There are multiple reasons why companies use team building activities. A manager at Vantage Point Consulting reviews these reasons: "Working closely with our employees strengthens our bond and our trust. These exercises ensure this very ideal. They increase positive communication, raise morale and show employees that they can bond."
Management at Vantage Point Consulting comments on relationships and team building activities: "Management and employees may have their struggles from time-to-time, but the overall teamwork of the group is what will lead many companies to their success." The team building activities presented here should start with a brief icebreaker activity and then jump right into the team building.
The purpose of this article is to share some of the best team building ideas that I Vantage Point Consulting reviewed with me in a recent interview. They are: the paper tear, the survival scenario, and the favorite - egg drop.
Vantage Point Consulting reviews the 'paper tearing game.' In order to do this, give each member in the group a sheet of 8 by 11 inch paper, keep a piece for yourself. Tell the group to close their eyes and to listen to directions without asking any questions or offer any interruptions. Tell them to fold the paper in half and tear off the upper right hand corner, then in half again to tear off the upper left hand corner , and finally, fold it in half one more time and tear the lower right hand corner. After this is done, ask them to open their eyes and review their papers, it is very likely that no one will have a paper that matches yours. Then asking the team why their papers do not look like yours, they will point out they were not allowed to ask questions and they followed your instructions to their own capability. This is an excellent example of the need for two-way communication in the workplace. It is best to follow this activity up with an exercise with two-way communication.
Want to identify who the natural leaders are? Vantage Point Consulting reviews leadership on several different levels, but this exercise is one of their favorites. This is 'the survival scenario.' Employees are all in one big group. You narrate the story and tell the group that they are have all crash landed on a plane. They have scavenged through the boat and have found a list of useful items. They then rank this list of items from most important to least and the decision must be unanimous. Give them a time limit (20 minutes should do the trick). As employees are deciding and coming up with their ranking system, take note and review with the group afterward who lead the majority of the discussion, whose ideas were welcomed, and whose ideas were not. This will not only help employees communicate, but you can also review possible problems in your company culture.
The egg drop exercise increases creativity and group communication. Vantage Point Consulting guides us through this exercise: The materials required are a ladder, an easily scrub-able room (or outside), and some materials to help eggs float down without breaking (foam, parachutes, springs, etc.). You can be really creative with this one. Then divide your team into groups and have them come up with their own device that will allow an egg a safe journey from the ladder to the ground without breaking. Before they actually drop their egg devices, have them present to the other groups what their device is and how it works. Then, let them drop their eggs to see if they actually work. The point here isn't to see who comes up with a device that works, in fact, many probably will. Be sure to review with the group after the activity how they came to their ideas, who put the most work in, who just sort of 'hung out,' and why they picked their presenter. In this process, not only will you save a couple of eggs lives, but you will also emphasize communication and teamwork.
Vantage Point Consulting reviews several new ideas for strengthening communications on a regular basis. The company's training points out how a few simple exercises can lead to a better bond of employee to employer, establish communications and create harmony in the workplace. You also get to be silly for a day.
Management at Vantage Point Consulting comments on relationships and team building activities: "Management and employees may have their struggles from time-to-time, but the overall teamwork of the group is what will lead many companies to their success." The team building activities presented here should start with a brief icebreaker activity and then jump right into the team building.
The purpose of this article is to share some of the best team building ideas that I Vantage Point Consulting reviewed with me in a recent interview. They are: the paper tear, the survival scenario, and the favorite - egg drop.
Vantage Point Consulting reviews the 'paper tearing game.' In order to do this, give each member in the group a sheet of 8 by 11 inch paper, keep a piece for yourself. Tell the group to close their eyes and to listen to directions without asking any questions or offer any interruptions. Tell them to fold the paper in half and tear off the upper right hand corner, then in half again to tear off the upper left hand corner , and finally, fold it in half one more time and tear the lower right hand corner. After this is done, ask them to open their eyes and review their papers, it is very likely that no one will have a paper that matches yours. Then asking the team why their papers do not look like yours, they will point out they were not allowed to ask questions and they followed your instructions to their own capability. This is an excellent example of the need for two-way communication in the workplace. It is best to follow this activity up with an exercise with two-way communication.
Want to identify who the natural leaders are? Vantage Point Consulting reviews leadership on several different levels, but this exercise is one of their favorites. This is 'the survival scenario.' Employees are all in one big group. You narrate the story and tell the group that they are have all crash landed on a plane. They have scavenged through the boat and have found a list of useful items. They then rank this list of items from most important to least and the decision must be unanimous. Give them a time limit (20 minutes should do the trick). As employees are deciding and coming up with their ranking system, take note and review with the group afterward who lead the majority of the discussion, whose ideas were welcomed, and whose ideas were not. This will not only help employees communicate, but you can also review possible problems in your company culture.
The egg drop exercise increases creativity and group communication. Vantage Point Consulting guides us through this exercise: The materials required are a ladder, an easily scrub-able room (or outside), and some materials to help eggs float down without breaking (foam, parachutes, springs, etc.). You can be really creative with this one. Then divide your team into groups and have them come up with their own device that will allow an egg a safe journey from the ladder to the ground without breaking. Before they actually drop their egg devices, have them present to the other groups what their device is and how it works. Then, let them drop their eggs to see if they actually work. The point here isn't to see who comes up with a device that works, in fact, many probably will. Be sure to review with the group after the activity how they came to their ideas, who put the most work in, who just sort of 'hung out,' and why they picked their presenter. In this process, not only will you save a couple of eggs lives, but you will also emphasize communication and teamwork.
Vantage Point Consulting reviews several new ideas for strengthening communications on a regular basis. The company's training points out how a few simple exercises can lead to a better bond of employee to employer, establish communications and create harmony in the workplace. You also get to be silly for a day.
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