Fun Fact

Many introverts view “team-building activities” with dread.

If you are building up your team, find activities that are a good fit for your people.

For example, choosing a ropes course or rock-climbing activity is a bad idea if some of your people use wheelchairs or have other mobility issues. The same is true for personality factors. When we are training, we often say: “Engineers don’t do trust falls.” Now, there are definitely some exceptions to this rule, but it’s accurate enough that people nod and agree.

Some people are quiet. Some people are private about their personal lives. Respect their boundaries. Don’t take your people out of their comfort zones—expand their comfort zones. Choose activities that stretch or grow your people in ways that build mutual trust and mutual respect. Consider having teams take part in scavenger hunts (or virtual scavenger hunts, if some of your people have mobility issues), or building bridges out of paper drinking straws and masking tape, or brain teasers, or trivia contests. Consider doing good work together, such as volunteering for Habitat for Humanity. Perhaps a fun outing, like seeing your local minor-league baseball team play a game, is a good fit for your people. Some of the firms with the best corporate cultures have summer cookouts on the grass behind the parking lot.

Ask your people what they’d like and get their input on ideas before putting down deposits or reserving dates.

If it’s mandatory, you need to pay people for their time. If it’s optional, you should make sure that it’s something people actually want to do. Share your vision for the team and be transparent about what you are doing and why you are doing it. When done well, team-building can improve morale, productivity, and retention, so it’s worth the extra effort.

(image source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122165393534931513&set=a.122095098446931513)