What is NOT Team building? - FocusU

What is NOT Team building?

We lost a deal to a competitor in the previous week. We were disappointed of course – yet we went back to the customer and explored what choice of activities they had finally gone with.

As we came to know later, they had chosen to go with an event organizer who had sold them the concept of doing carnival style booths, which ran activities like target shooting, etc. Am sure their proposal was attractive enough in content & looks, but what it also told us was that many clients who come to us for team building, don’t really know what is NOT team building. Yes, people would have fun in the aforementioned event – but would that result in any organizational change? That’s best left unanswered.

NOT Team buildingWe hence decided to put up a non-exhaustive list of a few things that we think could be fun, but which are definitely NOT activities that aid in team building:

1) Cricket matches….. A max 14 on the field – the rest on the sidelines!

2) All such ball games that have a majority of people sitting out

3) Running a carnival style booth – with small groups of participants flitting between them.

4) Going to the movies – 3 hours of slience, broken by “pass the popcorn”!

5) “Games” that have no purpose beyond the play itself…. “Had a good time? Well carry on home – and hope that makes you a better employee at office!”… Really ??!!

6) Adventure activities that are largely done individually or in very small teams of 2-3… like rapelling…

Don’t get us wrong – we love FUN, infact its one of our core values. But only FUN is not equal to team building. Just because you have had FUN together, will not make you a better team.

We conduct experiential team building programs that are not just memorable, but act as catalysts for change within teams. Here is what one of our customers had to say after attending one of our sessions: “Thank you for the wonderful experience you gave us during those two days. We see positive changes in the team after that. Last week, we picked up those “Glad, Mad and Wish we had” chits generated in the offsite and called everyone together. We discussed all those things and tried sorting a few things as you suggested. The Team was so happy and cheerful seeing us listening to them.”

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This offsite helped me love going to office again as last month, I didn’t go to office much. I didn’t feel like going to office at all because the environment was just not right. Many thanks to you and your team. Really really appreciate how you guys at FocusU have helped us! Please keep in touch.” – Kiran Mittal, Deputy MD, Reed Manch Exhibitions

Do drop in and have a quick read of some of the other testimonials too. Words like these from our clients reinforce our faith in the positive difference that real team building programs can make.

What are your thoughts? What are the other activities that you think masquerade under the guise of team building?

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