Team-building events are a great way to boost morale, collaboration, and productivity among your employees. But how do you plan and execute a successful team-building event that everyone enjoys and benefits from? Here are some tips to help you create a winning team-building event for your people.
Before you start brainstorming ideas for your team-building event, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Do you want to improve communication, problem-solving, or creativity skills? Do you want to celebrate a milestone, reward a performance, or introduce a change? Do you want to foster a sense of belonging, trust, or fun? Having specific and measurable goals will help you choose the right activities, format, and duration for your team-building event.
Sometimes having goals isn't necessary. Having fun for the sake of having fun builds a team as much as setting a goal. In fact, sometimes setting goals runs the risk of creating something that ultimately feels too formulaic. There are times where the event just needs to be a simple 'thank you' to your team for the work they are doing as well as an opportunity to take time to know people outside of work.
Another important factor to consider when planning your team-building event is your audience. Who are your employees, and what are their preferences, personalities, and needs? What are their strengths, weaknesses, and interests? What are their expectations, motivations, and feedback? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your team-building event to their learning styles, comfort levels, and preferences. You can also involve them in the planning process by asking for their input, suggestions, or votes.
The most successful events come from harvesting ideas from the team. You can't please everyone, but, when asking the team, you can learn what a majority wouldn't want to do. I've learned a number of times that things I thought would be fun actually weren't going to be fun to the team. While allowing the team to 'vote' on the event does foster their involvement be careful to know what the team does like. At times there are members of the team who, if you put it to a vote and their choice doesn't 'win', will simply not participate. And that is as bad as doing the the wrong thing.
Of course, you also need to know how much money you can spend on your team-building event. Your budget will determine the scope, scale, and quality of your event. You need to account for the costs of the venue, transportation, food, equipment, materials, facilitators, and prizes. You also need to consider the opportunity cost of taking time away from work. You can save money by choosing a local or online venue, using existing resources, or partnering with other organizations.
A budget is always important. But, more important is not letting the budget get in the way. There may be times where you can have a good time but need to adjust. While giveaways are always nice, something as fun as inexpensive medals to the winner of a game means just as much as a gift card to fast food. The small things create the 'buzz' at the office for weeks down the road. Nothing indicates success more than the team talking about who won a silly plastic gold medal at an event. It causes people to laugh and to remember the good time they had.
Once you have your goals, audience, and budget in mind, you need to plan the logistics of your team-building event. You need to decide on the date, time, and location of your event. You need to book the venue, arrange the transportation, order the food, and prepare the equipment. You need to communicate the details, agenda, and expectations to your employees. You need to assign roles and responsibilities to your team members or facilitators. You also need to have a backup plan in case of emergencies or changes.
Logistics are vital. Yes, how we'll get there, what time, and when matter. Especially when you have a team that has parents of school age kids. You need to allow ample planning time for RSVP's, not plan the event too late, and may even need to consider if it's family friendly. Just as important in the logistics is the venue. Does the venue lend itself to the team being together in one place to have fun or are they spread out. When the team is spread out it can be hard to actually 'build' the team.
The most fun and challenging part of creating a winning team-building event is choosing the activities. You want to pick activities that align with your goals, suit your audience, fit your budget, and work with your logistics. You also want to pick activities that are engaging, interactive, and meaningful. You can choose from a variety of options, such as games, exercises, simulations, workshops, or projects. You can also mix and match different types of activities, such as icebreakers, energizers, challenges, or debriefs.
The last step of creating a winning team-building event is evaluating the outcomes. You want to measure the impact and value of your event on your employees and your organization. You can use different methods, such as surveys, feedback forms, interviews, or observations. You can also use metrics, such as attendance, participation, satisfaction, learning, or performance. You want to analyze the data, identify the strengths and weaknesses, and share the results and recommendations. You also want to follow up with your employees, thank them for their involvement, and celebrate their achievements.
Leadership is a team sport, but there’s a complex balance between maximizing individual potential and team success. In the last 50 years of Major League Baseball, there have only been five years in which the home run leader also won the World Series: ? Reggie Jackson ? Mike Schmidt ? Manny Ramirez ? Ryan Howard ? Mark Teixeira This isn’t to diminish the individual accomplishment of the home run, but it’s to highlight the power of a complete team, including hitting, pitching, and defense. Some would say: Don’t strive to be the “Best Player” on a “Good Team”. But rather: Strive to be a “Good Player” on the “Best Team”. I’ve never been the fastest, strongest, or smartest, but I’ve always valued my team.