Building A Team: Cooking Classes, Scavenger Hunts, Indoor Games, and More

Team building activities come in many forms. Some are designed to help promote individual skills, while others help build team interactions and socialization. Finding the best combinations possible to build overall skills is the most effective way to incorporate vital learning opportunities. Comparing team building activities and offering skill development in a fun setting is the best way to ensure the lessons stick.

Activities for Building Individual Confidence

Cooking instruction and other more solitary activities are great ways to boost individual confidence. The better the confidence levels are of each individual team member, the better the results will be as a whole. Every member of a team brings value that is enhanced when personal limiting behaviors are removed. The best way to reinforce dropping limiting thoughts and behaviors is by allowing a free-flow of positive, successful experiences in a fun environment.

Developing Enhanced Skills In Following Instructions

Team building games require following specific instructions to complete activities with positive results. Not only do all participants have to develop the ability in reading and follow instructions individually, but many times group decisions have to be made based in following the given rules. Playing games is a way of honing skills in a way that seems less like work, or work-related exercises. A company will find that employees are more receptive to being involved. It’s the perfect way to add on to the individual skill-building activity.

Building Comfort Levels In Working With Others

Not every employee is a social butterfly. Many feel less than confident about working in groups. It’s not always associated with shyness, although that can sometimes be a factor. Incorporating activities that are fun and relaxing is a way for all team members to begin feeling a sense of camaraderie. The company will begin to see natural leadership skills shine as the group begins to take the positions within that are most comfortable. Every member has to find a way to contribute individually, yet function as one unit. The skills learned will easily translate to work activities.

Demonstrating the Positive Benefits of Teamwork

Successfully creating a recipe from scratch results in the creation of food that tastes good. The immediate positive results are a satisfying meal. There are even companies out there, like Cozymeal, that specialize in team building around food. As a great alternative, strategy games like indoor scavenger hunts also provide an immediate positive result in being on the winning team. Winning at team building games offers the notoriety of being the best and can involve prizes. The more each team works together and depend on one another for assistance, the more likely a positive result will emerge.

Why Learning New Skills Should Be Associated With Fun Activities

Attempting to teach team building skills straight out of a textbook will hardly result in much positive change. Fun activities are a way to help allow the lesson to stick. The direct interaction and experiencing the skill-building in action will make it easier to call the lessons to mind in a work situation. The words and concepts will make better sense when seen in action and experienced first-hand. Highly interesting and fun activities used as skill and team building enhancement is a way to break down barriers that keep many from participating in a classroom setting.

Finding ways to get employees to work better as a team is easier when utilizing fun activities that promote both individual and group working skills. Management can choose from activities like cooking instruction or specific games that focus on individual skills or choose from a variety of team games and activities that demand group participation. A combination will ensure both skill sets are developed fully.

Melissa Thompson

Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn’t know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.