4 Fresh Ideas for Corporate Team Building

Join Our TeamIf you’re like most of us, terms like “corporate team builder” or “ice breaker” will cause you to break out in a cold sweat. Though well-intentioned, most corporate events usually turn into a collage of awkward moments and forced bonding – an introvert’s worst nightmare.

Employers across the country (and world) are still trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work when it comes to team building corporate events – and they’re getting a lot more creative. Below we’ve gathered four of latest trends in team building. No guarantee they’ll work for your employees, but they’ll certainly be an interesting change of pace…

1) Flash Mobbing

By now, you’ve probably heard of (or even been subjected to) a flash mob. A flash mob is a large group of people who gather suddenly at a public location and perform a pre-planned action, like a choreographed dance. Known as “flash teaming” in the corporate world, flash mobbing has become a popular team building phenomenon with several prominent companies, including McDonalds, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Google and others. According to the American team building firm TeamBonding, an employee flash mob will “ignite the spark in your team through unparalleled communication, spirited energy and shared experience.”

2) Circus Skills Workshop

Tightrope walking, juggling and flying trapeze are just a few of the new skills employees can learn during a team building circus workshop. Circus training team building events have seen a recent surge in popularity, especially in the UK. According to Team Tactics, a UK-based event management company, circus training promotes “new ways of learning, improved communication abilities, stronger mutual support and respect for each other and improved confidence and self-esteem.”

3) Group Cleansing

Trade in one those boring office happy hours for a glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice instead. Group cleanses, which usually consist of a multi-day all-liquid diet, are the latest team building craze. So much so that Oprah Winfrey’s entire production team gave it a go in 2011. Though “cleansing” is a huge fad right now, and many participants claim increased energy levels, focus and clarity (which will probably come in hand at the office), there’s no actual scientific evidence to back up these proposed health benefits. Most physicians advise against multi-day cleansing.

4) Spy School

Ever dreamt of living the life of a secret agent? Well now you and your employees can make you’re your dreams reality – sort of. Spy school has become a popular corporate team building event because it’s an exercise in creativity and imagination. According to Massachusetts-based Quixote Consulting, spy school is a “wildly exciting step away from the day-to-day routine, and always filled with hilarious surprises.” While following a defined objective, participants will work in teams to crack codes, follow clues and retrieve sensitive information.

A Few Tips to Consider When Planning Your Next Corporate Event:

When done right, a corporate team building even can be a valuable, enriching experience for everyone.  Just make sure to follow the hard-and fast-rules below before booking your next event:
  • Avoid any activities that might infringe upon people’s privacy, personal space or dignity.
  • Remember that certain activities (like sports and public speaking) might be fun for some employees, and absolutely miserable for others.
  • If you’re staging a team building exercise to fix a communication or morale problem, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree. These sorts of issues are better handled by actions performed within the management team.
  • The event should have common goals for all employees, pushing people to cooperate, rather than compete.
P.S. If these corporate team building events are a little too intense for your employees (we don’t blame you), we’d be more than happy to help you set-up a more traditional corporate golf event. Image Credit: Flickr

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