Team-Building Exercises

Team building exercises can be great for helping teams to develop and communicate better.

Unfortunately, they're often put together without much thought or planning. When this happens, you not only waste people's time, but you risk losing their respect as well.

Also, if the activity is poorly planned, your team might feel awkward about getting involved. Or, some people might not be fit enough, or strong enough, to participate in physical activities like climbing or kayaking. They have to sit out, making them seem like outsiders – this is the opposite of what you want to achieve!

But, here's the good news – your team-building exercises don't have to be like this. With some careful thought and planning, you can develop exercises that will actually build your team, and not just give people a day out of the office.

When you start planning, look at the challenges your team members are facing. What do they need to work on? It's important you really take time up front to identify these challenges. If you don't address the core issues your team is facing, your team-building exercises won't do any lasting good.

For instance, maybe people aren't communicating, and they're always arguing with one another as a result. Or, maybe some members are afraid of change, which holds the rest of the group back.

Once you've identified the causes of your team's issues, you can plan exercises that will address each issue specifically.

Now, read the article that accompanies this video to learn more about some specific team-building exercises you can use with your own team.