Team Building Ideas TOP 10: #3 Want to Plan a FUN Team Event? [AVOID THIS]

Want to plan a FUN team event that’s memorable for all the right reasons? Well, there’s one big mistake you need to avoid.

WATCH?? OR READ??: It's the same stuff; just some of us prefer to watch or listen vs. reading.

The Risk of Over-Planning Fun Activities

Now, I’m not trying to play party pooper here but rather give you a word of warning. This one can actually do some real damage, and most of the time, you will have absolutely no idea. Most people just grin and bear bad experiences, but no one wants their team counting down the minutes until home time or, worse still, being seriously uncomfortable or even silently distressed by what’s going on.

Because it happens more often than you know.

What’s fun for one might not be for another. I love yoga and meditation, but you might hate the idea of a downward dog and you might think you’ll go mad at even the thought of being sat still meditating for 10 minutes.

Having worked with leaders to help them plan their team events for the past three years, I’ve learned that, for some reason, team events are synonymous with the need to do something fun. From treasure hunts to cocktail making, sports days to dinner and drinks, softball tournaments to axe throwing, art classes to trust falls, many think of these when they hear “team-building activities.”

All of these can have a place. Fun is fun! But as we’ll cover in pitfall #4 (an article on that coming soon), it’s not always super inclusive.

The Concept of Mandatory Fun

I first heard the phrase “mandatory fun” from TyAnn Osborn , ex-HR director at Dell. She described fun as when the company (or leader) says, “We’re going to do this team-building event; it’s going to be fun, and you must attend.”

No one does this with ill intent. We plan these activities, hoping the team will enjoy them and bond. But too much mandatory fun can have the opposite effect. It can alienate people and actually reduce engagement.

Reconsidering the Definition of Fun

One of the things I often think leaders get wrong is believing that “worky” stuff can’t be fun, too. Some of the most fun team experiences I’ve had included activities like Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank competitions, or Design Thinking workshops. Even strategy days done right, with post-its all over the walls, everyone ideating, being creative, and having a laugh can be enormously fun.

It doesn’t have to be forced or obviously non-work-related to be highly engaging. Teams often enjoy it more when it is a bit work-related. They feel like they’re contributing, that it’s a meaningful, productive use of time—not just time away from their endless to-do lists.

Strategies to Avoid Mandatory Fun

1. Survey Your Team:

Find out what activities they want to do. This ensures that everyone has a say and feels valued. However, be cautious. Simply going with the majority can backfire. A friend of mine learned this the hard way when her team’s vocal members requested a fitness class at her husband’s gym, which didn’t go down well with the less vocal members.

2. Make Strategy Fun:

Fun doesn’t have to be separate from purpose. Leaders often scramble at the last minute to create their strategic planning decks. Instead, create an engaging session that allows the team to input into it.

3. Offer Choices and Optionality:

Think about making things optional but encouraged. An event I supported last week had a charity walk to kick off the day. Some opted out and met for breakfast instead, while those who joined the walk loved it. This allows people to choose what they feel comfortable with and enjoy.

Top Tip: Balancing Fun and Inclusion

I know what you're thinking: It’s impossible to please everyone. "But fun activities are always a hit for most!" Who doesn’t love a boat?

The thing is, no, it’s not possible to please everyone, but I guess my one big nudge would be to consider how you might make the worky stuff fun first and cut back a bit on leaping straight to axe throwing.

I’m not denying that it’s a challenge. Finding inspiration for fun activities whilst trying to make them meaningful and inclusive is not easy. Balancing the desire to involve everyone and push them out of their comfort zone whilst not pushing it too far is tricky but worth it. We’ll cover more next week and share a resource you’ll find particularly useful.

And we’re always here to chat though if you wish. You can book a game plan call here . But the point to leave you with is to avoid too much mandatory fun at your next event.

If you need more tips, subscribe to my YouTube channel for more team-building ideas!