You have a team of strong individuals who excel at problem-solving but can’t work together without clashing opinions and making a loud mess? Release them on a scavenger hunt, and their potentials will be terribly wasted. In order to thrive, these superstars require a more challenging environment.
These team building exercises will not only awake the competitive geeks within them.
They will also compel them to work as one.
This one is all about creative thinking in the context of a pack.
Kick off by establishing groups of five to ten members and then announce that they are now in an island survival scenario – they’ve just been stranded on a desert island with only 20 items from the ship. Give each group a couple of minutes to figure out what 5 items they should keep as well as why.
“Island survival” works in an office environment as well, but is even more engaging in a virtual space. Ontario virtual reality is a great choice for this – your team members will not only be compelled to think strategically and define roles within groups but will also need to rely on each other for survival.
Name the drawer, the informant, and the facilitator.
The three of them will work together to draw a picture on the whiteboard and the rest of their group will have to guess the idea behind the image. The trick is – the facilitator provides the idea to the informant who then must describe it in detail to the blindfolded drawer without looking at the board.
“Back-to-back drawing” appeals to visual learners and creative types, but it also increases cohesion within the group by urging each team member to think like their playmates. And need we mention how smart this exercise is? It helps tackle work environment problems from the childlike perspective.
As an exercise in stillness, “Zen counting” us perfect for loud teams.
The rules are pretty simple but fun – teammates need to sit in a circle without looking at each other and then count from 1 to 10 aloud in no particular order. The first time someone talks over someone else or repeats a number that somebody’s already said, the counting must start from the beginning.
What better way to teach your team the art of active listening?
All three of these team building exercises were designed with both introverts and extroverts in mind. The general idea is not only to build trust but also to encourage diversity within the team by helping different types of individuals spontaneously get comfortable with the roles they are best fitted for.