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Teams aren't built in a day. They're not rafts.We don’t really like the phrase “team building”. It suggests that a team can be built in a day…but they can’t.
They’re not rafts. What you can do, however, is give your team an exercise that unpacks relevant themes and replicates the day-to-day tasks the team undertakes…where they can have fun in the process. So if you’re looking for a bit of “something different” to inject life into your event but don't know where to start, look no further. Our sessions are always fun, always relevant, hands-on, and help build relationships in ways that "team building" never could. Our sessions are perfect for building relationships, growing connections or bringing your team back together. We’ve got a whole catalogue of exercises and activities for you to choose from, with a range of themes and problems that they explore. Exercises can be run “off the shelf” as they are, combined to make longer sessions, or tailored to fit your specific business objectives. If you're staying virtual, or looking at hybrid events, sessions can be run online as well as run in-person. |
EXERCISES
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IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP
Most people do not consider themselves imaginative, creative, or able to make something up on the spot. This activity shows what you can achieve if you allow your imagination free rein, always say “yes” and have the support of others. Starting from very basic, simple exercises, we build confidence in a way that is supportive, not embarrassing. Looks at:
find your treasure
This session is a team treasure hunt with a difference: the treasure is the knowledge you gain from others on your team. Find objects and tell stories that represent you, your team and your business...wherever you can find it on your treasure hunt! Looks at:
Game Changers
This free-form session features emphasis on willing participation, letting go of established behaviour and remaining open to possibilities. We invite groups to discard the learnt behaviour of adults and embrace the wild imaginations of the children they once were- by creating a game from scratch. Looks at:
The Storybook Challenge
This session is fun, creative and always features lots of laughter! We'll give you a story (think classic literature, films, plays or even pantomime) and your team will have to work together to tell part- or all- of the story. Top marks for creativity, collaboration and your willingness to get stuck in... Looks at:
the Boat race
Given a pile of recycled materials, some tape, some glue and their best know-how, each team has to build a vehicle that will be raced. The exercise culminates in a race between teams- whose boat will be the fastest? There are prizes for the fastest, most ambitious and the design that looks closest to the design sketched out on a piece of paper…who will win? Looks at:
The go kart challenge
Like the Boat Race…but bigger. Teams are given a pile of recycled materials, tools, decorations and fixings, and charged with making a soap box go kart that will undertake a series of tasks, in competition with other teams. The go kart has to hold the weight of one person as the driver, and is powered by the push of another team member… Looks at:
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THE PACKED LUNCH EXERCISE
Think making a sandwich is easy? Each group is to document the process and procedure in making a sandwich, using only the materials provided. They must document the process and procedure themselves, then use someone else's documentation and follow the instructions...exactly as written. Although the ingredients themselves may be straightforward, the important details are often missed when the steps of making a sandwich are translated into an end-to-end process. Looks at:
treading on eggshells
The group is split into teams. Each team is given the task of transporting a set number of eggs, safely, without breaking them, from one side of the room to the other, overcoming a number of challenges. To do this, they have to consider the particular objective and write a detailed, but easy to follow, process. Looks at:
the Pipelines Exercise
Teams have to identify and lay out a route safely, avoiding pitfalls along the way and maximising their economic efficiency, whilst considering the requirements of the wider group. It requires teamwork, an attention to strategy and an awareness of the consequences of their decisions. Looks at:
the Construction challenge
Teams are given a time-sensitive task, involving building a particular structure. The catch is, each team member faces restrictions on what they can do and how they are allowed to communicate. How do you work together safely under pressure? And how do you overcome the bureaucratic challenges you face? Looks at:
the Cup of Tea Game
This exercise illustrates how accepting responsibility is crucial to best service, how focusing on internal requirements can sometimes obscure and worsen the customer’s experience and how communication, or lack of it, can make simple systems and tasks complex. It also shows how processes and paper work can multiply unnecessarily, and the role that attitudes and behaviours play in any service. Looks at:
The SHoe Game
A fast-paced exploration of how workloads can be shared amongst a group of people successfully, if everyone on the team looks out for each other, and knows when and how to play their part. How do you balance the incoming workload, and how do you share the responsibility? Looks at:
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The Maze
An exercise that looks at how teams cope with uncertainty. There is no clear path, and limited information from which to make decisions. The aim is simple: keep moving forward, keep finding out more, and make your decisions based on what you know. Be flexible to respond to what you learn, and confident enough to take the next step forward. How do you- individually and as a team- deal with change? Looks at:
THE CHAOTIC SYSTEM
This game allows groups to learn about strategy and working together as a team - by using awareness, looking out for those around you, being able to be more objective from a distance, and the balance between proximity to a problem, and fitness to act in service of solving that problem. Looks at:
Body Language and communication workshop
In this light-hearted session, we examine the tiny elements that influence how we do– or don’t– get along with other people, breaking down individual components and testing them out on each other in an entertaining and engaging way. We look at personal space, eye contact, posture, facial expressions, body language and presence. Looks at:
"C Squared"
Based on the concepts outlined in Good to Great by Jim Collins, this exercise encourages people to consider their own personal style and how it can change under stress or in challenging circumstances. It allows people to plot their own position and consider how they respond to external factors. Looks at:
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WARM-UPS,
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THE PAPER ELEPHANT (10 mins)
A short starter exercise that levels the playing field and gives everyone a bit of fun. There’s absolutely no pressure to be good at it…because we’re all starting from scratch. We’ll ask everyone to grab a piece of paper, put it behind their back and tear out the shape of an elephant…no peeking. Who can make the best elephant? zero balancing (10 mins)
An “alternative” way of getting your body and mind working together. On one level, it frees up the “energy pathways”, by tapping on acupuncture pressure points; on another level, it’s just a silly series of actions that will wake you up, switch you on and prepare you for the day. THE PERFORMER'S WARMUP (10 MINS)
Have you been talking for a long time? Is your voice getting tired? Or are you just wanting to get everyone ready for the day? These quick head, jaw and shoulder exercises, as well as vocal warmups, taken from a professional performer’s routine, will relax your speaking muscles and ready your voice… YOU'RE LIKE ME, BECAUSE... (20 MINS)
The group is presented with a number of random objects (think a can of baked beans, a cricket bat, a pen, a bunch of flowers, a lemon, etc.). Everyone has to align themselves with the object with which they most identify- no matter how tenuous the link is. Tell us your story… HANDS UP, HANDS DOWN (5 MINS)
A quick-fire exercise that starts from common ground and gradually refines the group down to a select few that have an interesting story to tell. “Put your hands up if you’re on this Zoom call…keep your hands up if you’re sitting in your office…keep your hands up if you have a cup of tea…” COMMONALITIES (20-30 MINS)
Outside of working for the same company, what do we have in common? This exercise builds relationships within the group based on commonalities outside of the business world and gets out some great stories. 1,2,3,3,2,1 (15 MINS)
This exercise looks at knowing when to act and knowing when to be still. It requires concentration, intuition and observation skills to pre-empt and react to the actions of your colleagues. One person raises their hand for 10 seconds, then puts it down. Two people then do the same. Then three… SHAPE DESCRIPTION (15 MINS)
How good is your imagination and ability to follow instructions accurately? This exercise will put you to the test. We’ll describe a combination of shapes, which, put together, form a picture. Your task? Draw exactly what you’ve heard and try to be as accurate as possible… 30 SECONDS TO FIND... (20 MINS)
You, at home, have 30 seconds to find something that fits the criteria we announce: most niche utensil, biggest mug, stupidest thing you can stir a cup of tea with, brightest object, something that represents your town or country…go! |
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Download our Team Building overview as a pdf here:
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"The evening team challenge activity was really enjoyed, I’m sure you could tell by the way everyone threw themselves into it!
A welcome fun element after a lot of thinking during the day."
- Learning and Development Partner, global construction firm
