5 Things To Do After Your Team Building Event

Team building events are more than just a day away from the office; they’re a crucial investment in your team’s cohesion and future success! But, what happens once the team building event is over?

In this guide, we’ll explore how to capitalise on the momentum generated by these events to ensure ongoing team development and growth. Whether it was a day of outdoor activities or problem-solving exercises, what happens after the event can significantly impact its long-term effectiveness.

• Reflect On The Event

Reflection allows individuals and teams to internalise their experiences, turning a fun day out into meaningful learning. It’s the bridge between simple participation and genuine learning.

• Organising a Structured Debrief: A few days post-event, hold a meeting dedicated to reflection. Encourage team members to share their perspectives. Questions like “What surprised you during the event?” or “Which challenge did you find most rewarding?” can prompt insightful discussions.
• Personal Reflections: Encourage team members to keep a personal journal entry about the event. This introspective exercise helps solidify personal learning and recognise areas for personal growth.
• Collective Learning: Compile a shared document where team members can add their thoughts and learnings. This can become a valuable resource for the team to revisit.
• Gather Feedback From Attendees?

Gathering feedback is critical in understanding the event’s impact from multiple viewpoints. It helps identify what resonated with the team and what could be improved.

• Designing Effective Feedback Tools: Use surveys with a mix of quantitative (e.g., rating scales) and qualitative (e.g., open-ended questions) elements. Ensure anonymity to encourage honest responses.
• Facilitating Open Discussions: In addition to surveys, hold a feedback session. Create a non-judgmental atmosphere where team members feel comfortable sharing their honest opinions.
• Actionable Insights: Analyse the feedback to identify common themes and actionable insights. Share these findings with the team and discuss how these insights can be translated into future team building strategies.

You might like this guide: How To Effectively Lead A Team.

• Implement Learnings into Daily Work

The ultimate goal of any team building event is to influence daily work practices positively.

• Setting Practical Goals: Based on the event’s learnings, set achievable goals for the team. For instance, if communication was a key takeaway, establish clearer communication channels or regular team meetings to enhance collaboration.
• Encouraging Peer Learning: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing knowledge and skills they gained. This could be through informal lunch-and-learn sessions or short presentations during team meetings.
• Measuring Impact: Regularly review the progress on the set goals. Recognise and celebrate when these goals are met as a testament to the team’s growth and learning.
• Plan Follow-up Activities

To keep the team building spirit alive, ongoing activities are essential.

• Continuous Engagement: Plan smaller, regular activities that reinforce the team building event’s themes. This could be anything from a weekly team challenge to a monthly workshop.
• Long-Term Development Plans: Incorporate team building into the broader team development strategy. This ensures a sustained focus on team dynamics and continuous improvement.
• Feedback Loop: Use feedback from ongoing activities to refine and improve future events. This creates a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.

Read more: How Often Should You Hold Team Building Events?

• Celebrate Successes & Acknowledge Growth

Celebrating successes is crucial for motivation and reinforcing the positive outcomes of team building.

• Spotlight on Achievements: Regularly acknowledge both team and individual achievements in meetings. This could be related to project successes, personal milestones, or specific behaviours that exemplify team values.
• Creating a Culture of Appreciation: Encourage team members to recognise each other’s contributions. This can be through a formal recognition program or an informal ‘shout out’ system.
• Celebratory Events: Organise periodic events to celebrate milestones. These don’t have to be extravagant – even a team lunch or a small after-work gathering can significantly boost morale and team spirit.

Master Your Post-Event Plan!

The true value of a team building event lies in what follows. By reflecting, gathering feedback, implementing learnings, planning follow-up activities, and celebrating successes, you solidify the team’s growth and the investment made in the event.

Frequently Asked Questions

How soon after the team building event should we hold a reflection session?

Ideally, a reflection session should be held within a week of the team building event. This ensures the experiences are still fresh in everyone’s mind, giving them time to process their thoughts.

What should I do if some team members are reluctant to share feedback?

It’s important to create a safe and non-judgmental environment for sharing feedback. Encourage open communication by ensuring anonymity in surveys and emphasising the value of every team member’s opinion in group discussions. Sometimes, one-on-one conversations can also help gather feedback from more introverted team members.

Can we apply the learnings from team building events to remote or hybrid teams?

Absolutely! The key is to adapt the learnings to suit the remote or hybrid work environment. This could mean focusing more on digital communication skills, online collaboration tools, and virtual team bonding exercises.

Check out these management tips for virtual teams for more information.

How frequently should we plan follow-up activities?

The frequency can vary depending on your team’s nature and the work schedule’s intensity. A good rule of thumb is to have a minor follow-up activity (like a short team meeting) once a month and a more significant activity (like a workshop) every quarter.

How do we measure the long-term impact of our team building event?

Long-term impact can be measured through ongoing assessments of team performance, team morale, and the quality of work. Regular feedback sessions and team performance metrics can provide valuable insights into the lasting effects of your team building efforts.

What if our team didn’t enjoy the team building event?

It’s important to understand why the event wasn’t enjoyable or successful. Use feedback to identify the specific areas that didn’t resonate with the team and apply these insights to plan future activities that are more aligned with your team’s interests and needs.