By guest blogger Richard Nolan [see Biography]
[August 13, 2017] Why are team building activities unpopular amongst most employees? Well, these are events that organizers think employees would enjoy but instead, they end up being stressful and tiresome. Despite this, the importance of team building exercises is rather crucial to the growth of any small or large sized business. It produces more effective, efficient and productive employees.
Here, we are going to look at a list of team building exercises that you could use to motivate and create a happier group of workers. Besides, these activities improve employee writing, problem-solving and decision making skills.
- Zombie Escape
The exercise is meant to boost collaboration and problem-solving activities. It requires tools such as one key, rope, and 5-10 clues or puzzles. You can engage in this game for as long as you like.
It also comes with specific instructions. Employees are put in a conference room or a suitable space. The room should also be closed before the start of the exercise. Pick out one member of the team to play as a zombie. He or she should match all the characteristics of a zombie. Such include dead eyes, muttering the word ‘brains’ and with arms outstretched.
The volunteer zombie is then tied using a rope to the corner of the conference room, with a leeway of one foot. Five minutes after the exercise begins, another foot of free space is released on the tied zombie. Those taking part in the team building game should solve a puzzle, look for the hidden key, and escape from the room before the zombie captures them!
- Battle of the Airbands
When it comes to this team building exercise, organizers try to improve their employees’ team bonding and unity. It requires tools such as smartphones, speakers, and an mp3 player. It’s simply a lip sync battle whereby as an organizer, you need to choose a group of 3-4 people. These individuals could be guitarists, drummers, and singers.
These groups are given enough time to rehearse after which they perform, and a winner is picked!
- A Shrinking Vessel
Here now is an activity that boosts employees problem solving and writing skills. It requires tools such as a blanket, rope, and tape to make the floor space. As a team leader, you need to indicate an area on the ground. The group participating then stands in the indicated area. When the exercise begins, space is slowly minimized, meaning that your employees will have to work fast and together to keep each person in the marked boundaries.
- Back-To-Back Drawing
The team building exercise boosts employee writing and communication skills. Items used include printouts, pens, or markers. While conducting the training, you’ll need to separate your team into two pairs each and have them take a back to back sitting position. Then, give one person a pen and piece of paper and the other a simple shape or image.
Now, what happens is that the individual holding the shape or image gives some verbal instruction to his or her counterpart. The second person needs to try and replicate the model. Later, the images are compared and the most straight wins!
Conclusion
Have you tried any of the above team building exercises? It is crucial to choose the activities that work best for your employees. Remember that the entire process needs to be engaging and fruitful, make them write, think, jump, run; the whole experience should immerse each participant. This way, they’ll not feel bored or dissatisfied and you would have achieved your goal of boosting productivity through team building!
Biography: Richard Nolan is a writer, sharing his experience in spheres of writing, entrepreneurship, team building and psychology. Richard writes for numerous blogs and gives useful tips for bloggers and students. Currently, Richard works as a general blog editor for EliteEssayWriters