Is Your Team Low on Morale? Try Doing Team Building Exercises

No matter what industry you’re in, one of the best things you can do for your team is to invest in its overall health. We’re not talking doctor’s visits or endless meetings to make sure everyone is ok – instead, we’re talking about team building events. 

Team building brings people together by utilizing collaboration through activities that put people who may have never worked together, allowing for exciting relationship possibilities. If you’re a general manager who needs to strengthen the bonds of her staff, this is a great place to start. 

One of the main drivers for team building is facilitating trust and empowerment; people work through exercises that strengthen problem-solving, planning, and conflict resolution. Because the activities aren’t directly tied to an everyday work project, they’re able to facilitate long genuine relationships that outlast a directional change or a disagreement. 

Consider some of these reasons why, no matter what industry you’re in, you should try holding some team building events:

Teamwork boosts performance because collaboration is key

Team building activities improve workplace projects because afterward, teams understand each other. After working with one another in a non-stressful environment that’s fun, employees understand one another’s strengths and weaknesses. By working together, there’s a less grey area and people can play to what they’re good at. 

Gamification has become a big way to motivate the team and increase productivity. This propels groups to bond more effectively. 

Impactful team building brings people together but also contributes to a successful workplace. When people work together and utilize their strengths, their true abilities shine through. When teams are competing against one another, the joy of winning is infectious and motivates teams to want to win more. 

What are some team-building exercises every team can do right now? 

If you’re pressed for time or can’t plan an offsite for everyone to attend, there are simple exercises to build bonds and strengthen relationships. Some are totally free while others might require going outside, but, there are a lot of ways you can improve functionality, morale, and collaboration with a few exercises. 

Game of Possibilities

This one is fast; it takes a whopping 5 minutes to play. All you need are some random objects. Give an object to one person in a group. Next, each person stands up and silently demonstrate a use for the object. The rest of the group has to figure out what it is. 

This exercise inspires creativity 

Human Knot

This one takes a little longer, around 20ish minutes and you’ll need at least 8 people. Everyone stands facing one another in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. Everyone puts their right hand out. They’ll grab a random hand across from them. Then, with their left, grab another random hand within the circle. Within a time limit, the group needs to untangle the knot without releasing a hand. This game relies on communication because without talking through the steps, everything fails. Everyone’s contribution matters. 

Winner/Loser

For this game, you need at least two people. Person 1. Shares a negative experience with person 2. – it can be work-related or personal. It’s Person 2’s job to find the positive aspects of the experience, to find a silver lining. After the exercise, they switch positions. This builds trust between on a deeper level by giving a piece of themselves. 

Truth and Lies

At least five people sit in a circle facing each other. Everyone shares four lies about themselves and one truth. Everyone has to guess which out of the five facts is the truth hidden within the lie. This is a good ice breaker that shares new information, which also avoids snap judgments. 

Scavenger Hunt

This is one of the old school exercises that everyone knows. You’ll need at least two teams with some pens and paper. Make a list of things for the team to do as a group: snap a photo at a landmark, or get an autograph, find a particular object, the possibilities for a scavenger hunt is endless. Give each team a list and a time when they need to knock everything out. Whoever completes the list first wins. Everyone loves a scavenger hunt. 

The Egg Drop

You’ll need two or more small group and a bunch of office supplies. Split into groups of three to five and give each an uncooked egg. Put all of the office supplies in a pile, and they’ve got: 20 to make a contraption that’ll support the egg when someone drops it from above.

You’ll need things like:

• Tape
• Pencils
• Straws
• Plastic utensils
• Packing material
• Newspapers
• Rubber bands

A lot of eggs are gonna break, but the exercise is hilarious. 

Blind Drawing

You’ll need at least 2 people, a picture, paper, and a pen. Have people sit back-to-back, giving one person the paper and pen, while the other gets the photo. The person with the picture describes what they see, but without saying what the object is. This exercise relies on communication, interpretation, and listening skills. Plus, it’s fun to see what people come up with when described an object. 

These are just a small few of the things teams can do to bond. What has your team tried in the past? What was fun? What wasn’t? Let us know! We’d love to hear about it. If you liked this article, check out the rest of the Adia blog.