Team building activities: do they work?

Team building can help your employees to relax and socialise outside of the office, allowing them to get to know each other, helping to boost productivity and creativity:

Your employees may work in the same office but actually have very little time to talk to one another. The office Christmas party provides the perfect opportunity for team building exercises. Divide workers into teams and get them to decorate a Christmas tree, the best team wins a prize. You could even get each team to create a ten-minute pantomime.

It's a great way of encouraging members of different departments to work together. The only communication in the office may be via the phone or email, so team building gives them the opportunity to meet face to face, helping to build trust and to increase networking.

Team building activities involve every member of staff, giving them a voice. During the festive period, you could get staff to work in teams and decorate different areas of the office. The best team wins a tub of chocolates. You could even have a Christmas games day, incorporating board games and games console competitions.

To make sure it doesn’t backfire nor create negative impacts, make sure you choose a team building exercise with care. Some of the downsides team building could bring are:

Instead of uniting the team, your choice of team building exercise can divide your office environment instead. It may not be relevant to the skillset or interests of the team; a day in a room making your employees create paper snowflakes may not be conducive to the high-tech environment of the digital company. Karaoke will be a hit with some employees, whilst for others it is their worst choice and they will sit out and not get involved with the rest of the team. You need to think carefully about your choice of activity, so that it is both engaging and creates collaboration.

We have all heard about those awkward team building moments. Instead of a comfortable, cosy day, employees are left uncomfortable as they are forced to sing or speak in public setting. Team building should be about engaging with each other.

Ask staff members what they would like to do and involve everyone to participate in their own way without being forceful to avoid any feelings of left out.