Team Building

00:00 Casey Stangle once said, getting good players is easy. Getting them to play together is the hard part. And Henry Ford tells us coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.

00:15 It's clear that hiring good people in your company is just the first step towards organizational success. The real key is getting them to work together better.

00:25 You need a team whose members know each other, understand each other, trust each other, and can work together in a cohesive and effective manner.

00:34 But how do we affect this kind of development in our team members? How do we form the bonds and relationships necessary to build the well-oiled machine our organization needs?

00:45 In this course, we'll show you how to do exactly that. Teamwork and collaboration are rated as very important by 75% of employers.

01:47 86% of employees and executives said that lack of team building is the reason for workplace failures. Ninety-seven percent of employees strongly agree that disunion among workers greatly impacts the outcome of a task or project.

02:06 These statistics show that team building is an increasingly important area that businesses should focus on. Our course is going to consist of a series of critical discussion points.

02:23 These are designed to cover this broad topic as thoroughly as possible to encourage growth in these vital areas and to facilitate a real and fruitful discussion within your organization about how you can each improve on this essential characteristic, both at work and in your personal lives in general

02:47 . Some of these will be pretty lengthy and some will be relatively straightforward word and brief. At the very end of this road map comes the most important final step.

03:01 Discussion time. Do not skip this. This is the most important part of this training. When you finish this course, you need to spend at least an hour or so going over the questions we supply at the end as a group.

03:18 Whoever's the head and honcho in the group should designate a facilitator whose responsibility it is that each question is covered and that everyone, time permitting, is able to have their say.

03:31 Make sure all contributions are valued, all suggestions considered, and all opinions respected. So let's move into the first discussion point.

03:46 Go out for lunch. This is probably the most obvious option for any organization. Taking your team out for lunch is a norm for employers to create bonds between employees.

03:59 However, to spice things up, you can take out your team to a more rare spot. Probably someplace where they haven't all tried before.

04:08 If done right, group lunches will spark the most wholesome conversations and help build stronger relationships. You can have these team lunches once a month or after every joyous occasion, such as a successful lunch.

04:24 Just remember to switch places up each time to make it more interesting. You can bring your team together more often by surprising them with treats every once in a while.

04:41 Bringing in a treat in the middle of the workday when they least expect it can make their day. For example, if you have a couple of team members with a sweet tooth, desserts like ice cream will do the trick.

04:55 At lunch, you can bring out an ice cream cart with a variety of toppings and flavors. You can also bring in healthy and nutritious snacks for them to choose from.

05:07 These simple yet spontaneous moments allow your employees to take a break, relax and mingle with other co-workers. Doing these kinds of things is also a way for you to say.

05:20 Thank you for your hard work. This will surely boost them when they resume their work for the rest of the day.

05:31 Rent a house. A great weekend getaway is by renting a beach house or in the mountains. Choose a location that everybody will enjoy.

05:42 You can take a look at Airbnb and Verbo for such listings. Having a place where you can find fresh air and enough sunlight is good for your health.

05:52 Having a cozy place also lets your team relax and recalibrate when you return from work. While there, you can maximize the time by making your team brainstorm new ideas.

06:05 In fact, it doesn't even have to be a formal one. The only purpose is to reflect on how everyone can create a better impact in your organization.

06:20 Start a tradition. There's more to celebrate than just traditional office celebrations. Whenever your team achieves something for the business, go ahead and celebrate, even in the small wins.

06:33 Try to have a fun office party after your team accomplishes a milestone or finishes big projects. Create opportunities to have some fun with your employees a few times a year.

06:47 Create company traditions that every employee can celebrate. Here are some fun company holidays that you can celebrate every year. Food truck feast.

06:58 Run a holiday 5k. Multicultural holiday trivia night. Bring your dog to work day. National pizza day. These office traditions make every year exciting for your employees regardless of their culture, race, or beliefs.

07:17 Having a celebrate-often culture promotes kinship, boosts workplace morale, and and increases productivity. Scavenger Hunt What's team building without a game of Scavenger Hunt?

07:34 Scavenger Hunt is a classic outdoor game that encourages people to work with other colleagues from different teams and departments, cultivating teamwork and forming new social circles in your company.

07:48 How does the game work? First, break the group into two teams or more, create a list of items for them to find or a list of funny tasks that they should do, along with a deadline to complete it all.

08:03 Tasks can include taking a selfie with something shiny, record your teammate lip-syncing I Want it that way, finding someone from another country, and record a video of them speaking their language and etc.

08:17 Photos and videos should be shared in real time on a group chat like Facebook and Slack. The first team to finish all tasks is the winner.

08:28 Scavenger hunts are great for stimulating creativity, encouraging leadership, developing camaraderie, boosting more out, stepping outside of your comfort zone.

08:47 The Mind field The Mind field is a fun team building activity designed to develop trust, communication, and active listening. How do you play this?

09:00 First you need to have an open space such as a conference room, an empty parking lot, a park, or even at the beach.

09:08 Across the open space, scatter random objects such as balls, bottles, cones, plastic utensils, or anything safe and small enough to step on.

09:20 These serve as the mines. Next have the group split into pairs. Having one person each pair blindfolded, while the other one serves as the navigator.

09:32 It'd be best to partner individuals with someone that they don't know well. Teamwork and trust will be put to the test as partners will work together to get through to the other side while avoiding the scattered objects.

09:48 The Blindfolded Partner will be the one who will cross the path, while the other one dictates directions to get across to the other side.

09:57 But there's a catch. The Blindfolded One must not speak. The navigator is also not allowed to touch their partner. Instead, the blindfolded one must listen carefully to their partner to avoid the objects as they walk across the other side.

10:14 If someone hits an item, they have to start over again. After repair successfully reaches the other side, they must switch positions and repeat the process.

10:26 After the activity, let the team answer these questions. For the person blindfolded, how does it feel to only use your ears while walking?

10:36 For the person guiding, what was the challenge to get your partner to the other side? How did it feel to start over after stepping on an object?

10:47 What does this activity teach us about trust and communication in the workplace? game of possibilities. Some activities are quick yet fun to do in every team building event.

11:04 Game of possibilities is one of them. Split your team into groups then give an object for each group. One after another a person has to go up in front of the group and demonstrate a unique unconventional use for that object.

11:20 The rest of the group will guess what he or she is describing. Provide one minute for each group to brainstorm how to use the object in many new ways as possible.

11:32 Note that the person in front is not allowed to speak. The one who guesses the most for each group is the winner.

11:41 The simple yet fun game inspires creativity and innovation that can motivate the team to think outside the box for new ideas.

11:55 Two truths and one lie. Two truths and one lie is a simple icebreaker game, especially for new teams. First everyone has to sit in a circle facing each other.

12:08 Have each person write up two facts about themselves, along with one lie. The lie should be realistic, not exaggerated. Pick someone to go first.

12:19 Let them state their two facts and a lie in a random order without revealing which is which. Then the others must guess which is the lie.

12:28 Go around the circle until the rotation is complete. The simple activity can pave the way for new rapport and help eliminate snap judgments among colleagues.

12:39 weeks. It also gives introverts in your team a chance to speak out and share something about themselves. Barter Puzzle Negotiation skills are needed for this fun game.

12:55 Split everyone into small equal sized groups. Give out a Jigsaw puzzle with the same number of pieces for each group.

13:04 The group who finishes the puzzle the fastest wins. But here's a twist, some pieces are mixed with the other groups' jigsaw puzzles.

13:14 The real challenge is how to get the other pieces from the other group. This could be either through trading, negotiating, or even exchanging group members.

13:26 Whatever their strategy is, everyone must decide in unison. This activity is a great way to enhance your employees' interpersonal skills.

13:36 Such skills include effective communication, active listening, problem solving, decision-making, assertiveness, rapport building, the egg drop, a classic yet messy way to build rapport, 4.

13:59 The Egg Drop Game Create groups of 3-5 people and give each group a raw egg. Provide a box of different office supplies.

14:09 In 15-30 minutes, they must use the supplies to build a makeshift contraption that prevents the egg from getting cracked when dropped.

14:19 Office supplies can include tape, pencils, cups, straws, newspapers, rubber bands and etc. Once time's up, each group will drop their gizmo from the second floor and see which egg survives the fall.

14:37 This typical team building game is highly engaging, allowing team members to bond and put their creative skills to the test.

14:47 Make sure you have an extra supply of eggs and a lot of paper towels as this is going to be a hundred percent messy.

14:59 Spot Awards A simple yet great way to recognize employees' special contributions is by giving out spot awards. Every time you see an employee accomplish a specific project or task, give them gift coupons on the spot.

15:16 These can be anything from discount websites like living social, groupon, restaurant.com, or warehouse discounts like Costco. You can also give out tickets to local sports, arts or music events.

15:32 It can also be a cash gift or bonus compensation. Giving out spot awards builds a culture of highlighting an employee's exceptional performance in the regular day-to-day activities and assignments.

15:47 It can also be used to recognize contributions that otherwise might go unnoticed, such as volunteering to work longer hours during a busy week or filling in an absent employee.

16:00 Regularly handing out spot awards not only gives recognition, but also promotes productivity, motivating everyone to always perform on a high level.

16:15 Attend conferences, seminars, workshops. For your employees to work together effectively as a team, they also need to become better as individuals.

16:28 Attending conferences, seminars, and workshops can help your employees grow more as a professional. Supporting your employees in attending these events help broaden their horizon in their current role or field.

16:44 Create connections and exchange ideas with a professional community. Gain knowledge and insight from current events, latest technology, trends, etc. Build trust, loyalty, and reputation.

17:01 Remember, you sponsor these kinds of activities, not because you're expecting something in return. Rather, you do this to show that you care about their professional development and that their improvements individually will have a huge impact on their performance collectively.

17:22 Volunteering Team building isn't always about playing the funniest of games and goofiest of activities. You also want your employees to learn how to give back to the community.

17:34 Volunteering is a great team building activity, not only to build rapport, but also to To help your team find genuine meaning in the work they do.

17:45 Whether you're planning for your first team volunteering experience, or looking for new ways to give back to your community, here are some ideas that can help your team make an impact.

17:58 Organize a public cleanup, host a workplace fundraiser, sponsor a youth sports team, Grow a community garden, help the homeless, share your expertise in the community, assemble care packages.

18:15 Why is volunteering such an empowering team building activity, consider these reasons? Promotes togetherness enhances problem solving skills, reduces stress, medium for learning new skills, creates corporate social responsibility, build long-lasting memories, sporting events.

18:44 Get the gang out together after work and attend a local sporting game. However, pro sporting events can be a little pricey.

18:53 If so, you can head out to cheaper ones like college or semi-pro games. Sporting events, however, are not only for relaxation and enjoyment.

19:03 These events can also have a great impact on your own group. Seeing the dedication and passion of amateurs can be highly infectious for your own team.

19:14 Who knows? Those minor leakers can serve as inspiration for your workers to become more devoted to their work. Escape rooms are quickly becoming a go-to activity for company team buildings.

19:33 Basically, you're locked in a room filled with puzzles and riddles. Your employees will work together on a time limit to find clues and solve riddles and escape the room.

19:44 This is a great activity for testing out your team's logic, patience, and collaboration. You can split your employees into several groups and reward the team with the fastest escape time.

20:03 Go-Cart Racing Nothing gets you amped up more than Go-Cart Racing. It's a fun, energy-filled activity and a friendly competition that your team can enjoy You can even establish an annual Gold-Cart competition and hand out a trophy to the fastest employee of the year.

20:23 If fathers are not in the mood to join, most Gold-Cart facilities have other entertainment like video games and a bar that they can use to pass their time.

20:37 Arcade Games Let's face it, you're never really too old to play arcade games. These nostalgia-filled games are great for relaxing and relieving stress.

20:50 If your area has an arcade nearby, you can go with your team in the afternoon and play till you drop.

20:58 You can make the activity even more fun by splitting them into teams and see who can get the most tickets.

21:05 The winning team can be awarded a group lunch or gift cards. Cooking Contests This activity brings out the inner master chef in your employees.

21:21 Split the group into small teams and challenge them to cook something amazing. It can be an experiment, food with a specific ingredient, or something native to a certain region or country, find two to three judges to taste their food.

21:38 After the winning group has been awarded, all can eat their creations together. An activity that draws out creativity while filling stomachs, definitely a win-win for sure.

21:54 Tracking The hustle and bustle of city life can be stressful, traveling to and from work five days a week. Why not take a break from the metropolitan world and climb to the mountains to get some sunlight and fresh air?

22:10 Hiking is a great way to stretch out those stationary muscles, sitting on an office chair for almost eight hours a day.

22:17 Given the trekking is good for our physical health, it also contributes to better mental health. Giving your employees a chance to unwind and take a breather can be a big help to prevent burnout and reduce stress.

22:39 Camping Camping is the number one option for we can get ways. Camping is a great way to take some time off from the urban area and momentarily separate yourself from technology.

22:53 After all, when you're exposed to all of the modern stuff every day, it's satisfying to live a primal lifestyle once in a while.

23:01 At dinner time, you can assemble around a bonfire while toasting marshmallows and singing songs. Campfire stories produce the most goose bumps and make the loudest of laughs that you'll ever hear.

23:15 Give a helping hand by pitching tents and cooking meals together. Once the experience is over, your employees will have a stronger companionship and the fondest of memories.

23:28 They'll return to work together with more passion, devotion and harmony and harmony. Fishing. Fishing is a fun and rewarding activity that you and your team should try.

23:46 Fishing not only gives you the vitamin D you need, but it's really a highly satisfying experience. Find a local pond or lake and bring your fishing rods.

23:57 Split them into small groups and let each group position on different sides of the lake. Fishing takes time, and this time allows people to become more close.

24:10 As you wait for your fishing rod to be pulled, you can talk and laugh about anything while looking at the clear blue sky.

24:18 It also helps them to work on a common goal, sharing the same determination in catching a fish. High-fiving at fist bumping are guaranteed once you've caught your first fish.

24:31 Building a real connection with your co-workers is a really satisfying thing that otherwise won't happen in a corporate setting. And now it's discussion time, the most important part of this training, whoever's the head honcho in the group should designate a facilitator whose responsibility it is that

24:54 each of the questions you see on your screen is covered and that everyone, time permitting, is able to have their say.

25:03 Make sure all contributions are value, all the suggestions considered, and all opinions Respected