One of the best ways to unify a company staff is to “abandon ship” so to speak by leaving the office and gathering together for some bonding time. What’s the best way to execute such a team bonding activity? In a post shared on LinkedIn Pulse, Mansoor Soomro, a Management Consultant & Business Coach, offered several do’s and don’ts on how to plan and reap the benefits of an effective team building event.
DO: At the start of organizing a team building event, remember to ask yourself “What is the objective of this team building event?”
DON’T: Do not host a team building event in the office; you don’t want the event to feel like “work.”
DO: During the event, forget about job titles. All attendees, regardless of seniority, should have an equal stake in participating in team bonding activities.
DON’T: The point of a team building event is to foster the bond of a group so try to steer clear of activities that highlight individuals versus the overall group.
DO: Do your best to organize unique events so that the group gets to have a new experience to look forward to each and every time.
DON’T: Healthy competition can be a good thing, but there are plenty of team bonding activities that focus more on cooperation. Try one of those during a team building event.
DO: Bring in a facilitator from outside of the office. It helps in two ways: “First, participants don’t get to have biases and preconceived notions. Next, a new face brings in fresh thoughts and perspectives.”
DON’T: Do not assume that a team building event can resolve any ongoing issues within the group. It won’t! While an event can help a group move forward in building (or strengthening) a bond and figuring out resolutions for problems, it’s not “a single dose cure-all.”
DO: Hold follow-up sessions to re-enforce the lessons learned from a past team building event. A follow-up session can also be helpful in assessing team progress.
DON’T: Always be sure to recognize the efforts of the organizers behind a team building event. It’s a lot of work to make arrangements for a group event. “It works best to acknowledge the organizers in front of the audience, during or at the end of the session, for their time and effort.”