Team Building Ideas

bitslice · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:26

wingman said:
I’m really not sure you’re going to be able to make people talk to each other. Around half of the people will, and always will be, completely uncomfortable in that sort of environment and pushing that on them will only make things worse.

This
I would quite possibly spend the entire time plotting the early demise of anyone who forced me to do this.

I like socialising with people I like, I hate socialising for the purposes of networking.

There is an sort of anti-geek ethos in companies now, HR don't seem to understand that some people are not outgoing and feel completely at sea in these situations. They will no more benefit from the experience than being stabbed in the face with a fork to improve their morale.

What they want is to be appreciated for what they do and not to be made to feel like freaks for just wanting to do their job on their own.

Cosimo · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:27

Go Karting followed by pub.

Skidder · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:29

Mutual masturbation is good for camaraderie.

Kautya · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:30

Skidder said:
Mutual masturbation is good for camaraderie.

ROFL .

MikeTheNative · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:31

There is the classic go karting or paintball. But if you want to really find out who your co workers are, a massive **** up will work.

Cosimo · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:32

Skidder said:
Mutual masturbation is good for camaraderie.

Do you all hold hands?

Skidder · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:37

I've heard it called a baby's arm but never a hand! That's a new one!

Kautya · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:47

Cosimo said:
Do you all hold hands?

I would presume not ,as hands would be busy !!

novaenough · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:47

bitslice said:
I would quite possibly spend the entire time plotting the early demise of anyone who forced me to do this.

I like socialising with people I like, I hate socialising for the purposes of networking.

There is an sort of anti-geek ethos in companies now, HR don't seem to understand that some people are not outgoing and feel completely at sea in these situations. They will no more benefit from the experience than being stabbed in the face with a fork to improve their morale.

What they want is to be appreciated for what they do and not to be made to feel like freaks for just wanting to do their job on their own.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts too.

What I can tell you from my last team building/service review is: don't keep telling everyone to focus on the positives and that we all need to stop being so negative, then ask us to say what is wrong with our service and what we'd change to improve it.
Implying that your big boss is a bit of an idiot and doesn't listen probably won't go down well, in my experience

Ayahuasca · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:50

A massive booze up, expect to have to fire a few people on the Monday morning after they let loose their real thoughts on you though.

JeditOjanen · 16 Jul 2014 at 12:57

MikeTheNative said:
There is the classic go karting or paintball. But if you want to really find out who your co workers are, a massive **** up will work.

I think the whole thing is already a massive **** up, thanks all the same.

15-20? Nip down the local hobby shop - or Amazon, if you're quick - and get two copies of The Resistance. It's a game for 6-10 players where you take the role of a cell of freedom fighters who have been infiltrated by spies from the evil government. You have to figure out who the spies are by picking teams to go on missions and judging people by the result. It's a great social game where everyone has to talk. It takes 20-30 minutes to play, so you could run it twice in an hour and shuffle the teams for the second game.

Housey · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:00

Go buy a load of similar Lego kits. Remove the instructions and hold a competition for who can make their model first using only the box. Prize for the winners, that isn't Lego I'd suggest and then home early on a Friday.

MikeTheNative · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:01

Housey said:
Go buy a load of similar Lego kits. Remove the instructions and hold a competition for who can make their model first using only the box. Prize for the winners, that isn't Lego I'd suggest and then home early on a Friday.

I actually quite like this idea.

wingman · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:11

Housey said:
Go buy a load of similar Lego kits. Remove the instructions and hold a competition for who can make their model first using only the box. Prize for the winners, that isn't Lego I'd suggest and then home early on a Friday.

Superb idea.

Split them into four groups and give them a Millennium Falcon each! Such as this, or more likely this.

Freefaller · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:12

Theophany said:
It's also the last day of the week, hence a mandatory trip to a dispensary of alcoholic beverages is strongly suggested.

Haven't a drink in weeks so that wouldn't bother me

UTmaniac · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:14

Chop their heads and limbs off, this makes less irregular shaped building blocks.

XplosiveHamster · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:29

Cheers for the useful suggestions guys, had a quick google for things similar to the lego idea and found the marshmallow challenge on TED which I'm going to run with

http://marshmallowchallenge.com/Welcome.html

Will pick up some beers and then probably an early finish for everyone too

Steeps · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:33

Split the room into smaller teams, and ask them in that hour to come up with plans for team building exercises to do in an office for an hour in an afternoon. This should give you some inspiration for what to do next time you force this on your "team"

XplosiveHamster · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:37

Steeps said:
Split the room into smaller teams, and ask them in that hour to come up with plans for team building exercises to do in an office for an hour in an afternoon. This should give you some inspiration for what to do next time you force this on your "team"

Selekt0r · 16 Jul 2014 at 13:59

XplosiveHamster said:
Cheers for the useful suggestions guys, had a quick google for things similar to the lego idea and found the marshmallow challenge on TED which I'm going to run with

http://marshmallowchallenge.com/Welcome.html

Will pick up some beers and then probably an early finish for everyone too

Best take a dyson and a carpet shampooer as well then. I've seen this done before - the spaghetti will break into a million pieces, and the marshmallows will get dropped and trodden into the carpet...