Organising a team building event can be a tricky task. You may have to make peace with the fact that not everyone is going to love everything that you arrange. However, that shouldn’t deter you from trying! In this post we’re going to look at some of the ways you can ensure everyone in your group has a great time during a corporate team building event – Whether it’s the annual company christmas party, or a “just-because” get together.
HAVE A SMALL GROUP OF ORGANISERS
First up, don’t tackle this by yourself. Ideally, you want to form a small group of “social organisers” that includes female and male staff from different age groups. Making your team of organisers diverse is beneficial because some ideas that can be spawned from a singular demographic can lead to the booking of activities that aren’t suitable for everyone. By floating ideas around a diverse group, you’ll reach an optimal activity faster as it will need to pass through everyone in your organiser group to become a plan. It’s also a great way to avoid booking something that will offend or be of no interest to members of your team – this is often done unknowingly, but it doesn’t make it the situation any better!
COMPROMISE
The key to any negotiation or planning session is compromise. Not everybody in your organiser group, or the larger company, is going to love everything that you suggest. To manage this, you’ll need to compromise on the ideas that you present to the group. For example, a food related team event like a bread eating contest isn’t very good if you have 5 coeliacs in the company! Remember, it’s about as many people having a good time as possible, not 10 people having a blast while 50 end up wishing they were on the couch with Netflix.
THINK OUTSIDE YOUR BOX
It’s important to consider things like allergies, religious practices, and gender biased activities when planning so that you don’t offend, alienate, or make someone feel uncomfortable. While it’s likely impossible for you to know everything off the top of your head, if you have a suggestion for an activity that you believe may cause concern – find the answers and make a choice that respects those attributes some of your team may have.
HAVE A MIX OF ACTIVITIES
Having a mix of activities are a great way to ensure that people get a chance to play to a strength. Physical activities are great for the sportier people in the team and gives them a chance to shine, while puzzles and problem solving give those that a more analytical a chance to display their prowess (not that the two are mutually exclusive!).
HAVE ACTIVITIES THAT ENCOURAGE TEAMWORK
Choosing activities that require you to make small teams encourages everyone to work together to reach a common goal, instead of a free-for-all that encourages singular participation. This is particularly relevant when it’s your company as you may be placed in groups with people you don’t usually interact with, meaning you can make new or stronger relationships while learning about each other’s strengths and talents. If you’re the boss, it’s great to witness who your team considers the leaders in your company!
MAKE IT FUN
While it sounds a little cheesey – it’s gotta be fun. People want to enjoy themselves and have a story to tell and something to discuss around “the water cooler” for the weeks after. So when you’re looking to book your next team building activity consider the Masters of Fun: Great Race. With a cast of stellar performers as your hosts and a huge range of exciting and mixed challenges, your team building event is in the most capable of hands. So what are you waiting for? Let’s Fun!
