You want to make team building activities inclusive. How can you get everyone involved?

People participate in activities when they feel seen, heard, and understood. If you take time to understand your people better and make it a point to acknowledge their strengths and the unique things you appreciate about them, you build trust and open the door for willing participation.

In my experience knowing the team members is one of the most important aspect for a leader / Manager. Knowing their strong points and their experiences along-with their background helps to put right person for the right job. Magic happens when you empower them as well. If one leader / Manager knows the team members well, in that case he/she can deploy the team member best suitable for the specific project. For example mix of experienced and new team members deployed on a Project can do wonders for Organisation wherein new one can learn from experienced team members and they can contribute by bringing fresh ideas.

In my experience team members want to be seen as the unique and special individuals they are as well as the skills, talent and background they bring to the table. At the end of the day people want to contribute to a greater cause and have a purpose and be acknowledged for it.

Since this is a team building activity you are planning, involve your team upfront by asking them for suggestions! This way you already have engaged your audience and if you have them vote on it or be part of the decision making process, they are more likely to participate bc they have picked activities that they like vs a random one that was selected.

From experience choosing activities that allow everyone to participate regardless of their role, seniority, or background. Ensure that no one feels excluded or left out is essential. Clearly communicate the purpose and rules of the activity. Make sure everyone knows what is expected and feels comfortable asking questions or seeking clarification. It is also essential to gather feedback from participants after each activity. Use this feedback to adapt and improve future team-building sessions and doesn't fee to repetitive! Team building activities should be something that everyone looks forward to, and not fear!

One critical key drives the success of any teambuilding program - the skill and expertise of the facilitator. It doesn't matter how much fun, diverse or flexible you think the teambuilding games & activities are - if the person leading them is unable to read the group and frame their repertoire in a careful, fun-filled sequence, then you'll be better off gathering around a BBQ & a few beers.

Being conscious of people’s preferences is a great way to be inclusive and ensure that everyone is more engaged. It is also beneficial to have more diversity in some activities, so they don’t appear to favor a certain demographic.

There's a paradox in philosophy called, "the paradox of hedonism" - that the best way to be happy is not to try to be happy, but to have others goals that bring happiness with them. I think team-building is a little like that. Explicit and obvious team-building activities can feel patronising and invite eye-rolls in adults. So activities that are intrinsically interesting but which require communication and collaboration are often the best. Simply having a really good conversation about things that matter can accelerate the process. I run philosophy for children training in schools, which is intended to improve the pedagogy of individual teachers. But, in schools that have a lot of new staff, I often hear it's been great for team building.

Some times when people depend on each other that can make a bond as to keep the good relation and sense of responsibility towards the team from each member also keeping open to their ideas and contributions equally can build the trust between all the members including the leaders

I like to rotate the task of organising a team building activity within a team so that each person can choose an activity where they are comfortable and eager to participate. Also, if you want someone to participate in your organized activity, they are more likely to do so if you do the same.

Clearly define the objectives of the team-building activities. Determine what you want to achieve, whether it's improving communication, fostering trust, enhancing collaboration, or boosting morale. Involve team members in the goal-setting process to ensure inclusivity and buy-in. Encourage them to share their perspectives, challenges, and aspirations for the team.Ensure that the goals of team building align with the organization's values and mission. Team-building activities should reinforce the company culture and contribute to achieving overarching goals. Ensure that team-building activities create a safe and supportive environment. Celebrate progress and achievements.

When planning team building activities, make sure the goals are crystal clear and everyone’s on board. These goals need to vibe with what your team stands for and aims to achieve. Lay them out for the squad beforehand, keep the reminders coming during the action, and wrap up with a debrief. Make sure these targets are something you can actually track, hit, and connect back to the real work your team does. Clear goals help everyone get why they’re doing what they’re doing, see where they fit into the picture, and give you a solid yardstick for measuring how well the activity went. Plus, it's a great way to high-five your team for the wins and the progress you've all made.

For goals to be inclusive, you must get feedback from diverse voices on the team. Many times there are team members that are not comfortable speaking up in a large group or bringing up concerns for fear of appearing like they are not a "team-player". Make sure that you bring those folks into the fold by meeting with them in smaller groups or one-on-one to make them feel more comfortable and encourage positive interaction.

Setting clear and inclusive goals for team building activities is vital for all because it provides a sense of direction, purpose, and alignment for the team. Clear goals help team members understand the purpose and benefits of the activity, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards a common objective.Inclusive goals ensure that the activities cater to the diverse needs, preferences,and styles of team members, promoting engagement and participation for all.By having measurable,achievable, and relevant goals,teams can track progress,evaluate outcomes,and provide feedback to improve future activities.Celebrating the achievements and improvements resulting from the activities boosts morale and motivation within the team.

Creating inclusive goals always starts with a conversation. Gather a range of perspectives, uncover the challenges, start building a culture of inclusion by listening and exchanging ideas right from the start.

I believe in fostering an environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Utilize tools like anonymous suggestion boxes or virtual platforms for input to ensure inclusivity. Also, according to a study by Harvard Business Review, teams that actively seek and incorporate feedback perform better, with a 14.9% higher employee engagement rate. Create opportunities for quieter team members to share their ideas, as introverted individuals might hesitate in more extroverted settings. By embracing diverse communication styles, you empower every team member to contribute meaningfully, enriching the collaborative experience.

When you involve the team on the organization and preparation of the activity, you generate that sense of ownership and empowerment. Since they are involved from the beginning of the process, participation will come naturally and feedback will not only be present at the end of it, but since the very beginning.

In these team building sessions, I’ve found that how I engage with the team sets the tone for how they participate. When a leader shows vulnerability and humility, the team feels safe in that space to do the same. There is so much education that takes place on a personal and professional level.

It's all the environment you create for participants to participate freely in any activity.Create a safe space for them to explore themselves,giving them the confidence to share their personal and professional challenges. Weave stories around the theme and inspire them to give their best and take control of their life

To get everyone involved in a team-building activity, the first and foremost is creating a comfortable environment where all participants feel valued and respected. This means, providing enough options for participants to choose from based on their individual characteristics. We want them to feel included and have a say. Then we should choose a few different activities that are inclusive and collaborative while fostering the team spirit. This will result in an engaging and fun event, where uniqueness, open communication, and honest feedback are promoted and cherished. And, this is also the way to encourage participation from everyone.

Everyone has the potential of adding value in their own unique ways. This needs to be acknowledged and celebrated in different ways which makes the event live and happening. Those small events and encouraging words makes big difference

Some ways to get started include: - Create a culture of curiosity and open sharing; have team members share with the group their traditions and ways of celebrating important events such as birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries. - Use diverse icebreaker questions to start off meetings that will make everyone feel included and valued. - Use tools such as Strength Finders, DiSC, or Myers-Briggs to highlight the different strengths of each team member and identify ways that your team can better work together to succeed.

To celebrate diversity and promote inclusion in team-building activities, prioritise acknowledging and valuing the unique backgrounds and perspectives of all team members, creating a culture where cultural awareness is fostered through activities and discussions, individual contributions are recognised and celebrated, inclusive spaces are cultivated through respectful behaviour and language, diversity training is provided to enhance understanding and empathy, leaders lead by example by demonstrating inclusive attitudes and behaviors, and feedback is actively solicited and utilised to continuously improve inclusivity within the team.

One fun way to encourage diverse contributions is to create a story where each team member writes a paragraph. The team can vote on a general topic (such as the biggest challenge of your very first job), and then one by one each individual pulls from unique experiences to tell about themselves as it relates to the topic. As the product is finished, it can be shared across the team so everyone can learn others' perspectives and appreciate different lived experiences.

Celebrating each member’s unique strengths and contributions reinforces the value of diversity and strengthens team unity.....

Build it into your culture. Rotate the MC of your weekly/monthly updates. Quarterly - Have your teams perform creative skits to bring home successes and challenges within their organizations. A picture is worth 1000 words, video is worth 10,000. Have them write down 3 sincere, positive things about each other and share them. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. The same is true with team members. Use icebreakers and personalized bingo cards where they have to meet everyone and ask questions to complete their cards. Most importantly, remind each group why and how their work matters (publicly) rather than just focusing on the next task.

Team building is a learning process for everyone involved. Understanding learning styles of every member of the team and designing activities that have VAK at their core will ensure inclusivity.

Involvement is key. An example from my playbook, with teams spread out across the US: Once per month, we do an hour on video chat (supervisors and up), where we talk all things NOT work, and every meetup one person is elected by the previous host to run a virtual activity. We’ve done games through an app, two truths one lie, survey polls, guess the bucket list location… I’ve found it helps align my developing leaders outside of emails, and helps them build camaraderie, which is key in them supporting each other. We laugh a lot, that helps. ;)

Aligning the team to the context and being in the present moment is the key to building a strong team.As a leader you should empower your team to take decisions and look at each decision from an organisation's point of view. The team will feel more and more confident to do their regular work ..

I find it helpful to anticipate resistance when delivering or assisting in team building. Much of the material is often confronting and uncomfortable, and different people have different tolerance levels for this sort of thing. Knowing this helps me embrace a more empathetic approach and reminds me that we all have unique experiences.