What is team building and what is important
What is team building?
Team building, what exactly is it? And more importantly, what is a good team building activity? In this article, we take a closer look at that and provide tips for a suitable team outing.
Team building is aimed at improving cooperation. Often the term is used much more broadly. Anything you do to strengthen a team is in fact team building. So a dinner or a visit to a zoo can also fall under it. In this article, we will explore what teambuilding can hold.
Team vision
To build a team, your vision of a strong team is leading. According to Wikipedia is: "A team or squad a (small) number of people (a group), brought together, to achieve one common goal and broadly agree on the path to this goal." (Wikipedia, 2023).
Going for the same goal together is the raison d'être for a team. This goal is less and less often imposed from above. Self-managing teams are increasingly used: people then take charge of a number of tasks and processes within the company. This is not always easy and therefore motivating a team permanently is extremely important. This is where the building aspect of teambuilding around the corner. How exactly does this team motivation work?
Team motivation
Even if the members of a team individually are so motivated, the moment they have to work together, a phenomenon occurs which "social loafing" is mentioned.
In a study, Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellog School of Management had subjects pull rope. On average, a person could pull 63 kg. When he was in a three-man team, that average dropped to 53 kg. With eight men, a meagre 31 kg per person was pulled. This is a physical and literal example, says Thompson, but it also applies to intellectual tasks. The more members the less effort per team member. We pull less weight. The common goal becomes less of a personal goal. Individual effort diminishes as a result. To avoid this phenomenon, some tips are given: establish a team contract, hold short frequent meetings and formulate a clear vision.
How do you create team spirit?
Another motivational tool is celebrating successes. It strengthens bonding with the team goal. This is one of the benefits of a joint team outing. It promotes the atmosphere and therefore mutual cooperation! Doing something fun together can promote team spirit and is thus a form of teambuilding.
An important part of teambuilding is to create a shared experience. According to quite a few team-building providers, this is enough. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you have fun. Team building represents an enjoyable experience together. There is certainly something to be said for that.
Team building: consciously designed experience
What teambuilding outings differ from company outings is addressing specific qualities of the participants during these outings. Team building is therefore less casual than a company outing. A dinner at the boss's expense is not yet a teambuilding. It certainly contributes to a good atmosphere, but building a team can be so much more focused. Consider two aspects:
- What qualities are addressed: do participants need to think, move or show more of themselves?
- Does the content match what your organisation is concerned about? If not, you are going to do something that is far removed from what is going on in the company. These days you come across the craziest things presented under the guise of teambuilding: reading toes, herding sheep and even decorating dicks!
Team building outings: so much choice
Nowadays, as a form of teambuilding do a huge amount: this ranges from painting a nude model to the famous "Who is the Mole" game. Or how about the "Smash Room?" In this, you get 15 minutes to demolish as many things in a room as possible. So you can finally vent your frustration about that one colleague or, of course, about your favourite club's football result.
Types of team building outings
Team building outings can be divided into several categories.
- Active outings, such as a hexathlon or a canoe trip.
- Puzzle outings, such as an escape room or another game that involves solving riddles.
- Personal outings, where you get to know each other better by telling about yourself
- Creative outings, where participants invent and play a story together.
Our original game concepts
At GO Team building we like to surprise with our activities that are just that little bit different. In doing so, we like to create game afternoons where participants are playfully challenged, without too many obligations. We like to appeal to different qualities, such as thinking and doing. So together, you do teambuilding.
Our hexathlon Office Olympics example is an outdoor activity, combining strategic movement games with a quiz on the theme of Olympic Games. We also let chance play a role. This way, everyone has a chance to win.
For The Itch Words Game we delve into organisational policy documents and play a game based on contemporary office language. Think of words like: process optimisation, self-managing teams and agile working. The now infamous "Point of criticism" part forms the highlight of this game. A playful way to build your team.
Which team building outing will you choose?
What we find with our clients is that choosing a teambuilding outing, is often something that is done quickly. And there is so much choice. You are almost drowning in the offer. To make this easier on yourself, it's best to see what suits your team.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Do we want something active or something quiet?
- How long have most colleagues known each other?
- Do we currently have a high workload?
- Can everyone participate in their own way or are you forced (peer pressure) to do something you don't really like?
Where do you organise your team building?
If you want to organise a fun day for the company, it is also nice to go to a different city or place than where you work. Every city has something unique, allowing you to learn a lot about the place, but above all have fun.
Popular places are:
In doubt about which place is right for you? Then contact us and we will be happy to think with you.
Why Who's the Mole isn't always fun
For example, a game like "Who is the Mole" is not so suitable for teams that have not been together for very long. This is because there is one colleague per group who sabotages everything. This can sometimes lead to awkward faces or the person who The Mole plays may not feel so comfortable within that role. Especially if you haven't known each other for long, this can make for uncomfortable situations.
Tip: In a team that does not yet know each other very well, do something active. In doing so, you help each other by working together in a smaller team. That way, you challenge each other, but in a fun way. It is not one person against the rest, but teams against teams. That contributes to a better atmosphere within the company.
Bespoke
GO Team building always provides tailor-made solutions. That is why we always make a brief analysis of the team together with the company and then recommend an outing or an adapted variant. That way, your company gets more out of a team outing. Within a team, you often have groups of doers and thinkers or a mix of both. There is a suitable outing for almost every group. And when you do, the satisfaction with the teambuilding method increases!
No forced fun, but outings with substance.
Team building: motivate a team or department, you can do that in various ways. Don't oblige your employees, is our advice. Create a tradition where everyone looks forward to the annual team-building activity. So don't do anything forced: then you impose something on others. People will then participate without being motivated from within themselves. And that kills team bonding!
