What is Meant by A Team Building Experience
When you search for the term “Team Building” the results are endless. From in-peson and virtual team building companies, to various team building activities like escape rooms, bowling, laser tag, trivia nights… the list goes on and on. But what these search results rarely generate is the purpose of doing a team building activity.
With over 20 years as a top team building company serving corporate groups all over, we are sharing our our expertise of team building experience meaning and purpose. Learn why your corporate group should be doing team building activities (regularly), the MANY benefits of team building exercises (like boosting team performance), and some of our favorite team building events!
Why are Team Building Experiences Important?
Let’s kick things off with the big question: why bother with team bonding anyway?
Well, think of your organization as a well-oiled machine. Sure, each individual part might work fine on its own, but when each team member comes together to engage with one another and have fun, you get something truly remarkable – synergy! A successful team building activity should allow your whole team (whether that is a remote team or an in person team) to interact with one another, resulting in a positive impact on your team members’ day to day work.
In addition to bringing your team together, team building activities are an opportunity for your organization to establish a great company culture. By organizing fun activities you are creating opportunities for your team to develop soft skills and bond in a unique and fun way. Whether you organize a team building event for the entire team to spend time outside the work environment, or you organize a team building exercise for the entire group at the office – your are creating an environment where employees feel appreciated. Ultimately, valued employees have a much higher job satisfaction rate, which reduces turnover, and saves your organization big bucks.
Great Teamwork Starts With Great Relationships
At the heart of every successful team lies great relationships. Team Building provides the perfect opportunity for your team members to bond, connect, and build trust with one another. Whether it’s problem solving together in an escape experience like our Unlock the Mystery or sharing a laugh over trivia during a charity team building event such as the Red Wagon Brigade, teams engage and build team skills during these fun activities which lays the foundation for strong, cohesive teams.
Networking, Socializing, and Getting to Know Each Other Better
Team building exercises should be non-intimidating and encourage your team to let loose. That’s right, team building activities should be FUN and provide opportunities for your group members to bond. From scavenger hunts to escape rooms, charity team building and game shows, team building events offer the perfect blend of work and play. For instance, while escape rooms are full of fun activities, they also offer opportunities for open communication and group discussion to form naturally while teams determine how to tackle challenges. In order to escape successfully, it is a team effort.
Team building is important because it takes your group out of a conference room or “typical” meeting and places team members in a unique group dynamic where they can have more meaningful conversations and strengthen relationships. While playing a team building game that is reminiscent of childhood games (like the trivia in our Red Wagon Brigade), group discussions arise, and team members learn more about one another that they wouldn’t have the chance to talk about in the workplace. Best of all, if you include all the team members from your organization from entry level employees, to upper management, to your C-Suite, your corporate event becomes one of inclusion.
On that note, team building activities serve as valuable opportunities for cross functional collaboration between different departments. Employees can engage in meaningful conversations with individuals they may not have opportunities to socialize with regularly. All of these moments, big and small add up to increased team spirit and help your organization to promote an healthy company culture.
Boosts Morale and Workplace Happiness
According to a research study conducted by Gallup, disgruntled employees cost US companies an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost productivity in 2023.
An easy way for organizations to save money and boost their company culture is by keeping employees happy, because a happy team is a productive team! Think of it this way, team building is like a shot of espresso for your team’s morale… It invigorates them with fresh energy and motivation they need back in the workplace. By doing something as simple as a team building activity, you are investing in your team’s happiness and showing them they are valued while simultaneously improving organizational success.
Take for instance a charitable team building activity such as our Canned Goods Carnival. During this charity team event, group members are divided onto teams of 8 participants, and all team members work together to build a carnival game using canned goods and other non-perishable food items. During this team building session, team members find out more about one another on a personal level while they use their creativity to design their Canned Goods Carnival games. Then, after building is complete all teams participate in a healthy competition as they play the different carnival games and vote for their favorite game! There’s no denying the team spirit at a corporate team building event where in-person team members gather together to have fun while also giving back to the local community.
Successful team building activities truly cultivate a positive work culture! They provide team bonding opportunities while improving communication skills and encouraging creative thinking. When employees take a few minutes away from the day to day work environment to participate in a fun activity, they return to work recharged with positive energy, increased team cohesion, and higher team morale.
Unlock Leadership Potential
Team building activities are a different kind of employee engagement. During team building games, your in person and remote teams come together outside of their normal work environment to complete tasks and challenges that tap into a completely different skill-set.
Picture this: through a series of carefully curated challenges such as a completely custom game show, team members must work together to complete a variety of challenges that incorporate your company’s content in a fun, timed experience. These fun and interactive team building games act as a catalyst for transformation, taking individuals from mere members of a team to becoming an empowered team leader.
Or, during an interactive employee engagement experience like our app-based Amazing Race inspired scavenger hunt teams delegate responsibilities based on team members’ individual strengths. These fun and unique team building exercises done during a scavenger hunt can open the door for the whole team to show their untapped leadership qualities like problem solving skills, communication, and listening. Team building activities are a safe place where each team member can discover their unique strengths and make contributions to the collective success.
During charity team building activities and corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, such as Race to Feed the Hungry, each individual’s personality and potential shine in a way very different from one sees inside the workplace. While team members collaborate to build and transform a cart, then complete a race to fill their cart with food that will benefit a local food bank, they’re also problem solving and demonstrating who can take charge in extraordinary circumstances. These fun and interactive team building activities act as a catalyst for transformation, taking individuals from mere members of a team to becoming an empowered team leader. Team building events allow everyone including new team members, to management, to corporate executives and beyond, to step up and be a leader when the situation demands it, challenging the normal team dynamics.
Collaboration and the Fostering of Innovation and Creativity
Two heads are better than one, right?
Team building events encourage collaboration by putting your team members in situations where they have to work together to achieve a common goal. This not only fosters innovation and creativity but also helps your team learn how to leverage each other’s strengths and expertise to overcome obstacles and find creative solutions.
For instance, during an app-based scavenger hunt like The Great Race team members must collaborate closely to solve clues, determine the best routes, and strategize. This is a great team building exercise as it forces team members to use their critical thinking skills in a unique way. Each team member has the opportunity to share ideas, delegate tasks, and work together towards the common goal of completing the scavenger hunt successfully, while also partaking in a bit of healthy competition. The better their collaboration and communication skills, the better their results! For example, one team member might excel at deciphering cryptic clues, while another might have a knack for trivia. By pooling team members’ strengths and supporting each other’s efforts, they maximize their chances of success (in this case winning), strengthening their team bond through shared achievements and overcoming challenges together.
Team Communication and Collaboration Activities
Communication is key in any relationship, and that includes the relationship between team members. Team building activities promote team members to focus on communication and collaboration while completing a fun activity. A team building game provides natural pathways towards open communication while team members while are having fun with one another. Take for example, The Games, an olympic themed relay team building that challenges corporate groups in a variety of ways. One of the team building games in this event has teammates working together, strategizing, and actively listening while taking turns passing a ball over their heads and under their legs down the line. Although it sounds silly (and fun), these short games truly require each individual to work together.
Another example can be found in our team building event, Kapow where teams are transformed into superheroes and explore the event area taking photos in forced perspective and answer questions. Although the emphasis may be on fun, exploring a new location and puzzling out unique challenges help to get the team bonding. Team building exercises break down barriers, get the group on the same page, and foster open, honest communication among team members.
Another major benefit of hosting a team building event, is that it can provide your organization with an opportunity to have different departments work together. Rather than having the sales or marketing team versus the finance team versus the IT team, mix it up. During your team building, have individuals connect in-person with other team members that they may not normally socialize with during their day to day work. By utilizing team building activities as a chance for your entire team to connect, your company culture and overall team performance will continue to build positive momentum.
Some of our Favorite Team Building Events
Now that you understand the importance of team building, let’s talk about some of our favorite team-building activities! From outdoor team building events like Summer Camp Challenge, to app-based scavenger hunts like Get to the Point, indoor team building activities like our Movie Madness Game Show, or even online team building like our virtual murder mysteries – the options truly are endless. We’ve seen team bonding done while teams put together snack packages for children in need during our give back team building activity After School Snack Sacks, and while building and racing cardboard boats in Float Your Boat, and even competing in a timed escape challenge during Escape! The key to finding the perfect team building activity for your corporate group is to cater to your entire team’s interests, goals, and personalities. In order for every team member to feel included and for employee engagement to be positive, you need to select a team building activity where all team members are comfortable, and will have fun.
So there you have it – a crash course in the importance of team building! Whether you’re looking to boost team spirit, foster collaboration, or simply have some fun, team building activities are the perfect way to bring your team members together and unlock their full potential. So what are you waiting for? Team building is important, and it’s time to start building some wildly epic teams!
Wildly Different
