Team building activities are widely used by organisations to help employees develop effective working relationships and encourage collaboration and communication. There are several types of team building activity, which usually involve meetings, games, or events. Here’s a look at some of the most popular types. 

Problem solving activities

Even the best businesses encounter problems from time to time. Much of the successful handling of these issues comes down to good communication and motivation among employees. Team building activities based around finding a solution to a problem can therefore provide valuable experience for real-world situations.

This type of activity usually takes place away from the office environment. Teams are presented with a problem, which may be a scenario specific to their field of business, or may be more abstract, such as a board game or escape room. Employees are challenged to work together to find an effective solution within a set time frame.

Creative challenges

Creative thinking is essential to the growth and development of all types of business, even if it is not in a directly creative field. By learning how to view situations from different angles and come up with novel solutions, employees can become more confident and productive in their job roles.

Creative challenges could include design based activities, such as coming up with a new company website or logo. They could be tech-based, such as learning the basics of computer coding and being set a challenge to build an app or a computer game. After the activity is complete, teams then feed back their thought processes to the group.

Activity based challenges

Some teams may enjoy activity based challenges that encourage them to step outside of their comfort zones. This could involve outdoor pursuits such as abseiling, assault courses, or rock climbing. These types of activities allow team members to work together and build up trust.

Meeting based activities

Team meetings can sometimes be uneven events, with a few employees making their voices heard, and others struggling to find an opportunity to contribute. This can mean that new ideas and approaches to problems go unheard, and communication between team members is not the best it could be.

Meeting based activities can help the team to start operating at its full potential, by encouraging all members to participate equally. This event can take place either in the office or at an external venue. They often involve an icebreaker activity followed by a game or challenge.

For example, each attendee might be asked to share with the group the achievement they are most proud of in their lives. This helps the team members get to know each other better and be more aware of each other’s strengths. 

What are the benefits of team building activities?

Team building activities foster a more open and close knit company culture where every employee's skills are recognised and valued. They can also bring to light the current strengths and weaknesses of a team, allowing managers to focus on improving specific areas.

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