Team Building Activities are a vital part of creating a successful, cooperative and creative staff. In this era of email, webinars, and social media, many people aren’t getting the face to face social interaction with their peers in person. For groups that are already planning offsite training sessions or conferences, incorporating an afternoon of team building will bring an added sense of adventure to the agenda.
Team building activities can include both competitive and collaborative team building activities. These and other experiences encourage team bonding and camaraderie. Volunteering as a company is also a team building activity that is on the rise, which has the added benefit of tying into the increased emphasis companies have on Corporate Social Responsibility.
Team building activities have come a long way from simple icebreakers and trust falls. Competitive activities like Beach Olympics allow teams to own their actions by producing meaningful results. Plus, prizes are always a great motivator for a team. Collaborative activities, such as Scavenger Hunts, can push teams to work together to produce results. They have to work together, talking and thinking, to continue to the next step. There are many companies that corporate groups can work with that will show how much fun it can be when employee engagement is encouraged. In the Monterey, California area, Adventures by the Sea creates all kinds of team building scenarios in on the beach, or even in the conference venue. Escape rooms are another new trend in team building. Monterey now features Exodus Escape Room, where the teams are put into “locked” rooms with themes like Sherlock’s Study or the Masquerade Room, and the team must work together to solve the clues to find the key to the door.
Team bonding experiences can vary by location. Some venues will have access for groups to ride bikes, rent surfboards or kayaks, and even play in a volleyball or billiards tournament. Many corporate groups headquartered in cubicle-style offices will find that it is a refreshing and invigorating experience to get out into nature and enjoy the sunshine. If the conference space does not promote these kinds of activity on grounds, the surrounding community can provide a wealth of ideas. Groups are often provided with free, or discounted, tours of places like State Parks, Museums or area attractions. In the Monterey Bay area, there are world-class attractions like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, Asilomar State Beach and Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.
Corporate Social Responsibility is a value that many companies are expanding on. In addition to making companywide choices to be more sustainable or reduce the carbon footprint, organizations can emphasize their CSR by encouraging employees to volunteer. In the Monterey Bay area, corporate groups can have a meeting with meaning when they connect with partners such as Save Our Shores, Elkhorn Slough Foundation or the Surfrider Foundation. These organizations can set up the beach, park, or slough cleanups that make a visible difference in the environment. Groups can set out in teams and record data through an app of all the debris and garbage they collect. This is how many non-profits can produce data on the billions of pounds of cigarette butts are collected each year and other types of environmentally damaging waste.
The most important part of any team building activity is for the group to disconnect from their comfort zone and everyday work and to connect with the other people that make up their team. Whether one chooses to arrange a competitive, collaborative or a volunteer activity, the team (and organization) will reap the rewards through better team communication and collaboration.
For more information on Team Building, please contact our Sales Manager of the Corporate Market, Asilomar Conference Grounds. www.visitasilomar.com
Written by Ashley Soria
