Try out these amusing team bonding activities at your workplace
In a world where increased productivity is the ultimate goal, every kind of a company, be it a startup or a corporate, puts a premium on a well-knit and integrated team to start with. A team that works together is more efficient, productive, and not to forget, fun to work with. But sometimes the same old ‘bonding activities’ can turn out to be a little boring for the teammates, which leads to skepticism. Hence, whoever is entrusted with the job of coming up with such office activities must keep in mind that they must be simultaneously fun, educational, and effective.
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I have scavenged the internet to compile the ultimate list of go-to team building activities that will cater to everything from conflict resolutions to problem solving exercises in an interesting manner.
Egg Drop
This is a classic team building activity aimed at strengthening engagement, communication, and creativity among the teammates. In this exercise, the people concerned are to be divided into groups of two or three where each team is given the task of building the perfect egg package that will be able to withstand a two or three storey drop. Let the team members use any and every kind of materials available in the office to create the package. The team whose egg survives the fall wins. It’s messy, but extremely fun.
Battle of the air bands
A nice little twist on Comedy Central’s Lip Sync Battle, aimed at increasing team bonding. Split the team in groups of three or four and ask them to create a full on pretend band with the singer, drummer, guitarist etc. Ask them to lip sync perform to a song of their choice and just have fun. Ask everyone else to vote for the best performers, of course with the caveat that they can’t vote for themselves. This exercise requires the least effort and time and involves music. It’s a win-win!
Office trivia
This quick activity tests how observant the teammates are and serves as a great ice breaker. Compile a list of some fun workplace related questions, have the teammates sit together in a room, and just start shooting questions at them. Ask questions like, ‘What flavour is the air freshener in the washroom?’ or ‘What is the brand of the ACs?’ or even, ‘Who brings the best and worst food for lunch?’ These will raise awareness among the teammates.
Picture pieces game
This is a great problem solving activity wherein the leader has to take an iconic picture of any personality and then cut it up into pieces. Each piece must be then handed out to every member of the team. They then must be instructed to make an exact replica of their piece, but only five times larger than the original. After a while ask them to arrange their replicas to make a giant picture of the earlier smaller one. This activity showcases divisional departmental activity and problem solving.
Truth and lie
This exercise gives an equal footing to all people on the team to express themselves, break the ice, and clear false assumptions. Ask the teammates to write three truths and one (believable) lie in four pieces of paper. Then, ask each of them to read out the facts randomly. The rest of the teammates are to figure out which among the four facts is a lie. As a result of this, the participants will come to know others as well as others’ opinions of themselves.
A team where people are estranged to each other is less of a ‘team’ and more of a ‘bunch’. A great and well bonded team has great perks and productivity among others. Yes, these activities might sound childish to some, but it will certainly help to consider them since they will provide first-hand knowledge about all the teammates and hopefully entice them to work together when it comes to actual office project.
