Team Building Activities

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How to Create a Team Charter

A team charter is a document that defines the purpose of a team, expected outcomes and how the team will work together for results. It is a set of agreements created when a team forms to ensure everyone is on the same page from the start. It is updated when a new member leaves/joines a team.

Step 1

Purpose and Key Responsibilities: the reason for the team’s existence and what members hold themselves accountable for as a team. 

Step 2

Vision: a results-oriented picture of the team that describes what members commit to achieve together sometime in the future.

Step 3

Values: beliefs or principles that define what is important to team members and serve to guide the team’s actions and decisions. They are not compromised for short term gain or expediency. These are most useful when they are defined in terms of specific behaviors.

Step 4

Goals: specific, measurable results that are aligned with the team’s purpose and vision.

Step 5

Roles and Responsibilities: write clear descriptions of who is on the team and their functional responsibilities.

Step 6

Mutual Expectations: what will be the ground rules that clarify how team members will interact, collaborate, support each other and give each other feedback? This includes behaviors during conflict.

Step 7

Operating Procedures: descriptions of meeting structure, communication norms, decision-making methods, conflict resolution, and reflection strategies.

Step 8

Assess Team Effectiveness. Regularly assess the team's ability to work together to accomplish its objectives over time.

FINAL THOUGHT

Consider whether organizational systems such as performance management, compensation and other reward systems are supporting or hurting the team's chances for success. Ask yourself, can we honestly  expect people to work as a team if we're only recognizing their individual contributions?
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Let's Get Acquainted

Purpose:
To get participant's attention, put aside distractions so they can be present and fully engaged.

Outcome:
To increased mental and physical stimulation and engagement. Boosts preparedness.

Step 1

Everyone gets a packet of M&M's, colorful Jelly Beans, or Marbles (you choose).

Step 2

Give meaning to the colors, for example:Orange: Best vacation spot you have ever been? Red: Name a gift you will never forget. Yellow: Something you have done that you never shared with your parents or guardians. Green: if all jobs were paid the same, what would be your job today? 

Step 3

Pair up or get in groups and discuss answers. Following this activity, you're ready for what's next.
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Reppin' Where You're From

Purpose:
To get employees comfortable with self-disclosure.

Outcome:
Self-disclosure paves the way to honesty, trust, and relationship building.


Step 1

Invite team members to bring a non-offensive memento that represents an important aspect of their cultural, social, or ethnic identity.

Step 2

Give the memento to the facilitator. Ask participants to guess who brought the momento. 

Step 3

If no one makes a correct guess, invite the owner of the memento to share the meaning of the item and why they wanted to share it with the team.
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Emoji State of Mind

Purpose:
Promotes intentionality and encourages authenticity.

Outcome:
Inauthenticity gives way to acceptance and belonging.



Step 1

Choose a cadence or frequency for practicing this activity. Start slow, perhaps this becomes YOUR Monday Morning Huddle? Or your Midweek Meetup. If you overwhelm them, they won't play.

Step 2

Choose three emojis to let team members know their general status for the day or the week. Although it's not required, they can say more or let one another know about a special project/circumstance taking their attention that day or week.

Step 3:

If offering insight into the week, remember to keep it simple, short and to the point. Write the insight just beneath the emoji (just one or two sentences will do).

Step 4

Sample Emjoi's:
🌞
Focused and Feeling Good
🏄🏽‍♀️
I'm OK. Lot's Going On Behind the Scenes
🚌 
I'm on the Struggle Bus

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Communication Challenge

Purpose: 

To demonstrate the many problems of misunderstanding that can occur in a one-way communication. How to ask clarifying questions.

Outcome:
Participants become more aware of their communication strengths and shortcomings. Identify opportunities to improve.


Step 1

The participants will be paired and seated back to back. One of them will be given a picture of a diagram and their partner given a blank piece of paper and a pencil.

Variation: In larger groups, have one person speaking and give several others the blank piece of paper and pencil.

Step 2

For two minutes, and seated back to back, the participant with the picture will be asked to describe the picture so their partner can draw it on the paper provided without asking any questions.

Step 3

At the end of 2 minutes, Have them stop and ask them to discuss the difficulty of working with one-way communication. Ask them to show their drawings.

Step 4

With the same roles, ask them to proceed and tell the artist they can ask no more than 3 questions in the additional five minutes.

Debrief

Discuss the desire to give up, ask if there was a point where they stopped listening, in what ways were two way communication better, how can this be applied at work, and how communicating one message was perceived differently by the artists.
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Tallest Tower

Purpose:
To get participant's to recognize that teaming is a choice, an attitude and it shows up in our conduct and our behavior.

Outcome:
Individuals learn to focus on the goal rather than their own personal agendas and learn how to work through challenges that require the ability to consider and leverage other people’s strengths.

Overview

Tallest Tower is a simple teambuilding activity that involves creativity, planning and teamwork. Build the tallest tower using just paper and masking tape.  

Step 1

Each team receives just one role of masking tape and one stack of paper, equal number of sheets, scissors, and a measuring tape, other materials are optional. You determine team size.

Step 2

The goal is simple: have your team build the tallest or highest tower made of paper!  Each team will be given 3 minutes to plan and discuss strategy, and then I will start a timer for 12 minutes.

Step 3

Each team will build a tall tower using the materials supplied.  When time is up, stop everyone and use the measuring tape to determine the winner.  Towers must remain standing on their own and not fall, a tower that falls is disqualified.

Debrief

  1. Let's discuss your attitude before, during and now that you've completed that activity. How did it change, why or why not?
  2. What worked well?
  3. What surprised you most?
  4. What didn't work so well?
  5. What feedback do you have for your team?
  6. How can you relate this experience to your current team?
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Balloon Blast

Purpose:
To get employees comfortable with self-disclosure.

Outcome:
Self-disclosure paves the way to honesty, trust, and relationship building.






Step 1

  1. Ask participants to count numerically.
  2. Then give the odd numbers a balloon.
  3. Ask those with the balloon, to blow up the balloon and tie a knot. Take extras, they're sure to break.
  4. Once the balloons are blown, ask each person with a balloon to find a partner.

Step 2

  1. Once with their partners, they are to stand facing each other.
  2. On the facilitators command, they are to grab their partner's hand, toss the balloon slightly up in the air and keep it in the air without letting go of their hands.
  3. If it falls to the floor, they must find a way to get the balloon back in the air without letting go of their partner's hands.

Step 3

  1. After about 2 minutes of air bouncing and laughter, command the partners to burst the balloon without letting go of their partners' hands. 
  2. No one can stop until all the balloons have been burst.


P.S. They cannot use their feet.
Debrief
  1. Ask what worked, what didn’t?
  2. Why or why not offer to help struggling teammates?
  3. Did anyone ask for help, why or why not?
  4. When did it become fun and why or why not?
  5. What does the balloon represent?
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Standard Debrief Questions

Purpose:
Ensure all participants can convey their experience and practice having their voice heard.

Outcome:
Relief of stress, vicarious trauma, and psychological harm while enhancing sustained learning and improved performance.




Step 1

To have a great outcome, ensure you set up the experience properly. Discuss expectations, expected outcomes, and what success looks like. Inform participants that participation is expected but still optional.

Step 2

Never force anyone to engage in a teambuilding activity, even if it is not overly physical. If everyone is having a great time, those who might have resisted, will find a way to join in on the fun. Don't forget to ask folks how to best accommodate them if needed.

Step 3:

  1. Conduct the debrief as close to the close of the experience as possible.
  2. Encourage honesty, with respect towards one another and the facilitator.
  3. Summarize with a recap and key take aways or commitments.

Step 4

Sample Debrief Questions:

  • What was difficulty level? Discuss.
  • What did you learn about one another? Yourself?
  • Why is it important to connect at work beyond “surface” levels?
  • What / who surprised you most?

More Debrief Questions:

  • How can you transfer this experience back in the physical and virtual work environment?
  • What can we do unique or different to ensure sustainability of the positive aspect of our experience?
  • What worked well?
  • What could we do differently next time?


Debrief Questions, Continued...

  • How can we use this experience to communicate better?
  • What will be your individual commitments?
  • What should we commit to as a team?
  • How will we hold ourselves accountable?
  • What else?


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Are You Ready?

Purpose:
Don't forget to check-in with team members to assess their level of readiness to engage.

Outcome:
Simply checking in can move the needle in the right direction.





Step 1

Use emoji's in your presentations, or virtual meetings as a simple and effective way to encourage communication and emotional presence.

Step 2

Ask participants to select with number or color best reflects their mood:
1.
2.


Step 3

3. 



4.



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Fist of Five

Purpose:
Looking for a quick way to check the engagement temperature in the room? Try this voting method as a gauge for what people are thinking.

Outcome:
Increase your self awareness while increasing the engagement and awareness of those in the room.

Step 1

In a fist of five vote, your attendees rate their experience or opinion on a topic on a scale from 0 (clenched fist) and using fingers represent numbers 1 - 5. Alternatively a fist indicates no agreement, while holding up five fingers expresses total agreement or satisfaction.

Step 2

When you're ready to determine if you have agreement, support or to get a vote on a topic, ask participants to signal their level of agreement with the statement by holding up a fist or umber of fingers to convey their position.

Step 3

Ask participants to hold their hands very high and invite everyone to scan the room to confirm the position of others.

Remember:

The Fist of Five can help groups reach a consensus, ensure everyone is fully committed to a decision, and it can also help avoid groupthink so that all viewpoints are considered.
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Inclusion for Introverts

Purpose:
To help participants consider the perspective of those who are often more quiet, introspective, and prefer smaller groups or working alone over big group experiences.

Outcome:
Help participants become more empathetic, and open to different levels of engagement by colleagues.

Step 1

Have participants read the following paragraph quietly, then read it out loud, finally have someone from the team read it.

Step 2

You have a satisfied co-worker who spends most days working from home or quietly in a cubicle. One day, the supervisor decides to surprise them with a big surprise party celebrating their 10 years at the company. Mortified, the employee freezes and struggling maintain composure, within 5 minutes they quietly leave the room. What happened?

Step 3

Either as a plenary (large group) discussion or in small groups, ask these questions:
1. What might have happened?
2. What did the supervisor miss?
3. What should happen next?
4. What assumptions are often made about introverted people? How do we stop making those snap judgements?
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Jenga Your Team

Purpose:
Help team members work together to shift their mindsets and transform behaviors.

Outcome:
Boost decision-making, team cohesiveness and support, relationship building, creativity, problem solving, and negotiation skills.


Step 1

Purchase a few sets of Jenga type building blocks, enough to ensure groups of three can have their own set.

Step 2

One member of the threesome gets blindfolded. The blindfolded member is the one touching the blocks. Neither of the other two members can touch the blocks. Instead, they each take turns giving their blindfolded colleague instructions for moving and removing blocks without tumbling the set.

Step 3:

Set the timer for 5 minutes, and the team with the tallest tower at the conclusion of the five minutes wins the round.

Once you complete Step 4, allow team members to trade places, run the activity, then debrief.

Step 4

Debriefing Options:

  1. Ask the blind folded members about their experience.
  2. What worked for the team, what didn't?
  3. What did you learn about communication?
  4. What did you learn about yourself, your teammates?
  5. If an award could go to the team that had the best team interaction, who would it go to, and why?


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Eating is Fundamental

Purpose:
Creates an emotional bond.

Outcome:
Strengthened interpersonal relationships that can lead to team collaboration support.


Step 1

Encourage regular meals together to forge (not force) bonding. Everyone should feel welcome. Ensure there is variety in the types of meals. Leaders don't dominate the conversation, when we're eating, everyone is equal.

Step 2

At each meal, have them discuss their answers to questions such as:
• What's the strangest food you've ever eaten?
• What is an unusual food pairing you enjoy?
• What meal would you choose if you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life?

Variation

Variation
You could have everyone bring their favorite snack for tasting - no voting, just discussion. You'll be surprised by what you learn about people just by hearing them talk about their snacks.
Variation #2
Try different foods, different restaurants. Occasionally cater in different snacks, and treats for unique mealtime / snacktime experiences.
REMEMBER
Avoid work related chatter. Otherwise, eating will feel like working and not a real break and who wants to do that?
Also, you can role model teaming behaviors by asking follow-up questions such as: what is your first recollection of having that food/snack? What emotions does it stir up for you? Who else has tried some of these things? Any other food variations you might try?
Like, REALLY show interest in the person, more than the food.
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Field Trip!

Purpose:
Enhance the critical thinking, social skills, communication, and cultural awareness of team members.

Outcome:
Employees become more empathetic, compassionate, and sensitive to the needs of others.

Step 1

Choose a purpose for the field trip. Will it be to improve critical thinking, cultural awareness, problem solving or trust?

Step 2

Now that you have a purpose, which of the local venues can help you create that experience?

Step 3

For example: If there are issues with cultural sensitivity, why not take a guided group tour of a local museum that explores that culture in greater depth? Make sure to debrief the experience, and ask for a tour guide at the museum.

Another Option

If you have challenges with critical thinking, you could have the team members work together to navigate an obstacle course or strategic scavenger hunt. Again don't forget to debrief the experience and tie it back to the office environment.
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Trust Walk

Purpose:
This activity is about building and sustaining trust amongst team members.

Outcome:
Ultimately, the team members who engage in this activity will learn to reflect on their experiences and extend them into the team environment.

Step 1

Introduce the activity by clearly explaining the purpose of the trust walk, emphasizing the importance of communication, trust, and collaboration within the team.

Step 2

Pair your employees into teams of two, ensuring that each person has a partner for the activity. Provide blindfolds to one member of each pair. The blindfolded person will be the "walker," and the other will be the "guide." Allow the partners to spend 10 minutes or so getting to know one another and establishing trust.

Step 3

There are variety of options for courses, the key is to not scare the person, but to make sure the course is clear of any hazards.
Debrief

After the trust walk, gather the employees for a debriefing session.Discuss the experience, focusing on what worked well, the challenges faced, and the importance of trust and communication.Ask them to share their feelings and insights and make connections to how they can improve their working relationships.
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Obstacle Course

Purpose:
Learn the value of strategizing, emotional control, and navigating unforeseen circumstances

Outcome:
Employees have teamwork problem solving, and communication skills.

Step 1

Introduce the activity and outline your goals. Next, divide them into smaller teams, the size of each team depends on the size of the group. Provide an overview of each obstacle and address safety rules. It helps to demonstrate the activity.

Step 2

Encourage the to strategize their approach and to leverage the strengths of their team members. When you signal the start, you can observe and offer clarification, guidance and support. Make note of various approaches, problem solving styles, communication and other dynamics.

Step 3:

Alternatives include rotating teams, blindfolding a member and having the other members coach them through the course, or asking them to play a role they believe is their weakest.

Step 4

Debrief this activity by focusing on what worked well, the challenges faced, and any lessons learned that can help them back at work.