Business team building can have a lot of traditional looks: there can be outings to discuss goals and what is keeping “the group” from achieving them. You can have icebreakers at meetings to get to know more about coworkers. You can have book clubs to study latest leadership and group think philosophies and ideas. Or, you can make a difference and help your team build real trust, learn to think outside the box, and better understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses; and have fun while you’re doing these things.
Understanding fellow workers and to truly trust them is an important part of any successful organization. It is also important that people understand that most of their own limitations are created by a fear of failure. Let people remove their own boundaries, and let them experience success. Find out how, with those perceived limitations removed, those people can soar, and so will your organization. Team building programs create a healthier work environment and a more motivated and efficient team.
- Communication – Whether you have a tight-knit group who has worked together for years, or multiple branches coming together for the first time, team building initiatives can help to improve communication. In many activities, like The Great Race or Field Olympics challenges, good communication is the key to success. These fun and fast-paced challenges encourage participants to think outside of the box and navigate differences in opinion. This builds trust and encourages discovery of more efficient ways to communicate, which can lead to healthier communication in the workplace. When going through these activities, people learn to trust each other, focus on problems, and work together to solve those problems and cooperate with each other. The facilitators from the Santa Barbara Adventure Company will be able to help your group make the necessary connections between what they do in their day spent on the beach doing our Olympics, Sea Cave Kayaking, or another one of experiences and how these experiences will translate and help them at work.
- Creativity and Problem Solving – The novelty of team building activities calls for the creation of processes and procedures to achieve a goal. Most people have never created their own wine blend, designed the label, and bottled it for a competition before (Sounds fun though, right? We think so too). The value lies in the unfamiliarity, which highlights teams’ strengths and weaknesses as they develop skills of creating clear organizational plans through trial and error. The ability to problem solve and create new procedures and solutions translates directly into the business and increases productivity and system efficiency. By the way, if you’re still thinking about wine, check out our Wine Blending page.
- Motivation – After a time of refreshment and experiential learning, employees can return back to work with a renewed energy and clearer vision of what needs to be done. A day on the water Sea Cave Kayaking or conquering a High Ropes Course can result in participants feeling cared for and invested in, boosting their motivation upon return to work. Higher morale also leads to a reduced turnover rate, which ultimately saves the company money in the hiring process. Everyone will come away from with fond memories, more self-confidence and more team confidence, and of course memories that will make everyone smile for months and even years later.
- Group Roles Defined – New situations allow opportunities for team members to show their strengths and to assume new group roles. Challenges outside of the work setting can create space for employees to highlight their different skills and abilities. Some, for example, may be great at finding a practical solution to the problem at hand, while others may excel at communicating the vision and directing its operation, and so on. This may also allow employers to see new strengths in their employees that can be utilized at work. Take your crew to an adventure course and learn how to solve problems as a team, relying on different members of the team for different, out of the box solutions. Learn to take chances by trusting that other members of the team are going to be there and it will work out all right. Have experiences that you cannot have in the cubicle or in the office setting. Experiences that are really adventures!
- Increased Productivity – The combined effects of team building can ultimately lead to increased productivity in the work place. Enhanced communication between team members, along with refined creativity and problem solving skills builds a cohesive and efficient environment. Increased motivation and new group roles can bring a fresh outlook and renewed approach to the business, resulting in increased productivity and an overall improvement to the workplace.
Looking for more Team Building activities? We have lots to offer! Check out our site for programs, testimonials, and to request a proposal!