When people think about team building exercises they usually think about nights out for staff who all work in the same office and decide to go bowling or take part in outdoor pursuits to get to know one another better. While this is certainly beneficial for employees and managers alike, as it helps to create a great company ethos and promotes morale amongst staff, these exercises are more than that and can be seen in many different spheres of society.
Team building also encompasses learning resources and products which can help people of all ages to understand an area of life within an environment where everyone has to work together. From puzzles and games to specific tasks based around an area of learning such as literacy or numeracy, team building exercises such of these can really promote a sense of achievement.
The activities just mentioned are not just confined to a classroom environment either. While many of the exercises described above are designed for children of various ages to aid with their learning, there are plenty of things which are great to try out at home too and adults can certainly get involved.
With indoor as well as outdoor products and materials available these days, team building can be fun and the perfect way to carry out training sessions. Many of the games you can buy are used in school and educational settings, while they are equally suited to homes, businesses and local clubs too.
Depending on those taking part in the team building – be they children, adults, or both – you can design a programme of activities which fit in with the overall objective.
For businesses interested in coming up with new and innovative team building activities, these materials can be a worthwhile alternative to the usual social occasion and chance to get staff together in a different setting. In fact many of these activities can be enjoyed anywhere, so it is up to the organiser to determine the whereabouts of this beneficial training.
It is important to work out the overall objectives of the session and then tailor the activities accordingly. Learning may or may not be part of the aims of this team building exercise as fun and enjoyment may be the order of the day. Either way, you can really get innovative with the sorts of things you arrange for this and they certainly don’t have to be predictable and boring.
The article was written by David Charles, an expert in team building exercises and personal development.