When we ask people what “team building” means to them, we get a variety of answers.  And that makes sense, because the term team building is very broad.

At the most basic level, team building is anything you do to build your team.  This includes everything you do on a daily basis in the office and out.  It includes all personal, social and professional interactions that in any way increase connection, trust or team work.

So, when we hire an outside company to do a “team building event” or “team building activity”, what are we really looking for.

The answer is…. It depends.

Team Bonding Activities vs. Team Building Activities

If we already have a high performance team that has a history of success and a strong sense of cohesion, perhaps we simply want a fun activity or experience that our team can share to strengthen bonds and spend a little time together.

There are a variety of fun activities people can do together that are often promoted as “team building” activities, but their primary function is entertainment and team bonding.

They include picnics, bowling, outdoor Olympics, scavenger hunts, and other similar activities which can be augmented with some type of debriefing that attempts to tie the experience back to the workplace and provide some insights or information as well.

These are great as bonding exercises and can also be great when you want something fun and moderately priced to fill a small time slot in a conference or annual meeting. 

The primary thing to remember is that this is basic team bonding, not professional team building or team development. 

If your goals are to dramatically improve communication, increase skills and knowledge, improve productivity, decrease conflict, increase creativity, augment problem solving, increase motivation and drive, unify your team towards a common vision, or other core business objectives, it is important to make the decision to invest in a professional teambuilding program designed to achieve those objectives which also happens to be fun and exciting and likely to produce bonds among your team.

Professional Team Building Events, Seminars, Workshops and Programs

A professional team building or team development program can include a variety of fun and exciting activities to ensure that it is engaging and memorable.  At the core, however, of a true team development/ team building program is useful content that will produce results when you return to the workplace.

The activities are the highlights of the program, but not the program itself.  They are designed both to teach and to integrate tools and skills that will apply directly back in the workplace.

The key factors to look at are 1) who is providing the training and 2) what is the content?

The most effective programs are presented by business professionals with years or decades of real world business experience, advanced degrees and comprehensive research in the topic area, and, most importantly, a history of successfully producing results for past clients.

All too often, entertainment companies offer “team building” services and send out a “facilitator” with no higher education in business, law, organizational development, psychology or other important field, and, more importantly, no real world experience successfully building or managing a business of any size whatsoever.

A professional team building event, seminar or workshop that is designed to meet your business objectives, includes highly memorable activities that are unforgettable, and that is facilitated by a highly experienced professional certainly will entail a larger investment that a day in the park, a trip to the bowling alley or a scavenger hunt.  Yet it is an investment that pays off.

Imagine you are at your company’s annual event.  Which is the better investment?  Fifty to one hundred dollars per person for a forgettable bonding experience that provides little in terms of real world takeaway?  Or a powerful program with unforgettable activities and experiences packed with concrete tools, skills and insights that will be applied immediately upon return to the office producing a geometric return on investment through increased productivity and profitability?

The answer seems clear.  It’s time to invest in a professional teambuilding experience for your team. 

Call us at 1-800-446-4742 to discuss your team building needs
so we can customize your team building or leadership event to achieve your goals.

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