewing everyone, you get a general feel for the culture in the team and how people feel towards the intervention.

It will also give you a clear picture of which of your team building ideas would be the most appropriate.

Step 2: Feedback to the leader of the team with regards to the interviews (if the leader is not yourself)...

After the interviews, you should know which of your team building ideas is best suitable for this team.

Now is the time to give general feedback to the leader of the team (if you are not the leader). Don’t give details. Just give general trends on what you found during the interviews. Remember the interviews should be confidential.

Discuss your team building ideas with her/him and decide on the best way forward. Make sure you cover the following during this feedback session:

• General feedback on the interviews

• Program

• Venue

• Time lines (half-day, one-day or two-days)

• When follow-ups will happen (more on this later)

• What your role in the session should be. (Does she/he want you to source the venue or do they just want you to facilitate the session...stuff like that)

Step 3: The Team Building Intervention...

This will obviously differ from team to team, so I strongly advise you to design a program to each team’s specific needs. The outcome of the interviews will give you a clear picture of which team building ideas you should implement.

Here is what a typical program COULD look like:

• General introduction and logistics

  Just welcome everyone and introduce yourself. Also cover the basic logistic like time lines and so on.

  
  

• Break the ice and set the scene for the day with the Paired Sharings Activity

  Just follow this link. It describes in detail how you should do it.

  
  

• Giving feedback on the interviews

  Again, don’t go into any details. Just give general trends. It is a good idea to put this on PowerPoint or flip chart.

  A very important point to remember here is NOT to go into too many details. The main purpose is to get a general agreement on what the existing culture in the team is.

  
  

• Creating the context for the day: Connecting the human spirit with business results.

  Here is a link to some background and how to do it.

  
  

• "The Maze" experiential activity to access the team and to determine the ideal culture.

  This can be a powerful exercise. Just follow this link for a detailed explanation (with debriefing questions) on how to do it.

  
  

• The "Six Minute" exercise to break down barriers and build trust.

  This exercise will break down the barriers that might exist between team members. Here is a link on how to do the exercise.

  
  

• Get everyone one the same page. Determine three to six-month goals for the team to focus on.

  These two eBooks will guide you through a step-by-step process on how to set inspirational goals for individuals and teams.

  
  

• Each person decide on three actions they will do during the following week to move the team closer to these goals.

  The best way to do this is to give each individual 15 minutes on her/his own to reflect on each goal and what actions they could contribute.

  After the 15 minutes, you get them back and each team member report back on their planned actions.

  
  

• The strength acknowledgment exercise

  This is a wonderful way to end the session (doesn’t matter which team building ideas you implement). It will also strengthen the connectedness between team members. Here is the link

Step 4: Debriefing the session with the leader (If it is not you)...

It is a good idea to have a general debriefing and feedback session with the leader about two to three days after your team building intervention

This is important with all your team building ideas.

Step 5: Follow-Ups...

This part is vital in sustaining the momentum that you have gained...it doesn’t matter what your team building ideas were. It is also the part that get neglected the most often.

My suggestion is to get the team together for an hour once a week for a period of three months. Or alternatively once every two weeks for a period of six months.

I am going to give you an agenda here on what MIGHT work during your follow-ups. But again, this will depend entirely on which of your initial team building ideas you have implemented.

Here it comes:

• Clear the space

  Ask each individual to share what's on their mind and what emotions they are experiencing at this moment.

• Debrief the three goals that were set during the team building intervention.

  Do not go into any detail. Just make sure that their focus is still on their goals.

• Debrief the actions for each individual for the past week.

• Do "The Box" problem-solving exercise to help them brainstorm problems and to build on the "connectedness"

• Decide on actions for the next week. These actions should always take them closer to the goals. Also, make sure that everyone is involved and have a role to play.

• Do the "Strength Acknowledgment" exercise.

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Return from Team Building Ideas to Sustainable Employee Motivation

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