Quick and Easy Team-Building Exercises Your Team Won't Hate
Quick and Easy Team-Building Exercises Your Team Won't Hate Photo by You X Ventures on Unsplash

Does the mention of team building activities in your office elicit a collective groan from everyone? It's not that your team hates team-building exercises, it's just that they hate the cliche of team-building activities. They get awkward, include some sort of non-relaxing team project, and end up getting people back to their desks instead of out of their seats.

Team building exercises are essential for your team and when you choose the right one, boost office morale and are a great break in the monotony of office work life. Fortunately, you don't have to go over the top to avoid the cliched team builder. You can come up with a quick and easy exercise that satisfies the team-building requirement and that they won't hate!

Factors to Consider As You Choose Team-Building Exercises

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Here are some of the most important factors that you should consider as you prepare for the big day.

  • Choose activities that encourage teamwork rather than competition. If you stress that a team will win the team-building challenge, some people may lose sight of the overall intention of the activities and focus on winning at any cost. This may be detrimental to your initial plan to foster teamwork.
  • Schedule the team-building exercise during work hours. Avoid holding it on the weekend. Your staff will be annoyed that they have to do something work-related on their day off, and they technically are not on the clock. Who knows who will skip out?
  • Make the expectations of the activity clear. If you are trying to build stronger workplace relationships, say so. If your overall aim is to launch a new product, this should also be very clear. Don't keep people guessing what the point of the exercise is.
  • Set it up away from the office. Changing up the environment creates a much-needed change of pace for your workers.

Once you're sure how you'll set up your team-building exercise, it's just a matter of figuring out what you'll do.

The Ice-breaker' One Question' Activity

At the start of any team-building activity, your staff may be a bit wary about lowering their guard with their colleagues. Start the exercise with an icebreaker that will get people talking and laughing. Appoint a group leader who will take turns asking different people from each group questions. Prepare these questions beforehand, and make sure they are lighthearted, appropriate, and on the funny side.

Time allocated: 15-20 minutes

Team size: 10-15 per team

Setting: Outdoor and Indoor

Jumbo Cricket

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How about some oversize fun with oversize cricket bats? It may not be the most traditional team-building exercise, but it certainly can be a fun one. First, divide your staff into teams. Give each team a chance to hit the ball with a jumbo-sized cricket bat. This exercise requires excellent coordination. You can be sure that your staff will learn valuable skills such as communication, strategy, and decision-making from this exercise. They may also end up rolling in laughter since it is, well, quite a silly activity.

Time allocated: 10-30 minutes

Team size: 10-20 per team

Setting: Outdoors

Spider Web

As the name suggests, you will tie ropes in the shape of a spider web. This exercise encourages agility and strategy. Team members must pass through the gaps between the interlocking ropes without touching them (kind of like the game Operation -- don't touch the sides!). Of course, the team member that hits the ropes will be automatically disqualified or lose time for their team. They will have to start over again.

Time allocated: 10-30 minutes

Team size: 10-15 per team

Setting: Preferably outdoors

Three-legged Race

A three-legged race is a simple, traditional game, but you should be sure your team will be okay stepping into each other's personal space before you decide this is the exercise for your staff. Tie two teammates to each other by the ankle, making them share one leg. The idea is to have them coordinate their steps to get to the finish line without falling over. It requires excellent concentration and teamwork, as well as a carefully executed strategy.

Time allocated: 10-40 minutes

Team size: 10-20 per team

Setting: Outdoors

Spoon and Egg Race

Another well-known race, the spoon and egg race takes the relay race to the next level. Separate your staff into teams and position each team member a few feet away from each other. This race works just like your traditional relay race, the only difference that instead of passing a baton, team members balance an uncracked a raw egg on a spoon and pass the egg. Do not drop the egg! If they do, they have to start over.

Time allocated: 30-40 minutes

Team size:10-15 per team

Setting: Outdoors

Escape Room Challenge

Escape Rooms are becoming increasingly popular among young people and as team-building exercises alike! You can easily create your own escape room in your office space based on a theme that most, if not all, people can identify with. Write down clues and hide them in various parts of the office. Team members must solve all the clues before the timer runs out to escape the room. Don't feel like making your own escape room? No problem! There are plenty of professional escape room game spaces all across the country.

Time allocated: 30-50 minutes

Team size: 5-20 per team

Setting: Indoors

Conclusion

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Your team-building exercises should be fun and exciting. They should also result in the desired outcome your organization had in mind. As with the escape rooms, if you don't feel like creating your a team-building exercise, you can always hire a professional company. Just make sure you know what your employees like so you can be sure you won't put them through an exercise they absolutely cannot stand.