How to Inspire Team Building Exercises
Teambuilding activities encourage camaraderie, problem solving, communication, trust and creative thinking. For teambuilding to be effective, insight must come from the participants themselves; the skills must be learned firsthand and cannot be learned the way one memorizes information. The key role of the teambuilding facilitator is to inspire these insights through the use of games and other activities. The ideal teambuilding leader will be both outgoing and reserved--able to inspire, then let go.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Props and equipments as required by individual teambuilding activities.
- A group of willing participants.
Instructions
-
-
1
Before a session with any group, find out as much as possible about the people you will be working with: How well they know each other, how often they work together and what their goals are for the teambuilding program.
-
2
Begin each session with easy, low-risk games, such as warm-up activities, icebreakers or get-to-know-you games. If you are sure the members of the group know each other fairly well, look for activities that can be done in pairs. Ask participants to pair up with the person they know the least.
-
-
3
Steadily progress to more challenging, whole-group activities. Pay close attention to group dynamics. The idea is to present a challenge just above the group's comfort level. Stay in tune with this comfort level and keep raising the bar.
-
4
After each activity, ask open-ended questions to begin a discussion. Include questions that invite participants to relate the game experience to their work, home or classroom realities. Questions must be open-ended so that insights come from within the group itself, not from the leader. You may also point out something you observed, then ask an open-ended question about it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Spend some time shadowing or working with an experienced facilitator before trying to lead a session by yourself. This is helpful even if you are a long-time teacher or coach hoping to incorporate teambuilding activities as part of your routine.
Don't talk too much about yourself. Remember, it is all about them.
Increasingly remove yourself from the group as you follow your sequence of teambuilding games and activities.
Always be well prepared for each session. You do not know how a group will respond to the activities or how fast they will complete them. Keep alternatives and extras on hand.
Keep in mind the teambuilding principle "challenge by choice." That means each participant chooses the level of involvement he or she is comfortable with. Tell your group this before beginning and always be careful not to push people too hard.
Pay attention to safety precautions for any teambuilding activity you choose to use. Safety precautions include both mental and physical hazards. Physical hazards include debris in a field to be used for a running game. Mental hazards involve the possibility for humiliation, fear or anxiety.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit team business design image by Gongea Alexandru from Fotolia.com
