When you think of corporate team building exercises you may think of “trust falls”, rock walls or zip lines. Maybe you have done activities with slips of paper slid into hats for contests or book clubs where everyone shares what they are learning. All of that stuff is fine, but a bit played out. You may also find it a bit cheesy and forced.
If you feel that way, then the rest of your team probably does too. That’s why it is so important to find the best team building exercises… the ones that really ARE group building activities, and not just games.
Don’t believe it? The truth is that team building is the only sure way to develop a group of hard-working and close knit staff members. The trick is finding the games and activities that will excite and delight your group.
Why Team Building is Key to Success
So now that we have established that team building is important, let’s talk about why. What follows are just a few reasons why team building challenges are important in the workplace:
Get people talking.
It opens up the lines of communication when the activities and challenges create discussion among employees, and between employees and management. This will create more positive office relationships and better work will get done.
Get people moving.
Team building exercises motivate employees to take on new challenges and reach for leadership roles within the company. They will feel more comfortable sharing ideas and opinions and the office environment will be more productive. – Team leadership and team building go hand in hand. The more comfortable your employees are to express their ideas and opinions, the more confident they will become. Motivate them to take on new challenges.
Get people thinking.
Team building boosts creativity and creative thinking by taking your team out of their “comfort zone.”
Get people working.
Your employees will develop problem-solving skills. Teams that are able to come together when a problem arises and work together to solve it, will be some of the best employees and future managers that any business can ask for. So, what types of team building activities are authentically helpful?
Common Team Building Activities
There are lots of fun little games to play with your employees like….
- Board games
- Trivia
- Community service
- Races
- Card games
- Pictionary
- Mural projects
- Charity work
- Vacations
- Conferences
- Etc.
However, they are kind of run-of-the-mill and most have seen them done before. If you have seen them done, so have your employees. They won’t be impressed and will become bored and disinterested with it… which is why… The newest craze in group team building in Atlanta is escape games.
Escape Games for Team Building
Escape games are fun and exciting. They take your employees out of their comfort zone and allow them to have fun and connect. It may not be possible for all of your employees to be best friends, and it may not even be appropriate, BUT working together for a common cause is what they are supposed to be doing every day. Encouraging colleagues to interact with one another, speak and express ideas in ways that they would not likely do in the office, helps to reach this goal. They will become bonded and get to know one another in a way that is essential to a healthy and happy working environment. Your team will leave feeling as though they have been through a true adventure together… and that they worked together to achieve the goal!
Connect young and senior workers
The whole team should function as ONE. There are sometimes divides amongst employees and colleagues. However, those barriers can and should be knocked down whenever possible. Of course, there is often a disconnect between senior staff and newer, younger hires. The older, often supervising, employees have been around the block a few times, enjoy their own circle and may not always have time for a lot of small talk. On the other side of the coin, younger employees may feel resentful of the guys in management or intimidated to even address them. However, these types of games force them into a small room together to work out a problem as a group and, with that, will come a lot of great discoveries about one another. Who knows what talent the senior staff will see in their younger colleagues? Or imagine how much a younger staffer can learn from an older employee willing to share what he or she knows.
Fun Team Building Exercise
Fun, fun, fun! It’s a lot of things, but probably more than anything, escape games are fun. They are a way to make problem-solving and skill building seem like playing pretend. All of us are kids at heart and, though we may not admit it, the thrill of playing a game like this is equally as exciting now as it was when we were little.
Team building challenge
“The zombies are coming!” If that won’t get people moving and working together, then what will, right? Within a certain time limit, your team will have to get out or will be faced with an undesirable fate. The scripts are written to be challenging, but highly possible to achieve success when all members of a team work together as a team and think on their toes.
Tips that will help teams escape
What must teams do to be successful? Here are a few tips:
Tip 1.
COMMUNICATE
People who are shy, quiet or unsure in group settings will have to let their guards down to have success with their group. The game really forces communication and brings people’s guards down.
Tip 2.
YOU NEED LEADERSHIP –
Around 70% of shows of this game, nationwide, do not complete the challenge. The research has shown that those who do not win, often do not have enough leaders in their group. It is best to have a few strong leaders throwing out ideas and making suggestions.
Tip 3.
FOLLOW WHEN YOU NEED TO
Too many cooks spoil the pot, so try your best to lead when you need to lead and follow when it makes sense to follow. Remember, it is a TEAM effort and not everyone can be captain.
Tip 4.
THINK CREATIVELY
In order to achieve almost anything in life, you need to think outside of the box. Being forced to think in creative and innovative ways, will give employees the opportunity to problem solve, show off talents and gain confidence.
Tip 5.
LISTEN
Be smart enough to listen. It doesn’t matter if it’s the intern or the guy who got hired last week. They have something to offer, as well. Pay attention and have respect for what they have to say.
Choose different quests
The great thing is, after you have done one quest, there are others to choose from. Whether it’s a murderer, a hungry zombie or a deadly infection, there are plenty of fates to escape. Choose the one that you think will most excite your team. Got a lot of Walking Dead fans at the office…? Choose the Zombie Apocalypse quest. Your team love to read murder mysteries? Try out the Murder Mystery quest. Got a lot of Fan’s of unknown? Choose the Infection quest
Celebrate anniversary, new clients and other important events and let your team connect
Your team doesn’t have to have an excuse to connect, but there are certainly plenty of great reasons to share in an escape the room game with your employees. If you have a new client, have been in business for 20 years next month, or just completed a huge new project – this is an ideal way to celebrate with your coworkers. Or just have a blast!
Should you try to escape?
- Well, that depends…
- Do you like to have fun?
- Do you enjoy challenging yourself mentally and socially?
- Are you creative and smart?
- Do you enjoy your coworkers and want to learn more about them?
- Do you want to learn more about yourself and what you are capable of?
- Do you want to maximize your team’s productivity?
If you answered, “Yes” to some (or most) of the above, then yes you should try escaping as soon as possible!
Create memories with your team that will last
You can celebrate just about anything with these types of team building activities, or you can simply have a great time and try something new. Even if you do not celebrate a specific event, you can still make it a festive and enjoyable activity. Most corporate groups set up lunch, dinner or drinks following their session where they can discuss the outcome of their adventure. There are many lessons to be learned and much to remember and carry with you through life.
Recommended Escape the room agency in Atlanta
There are some fabulous Escape the Room Team Building Activities in Atlanta. However, they are not all created equally. While some like Paranoia Quest are well-designed, thoughtfully created and full of opportunities for learning, some others are not nearly as challenging, interesting or fun. Paranoia Quest become well-known in Atlanta for having some unbelievable escapes and a great staff. We have 3 quests to choose from. If you are interested in giving this type of team building activity a try, then be sure to check out what we have to offer.
Group team building activities are essential for the success of any business. It is so vital that management recognize this and put on corporate events that include fun team building exercises which allow the employees to become a family. Of course, business is always most important but, studies have shown that you can’t run a great and successful business without an outstanding team. And, outstanding teams are built, not born.
You have to work together as a team to create a well-oiled machine that can take on the world, solve problems and do business in our fast-paced modern world. There is no way to magically make it happen. However, there are LOTS of fun ways, and work does not always have to be boring, dry or unexciting. That is why Escape the Room games are absolutely an awesome way to get your team out of the office so that they can think outside of the box!
To see our Special Team building pricing and details download our Corporate Team Building PowerPoint Presentation with special pricing and details below
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