Team building games or activity - what is teambuilding anyway?

What is Team Building? Is it truly correct to call everything a group of people might do together Team Building? Have you become a little cynical about "team building"? Do you ask yourself “what will it really achieve”? Do you believe that when the program is finished, the team is “built"? Will it ever be...?

Everyone has expectations from a team building course, program or series of team building games. An organisation expects the team to be "built" when the group comes back to work and those on the course or session expect to have a good time and often don’t see a relationship between the activity and the workplace– in both sets of expectations a problem lies.

Just like the end of a Rugby season

This is where the end of a supposed team building session can be like the end of a Rugby season. Picture this...the session has finished, everyone lines up for the obligatory “team” photo, everyone gets their momento, manual, presentation (trophy) for their efforts, hands are shaken and off they toddle, proud of what they think they've accomplished. The trophies are displayed in the office on the book shelf (the trophy cabinet), alongside the sales training manual, the negotiations skills manual and all the other "how to" manuals from programs attended. And this is where they stay, gathering dust and never to be revisited by anyone.

Perfect practice makes perfect

The key to success is perfect practice, feedback, perfect practice, feedback and on the cycle goes. Create the space to refresh the skills, create the space for perfect practice … over and over and over again. Refresh the program as much as possible to keep the feeling alive.

Team building is not the responsibility of someone else. Sure, those engaged to provide a team building games, or team building programs have a role. However, they are not around when the team comes back to work (they can be and this is where ongoing teamwork coaching comes in) as your "team" hits the company culture and importantly other employees (including management) who have not played the team building games and therefore do not understand.

Teamwork and team building starts within your business

Teamwork starts within your business, within your people - and this is where it will flourish. Sure, engage the experts to help but think about how you want the change to be embedded for the long haul. Professional teamwork coaching can help here.

Energise your team, excite your team, build your team with Human Rhythms. When you ask yourself "what is Team Building?" the team at Human Rhythms can help with the answer. Team building games via corporate drumming to unite, motivate and inspire everyone in your team or corporate event. See all our programs or contact us for more information .