Tall Ships

Tall Ships is a highly engaging team building exercise—a learning game—that challenges teams to race against the clock (and other teams) to build the tallest ship mast at the lowest cost. Players not only learn the skills behind the seven factors that research demonstrates are most critical to effective team performance; they actually practice them, too through various team development activities.

This Event Has Departed...

This event has bonded more teams than we can count but has finally run its course and is now considered part of The Departed. Below you'll find a scrolling list of additional events that are considered great alternatives. If you really loved Tall Ships and think it should be brought back from The Departed, let us know by voting using the button below!

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Available as

In-Person

Why this event?

Tall Ships is a highly engaging team building exercise—a learning game—that challenges teams to race against the clock (and other teams) to build the tallest ship mast at the lowest cost. Players not only learn the skills behind the seven factors that research demonstrates are most critical to effective team performance; they actually practice them, too through various team development activities.

Teams representing imaginary companies have been selected by The Seven Seas Company to bid on a lucrative contract for designing and building a tall ship. But in order for any team to be awarded the winning bid, they must first demonstrate that they can successfully embody the “Seven C’s” upon which The Seven Seas Company is founded:

  • Clarity 
  • Capability
  • Collaboration
  • Commitment
  • Communication
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Creativity

Three game rounds reveal the team dynamics that impact team effectiveness. In Round 1, teams are asked to assemble the tallest ship mast possible in the least amount of time. Lessons learned from this round are discussed and applied to the Seven C’s model. Round 2 challenges teams to rethink their strategy and build yet a taller mast in the same amount of time, but at the lowest cost. Following a team performance assessment and debrief, teams make one last attempt at the task, assembling the mast according to new specifications and requirements. Finally, an action-planning phase provides teams and team members with an opportunity to improve their performance.

innovative team buildingTall Ships is an Innovation Lab program. We always have some fresh new team building brainstorm under development. Remember, every event we offer has to start somewhere. The opportunity for you? A deeply discounted, deeply memorable experience when you let us test-drive our latest creation on your team. Of course we’ll want photos and video – you will, too.

Visit our Innovation Lab >

Team size
  • 12 - 60
Time needed
  • 2 - 4Hrs
Space requirement
Ideal for
  • Learn and practice the seven factors critical to effective teamwork
  • Explore strategies to improve team performance
  • Identify and apply actions to real-life team situations
Tailoring

An eye-opening experience for both newly formed and intact teams.  Tall Ships can also be adapted to address topics including leadership, change management, quality or process improvement, virtual teams, and safety awareness.

Let's talk.

For more than 20 years, we’ve been helping teams like yours enhance open communication and build team camaraderie. If you want to rekindle the bonds your team once shared, or you’re assembling a new virtual team for the post-pandemic world, we are here to help.

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