There is absolutely nothing better in business than a well-functioning team. If everyone in a particular team works on the same level, every business aspect is bound to work smoothly. This is why teams that are made up of friends tend to work best when performing in an office environment. Unfortunately, building relationships takes time, and it is often difficult to assemble a team where everyone is a perfect match with each other. This is exactly why team building exists—businesses invest a lot of money into these events. Luckily for Australians, the Land Down Under is particularly packed with great team-building events.
1. The importance of team building
In sports, a team is supposed to work flawlessly in order to win; even if each player gives a 100% performance, this is no guarantee that the team in question is going to perform well. To achieve victory, a sports team needs to perform in a planned, selfless, supportive manner.
The same goes for the world of business, and team-building events and exercises provide everyone involved with a shared experience—something invaluable and incredibly memorable. No matter how ridiculous they may sound, team-building events are more than useful.
2. The minefield
This team-building exercise focuses on communication and trust—incredibly crucial aspects of building a great office environment. It is both simple and useful; all you need are various handheld objects, blindfolds, and an open space, like a court, a park, or a beach—all abundant in Australia.
The main idea behind this game is based on employee pairs; in each of these pairs, one participant is blindfolded and the other uses exclusively verbal instructions to help them avoid stepping on the mentioned objects. As we said, communication and trust!
3. LEGOs of team building
In this team-building game, it is the team leader who is put to the test. Essentially, you build an object from LEGOs and show it to a team leader, who then explains the layout of the object in question, relying solely on words. Naturally, the rest of the team is tasked with rebuilding the object, with the goal of making it as close to the original as possible.
This fun (everyone loves LEGOs), low-cost way to boost a team’s communication is also a test for the team leader; if they aren’t able to convey the proper amount of information for a LEGO build, they need some exercise. Naturally, this is not only fun and games; the key is to tie in learning goals directly.
4. Paintball
Paintball takes a bit more planning, organizing, and coordination than the previous examples, but you can rest assured that it’s well worth the effort. This game is based on careful planning and cooperation, as well as respecting the chain of command. Victory in paintball is only a question of teamwork.
Fortunately, Australia has a variety of paintball courses available that you can choose from. If you are worried about the time factor of planning, find a transportation company that will help you organize the trip to the last detail; even going out to another city isn’t an issue. If you opt for a company that will carefully and diligently plan your trip, you can travel from Sydney to Canberra by bus in a matter of hours.
5. Going out for a beer
Yep, believe it or not, this is a fantastic team-building exercise. Grabbing a drink with your team will help build a relationship with them and boost their mutual relationships.
Nothing like a cold one with your crew to loosen up those tongues and hear what they think! You can never really claim to know someone without drinking a beer or two with them, and you do need to get to know your team. There are solid reasons why you should grab a drink with your employees.
Sure, these team-building exercises and events might not be conventional, but who cares about conventional in Australia? “Unconventional” almost equals “effective” here! Feel free to give these ideas a try, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box and come up with your unique team-building ideas.
About Author:
Carolin Petterson is a businesswoman and content marketer with years of experience under her belt. She has had the opportunity to contribute to several popular business and marketing websites.
