There is a difference between types of team building activities and objectives of team building activities. Objectives of team building activities refer to learning outcomes like building rapport, improving communication and collaboration, building trust, leadership, problem solving and decision making skills, creating a positive work environment and reinforcing organisational values.
Different types of team building activities allow us to meet those team building objectives. Here are 8 types of team building activities you can consider for your learning objectives.
Icebreakers
Icebreakers are engaging activities or games designed to foster connections and ease tension within a group before a meeting, event, or training session.
These brief, interactive exercises typically last no more than 15 minutes, making them an ideal way to initiate interaction, break the initial awkwardness and build rapport among participants.
Icebreakers serve to create a friendly and inclusive atmosphere, allowing individuals to get to know each other on a personal level.
For a list of easy to conduct icebreakers or short team building activities, follow this link. For tips on how to plan your DIY team building session, read this article.
Problem Solving & Scenario Based Team Activities
Problem-Solving and Scenario Based Activities are activities in which team members work together to address and resolve complex problems or puzzles. These exercises serve various purposes, including enhancing teamwork, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creative problem-solving skills.
One good example is our highly popular änergy Paramount Conquest, which is a scenario based problem-solving activity that is designed with leadership, communication, team work, creativity, planning and also collaborative elements.
Structure Building Team Building
Structure Building Activities involve getting participants to build a structure based on specific requirements. The materials involved can be everyday items like fork and spoons, chopsticks, toothpicks, paper, cardboard, drinking straws, playing cards to more “professional” building materials like timber, metal wires, pvc pipes or even bricks.
An example is our Multi-Builder programme and Sandcastle Wars, where participants build structures based on requirements given and adapt their structure as new developments unfold. This activity is highly effective for reinforcing learning values like teamwork, communication, collaboration, planning and trust.
Race-Type Team Building
Race-type team building is inspired by the multi-Emmy Award-winning reality series[1], The Amazing Race. It was started by CBS in September 2001 and has more than 13 seasons [2]. Participants sign up in pairs and are challenged to solve clues that lead them to different cities around the world.
At each checkpoint, the participants are presented with a challenge that involves completing a difficult task or eating a local dish (which is often undesirable).
Inspired by the concept, we modified the rules of the show and started running our own änergy Synergy Race in 2003. To date, we have run more than 500 races across 20 cities around Asia.
Game Show Team Building
Game show themed team building programmes typically take place indoors and have a cerebral focus, although they may incorporate physical challenges.
During these programs, participants engage in a diverse range of questions. Correct answers earn points, and in some cases, there are bonus challenges designed to help teams that may be trailing in points catch up.
This style of team building often mirrors the format of television game shows, fostering a fun and competitive atmosphere while emphasizing knowledge, problem-solving, and teamwork.
It’s a dynamic way for teams to test their collective intelligence and work together to achieve success.
änergy Brains, Brawn & Bucks is one of our flagship programs that puts teams to the test, challenging their mental and physical capabilities. Teams earn ‘currency’ for correct answers or successfully completing physical challenges within the allotted time.
Board Game Team Building
Some board games are extremely good for team building or team bonding purposes. Classics like Charade, Win, Lose or Draw or even Cluedo can be modified for teams to compete against one another.
Our Cross Boarders programme is a board game based team building activity where teams have to collaborate to complete projects and yet compete with other teams for the limited spots in the project.
This highly addictive indoor team activity can be used to teach sales training or negotiation classes or to reinforce the importance of collaboration, teamwork and having a common vision.
Skill Or Hobby Based Team Building
There are many team building activities that are hobby or skills based. Two excellent examples are our änergy Custom Kicks and änergy Marketing Intern, where participants are taught a new skill to create a digital marketing plan for a product or design their own unique sneakers
Other hobbies that can be used as a team building or team bonding activity include änergy Reels (video production), music, painting, cooking, baking, pottery, singing, yoga and even HIIT-IT, our High Intensity Interval Training (workout) team building.
Workshop or Training Based Team Building
Some training topics are extremely useful for team building purposes. For example personality profile based workshop like our DISC team building,
The DISC Training helps participants better understand their own strengths and areas of improvements, as well as show them how to better interact, and work together with other team members who have different inclinations from them.
When structured properly, communications workshops and presentation skills workshops like our änergy Present Like a Boss can also be very effective at helping participants work better together or enhance cohesion.