5 of the best exercises for team-building meetings
A successful team accommodates people with different skillsets and varied personalities. But achieving this can be much easier said than done. Check out our top 5 team-building exercises to help bring you and your employees closer together.
1. Two truths and a lie
This is a great icebreaker, particularly when welcoming new employees to your organisation. Each person must write down two truths about themselves and one lie on a small piece of paper – and keep them hidden.
Next, allow 15 minutes or so for open conversation where everyone at the meeting quizzes each other on their three questions. The aim of the game is to convince your peers that your lie is actually a truth.
After the discussion, get everyone to repeat each of their three statements and have the group vote on which one they think is the lie. Points can be awarded for each lie you guess or for stumping other players on your own lie.
2. Sneak a peek
You just need a few sets of children’s building blocks to play this fun game, which is ideal for short meetings when time is of the essence. It teaches participants how to problem-solve in a group and communicate effectively.
Divide the participants into small teams – ideally four or five – and build a small sculpture using the blocks. But keep it hidden. A member from each team can come up to look at the sculpture for 10 seconds and try to memorise it.
They then have 25 seconds to instruct their team how to build an exact replica of the structure. The team then has one minute to recreate the sculpture. After this, another member can go up for a sneak peak until one team successfully duplicates the structure.
3. Egg drop
First, split the room into two large groups. Next, set them the task of building an egg package that can sustain a drop for height. This is another activity aimed at getting employees to work effectively as a team.
Each group must present a 30-second advert for their package once it’s completed, highlighting why it’s unique and explaining how it works, before dropping their egg using the package to see if it really works.
You must provide the tools and materials to make the packages.
4. Pairs
This is a great activity for meetings with a large number of participants. It’s another exercise to help employees get to know each other, plus encourage them to communicate clearly and effectively to achieve a common goal.
Come up with pairs of things – like salt and pepper, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, etc – then write them on separate sheets of paper. Tape them to the backs of participants, making sure they can’t see them.
Staff must walk around asking yes or no questions in order to find out what word they have taped to their backs.
5. Human knot
No materials are needed for this fun brainteaser that helps build team morale through problem solving and communication.
At least eight employees are needed to make it work. Get them to stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. Each person must grab the right hand of someone standing across from them, and then do the same with their left hand.
Everyone should be holding the hands of two different people, while no one should be holding the hand of someone who’s standing directly next to them. The objective is to untangle everyone without breaking the circle.
If the chain is broken, participants must start over.
Why not try one or all of the above at your next team meeting and if you have any alternative team-building tips I’d love to hear about them. Tweet us at @andMeetings
Posted by Ashleigh Sharp
