Your facilitator is a professional and can make adjustments during the event as they learn more about your team.  But it doesn’t it make sense to give them a head start?

Providing your facilitator with key information about your group can help them better prepare to engage your staff, focus on your goals and make the content of your Team Building events more focused and relevant to your organization.

Before team building events, let your facilitator know:

• If your team has individuals with special needs or physical limitations
• If there will be “important people” attending the event
• Of any new programs that have recently been launched in the organization
• The general personality of the group and length of time they have been together
• The expected excitement level (or lack thereof) you anticipate

“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.” – Virginia Burden

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Some team building events can help your team become more flexible, other events can help your team develop better working relationships, or adjust to change better, or just about anything else. Look at your team and decide where they could use a little extra help, then focus on that when choosing your event.

Choosing team building events that are fun AND focused on your goals will have a much greater impact on your organization than just looking for something fun. Here are some ideas for your next team building event!

Your Team Building Event Match Maker

• Launching a new product? …………………………….. Operation Military Care
• Need an ice breaker for a new team? …………… Ice Sculpting
• Something holding back your organization? … Breaking Barriers
• Facing multiple challenges? …………………………… Custom Team Building

MORE TEAM BUILDING EVENT IDEAS > | GUIDE >

“A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.” – Japanese proverb

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You have built a successful career, managed and supported successful teams through successful business endeavors and basked in the glory of some substantial…success. A lot of your success stems from knowledge and experience that you have developed over time. That’s why you’re so important to your team and to your company.

You’ve hired consultants before, right? Perhaps for their expertise? Many of us will work with a third party for projects like marketing, accounting, and even human resources. Why not team building?

Team Building facilitators have spent time developing events based on the specific needs of different groups and challenges presented by different venues, timelines and even weather. They are familiar with the content, timing and language useful to maintain event flow, keep energy high and accomplish successful team building.

They know what it takes to create and run an event that will meet your goals and have your team raving and working well together about it for years.

Sure, an “outsider” does not immediately know you or your team very well, but a professional facilitator will take the time to understand your specific needs and align them with their expertise. Plus, hiring a third party can open your team up to new ways of thinking since there are no preconceived ideas and attitudes.

Hire a great facilitator for your team building events, help them with the initial planning, then let them run the show.

Experiencing the event as a spectator or participant will allow you to see things about your team you would never notice if you were more directly involved in running the event. Now that’s some successful team building!

SUCCESSFUL TEAM BUILDING TIPS > | GUIDE >

“T.E.A.M. – Together Everyone Achieves More.”

The post Successful Team Building Tip: Learning to Let Go… Yes, You Have To appeared first on TeamBonding.

You absolutely can combine meetings that are serious in nature with some fun Team Building activities.  In fact, we recommend it!  However, remember that your brain and your attitude don’t usually shift gears as fast as your car.

If your Team Building programs are part of a larger meetings, schedule a break between the serious, heavy content and the fun so both elements can have a maximum impact.

CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING TIPS > | GUIDE >

“One piece of log creates a small fire, adequate to warm you up.  If you add just a few more pieces to blast you get an immense bonfire, large enough to warm up your entire circle of friends.  Individuality counts, but team works creates dynamite.”  – Jin Kwon

The post Increase Productivity in the Workplace Through Leadership appeared first on TeamBonding.

It’s a perfect storm… the facilitator has your team working together to build bikes, move a marble across the room or solve the latest CSI case, they’re having a blast and bonding… exactly like you wanted them to.  And then… it all comes crashing down because of an interruption that wasn’t part of your team building plan.

Pay attention to the Team Building details so this doesn’t happen to your event.

• Plan ahead to move the coffee break service outside of the room so it doesn’t interrupt the Team Building fun.
• Spot a space for pulling side conversations out of the team building path so you’re prepared if you notice a new face that isn’t involved in your activity.
• Keep doors closed to discourage roamers from wondering into your activity.

NEXT TEAM BUILDING PLAN TIP >

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford

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You can’t fight biology… regardless of how involved your team is in the event, there is going to be a mid-afternoon enthusiasm “challenge”.  Preparing for this is the best way to keep up the momentum and stop your team from sneaking off to find the nearest couch.

Be prepared for the post-lunch slump with coffee and healthy snacks to help them through it.  Mid-morning snacks can help keep the rumbling tummies at bay too. Preparing for Team Building details like this will help keep your event running full steam ahead.

NEXT TEAM BUILDING TIP >

“Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.” – Brian Tracy

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Picking the right Team Building style for your event will help your team be more receptive.

Team Building events can be physical, collaborative, creative, challenging, competitive or high energy, etc. Your job is selecting the style of event that your team will enjoy, while still being focused on your goals.

Pick an event that will help your team be more receptive. One caveat… if your goal is to help your team adjust to change or to consider other ways of thinking, it may be best to go “against type” when selecting an event.

NEXT TEAM BUILDING TIP > | FREE GUIDE >

“The leaders who work most effectively never say ‘I’.  That’s not because they trained themselves not to say ‘I’.  They don’t think ‘I’. They think ‘we’.” – Peter Drucker

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A quality Team Building event and facilitator will ensure your staff enjoys themselves; after all… that’s the best, most effective type of Team Building. However, if they see the event as just a break from work where they can gab on their cell phones and come and go as they please, the event won’t have the lasting impact you’re hoping for.

To ensure the most effective Team Building event possible, set the expectation with your team that they should be focused on the event.

NEXT TEAM BUILDING TIP > | FREE GUIDE >

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” – Vince Lombardi

The post Team Building Tip: Set Expectations on Focused Fun appeared first on TeamBonding.

It’s a huge bummer when you are excited about starting a fun team building event, but there is a delay because the entire group isn’t there yet.  So you end up waiting…

Whether late arrivals had transportation issues, didn’t know the start time or just stopped to smell the roses on the way to the venue, delays will hurt your event.

One of the details you need to consider while planning your event is making sure everyone is aware of the start and end times of the event.

Ensure that reliable transportation is arranged if needed.

Plus, make a contingency plan for how to get things started while dealing with late arrivals.

Some contingency plans may include:

• When determining your end time, work possible delays into your schedule.
• Provide an incentive for participants to show up just a few minutes early, if possible.
• Plan ice breakers in advance to keep energy high during delays.
• Identify certain points during your event that provide a smooth transition for late arrivals, similar to an intermission at a show.
• Make sure that people who will be working on a team building project with late arrivals have notice that a change to their team structure is pending.

FUN TEAM BUILDING TIPS > | FREE GUIDE >

“The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater probability that the group will achieve its goals.” – Rensis Likert

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