Ideas for team-building activities and games in the office

“Team Building” is a term you must have encountered in your elementary school while solving a puzzle with your classmates. Or maybe you have heard it at a camp while completing a group scavenger hunt. But now, this term has become an inseparable part of the corporate world. Team-building activities are essential to strengthen relationships among coworkers. Moreover, these activities are fun and encourage positivity in the workplace.

Sometimes team members show sheer reluctance to participate in these kinds of activities because of the fear of embarrassment. These activities are hard to swallow, and they have a bad rap. However, if conducted carefully, these activities might be fun. Moreover, fun team activities are essential for the success of your business. Teams that collaborate for real, succeed together. HR professionals must plan these activities from time to time to develop a motivating environment at their workplace.

If you are ready to instill a sense of positivity in your organization, then go through the following blog. In this comprehensive blog, we have included the best team-building activities that will foster a positive environment in your organization.

Benefits of team-building activities

Team-building starts from the time you hire candidates. Employers need to make sure that they hire the right candidate without any biases. For this, they can use digital interview software. Using these tools ensures the elimination of any chances of unconscious biases. Make data-driven decisions, and foster positivity in the workplace.

As they say, success doesn’t depend on the number of hours spent at the office but on the quality of work delivered. One can only give their 100% to the work if they feel motivated and positive at the workplace. That’s why team-building activities are important for the growth of any business. The main aim is to build trust and camaraderie among employees.

The magical ingredient of every high-performing team is trust. Employees who trust their colleagues are willing to leave their comfort zone to help each other. They rely on each other and can achieve something big together.
Conducting team-building activities will b oost employees’ morale, and they will feel motivated to complete their tasks.
Employees get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses during these kinds of activities.
It will remind workers that work is just not about them but is about the entire team.

List of team-building activities

1. Memory Wall

The Memory Wall is a great way to spread positivity and good vibes into your workplace. The main objective of this game is to make everyone feel recognized and appreciated. The game encourages employees to share their happy memories with their teammates at the office. Depending on the number of people participating, it may take around one to one and half hours to complete the game.

How to play?

Hand a piece of paper and a pen to each employee.
Ask them to look through the room and write down any positive memories they have shared with any employee. Give them 15 minutes for this.
Once the time is over, give them a new piece of paper. Now, they have to make a drawing of the memory they have listed down. They can even make the team with the employee they have shared memory with. Allow them 30 minutes to complete the drawing.
After completing the drawing, ask them to tape memories on the wall.
Now, every employee will come forward to share the memories with other team members.

A visual memory wall reaffirms the positive relationships among teammates.

2. Shark Tank

Ideas are fun, and people love hearing them. Inspired by the TV series “Shark Tank,” the activity allows a group of people to pitch their ideas. Divide the employees into teams of 2-6. Leaders can play the role of investors and choose the best idea among all. The objective of Shark Tank is to promote teamwork, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and unconventional thinking.

How to play?

After dividing the teams, ask them to come up with an imaginary product. They need to pitch the products in front of sharks (senior team members).
The pitch for the product must be professional, and it should include the marketing plan, business plan, financial data, brand slogan, and brand name.
Ask the sharks to ask some questions from teams to get familiar with their innovative and strategic side.
If the pitch is strong, sharks can invest fake money in it.
The team with the maximum investment wins.
This activity will encourage creative thinking and entrepreneurship.

3. Truth and Lie

Truth and Lie is a fun game that gives employees a chance to bolster public speaking. Employees will get to learn interesting and exciting things about their teammates. You can conduct this game without any equipment, and its main aim is to break the ice. There is no competitive spirit; it is just a fun game.

How to play?

Gather every employee to make a circle.
Each member of the team has to think of four statements about themselves. One of the four statements will be an outright lie.
Players will get up one by one and say those four statements in front of everyone.
The other players have to guess which three statements are true and which one is a lie.
The lie can be some hilarious statements from employees, which improves the group’s mood.

4. Blind draw

The blind draw is an ideal team-building exercise if you have a small team. The game tests the ability of an individual to listen, communicate, and innovate. To be good at this game, each team has to delegate effectively. The goal of Blind Draw is to draw an object while listening to verbal instructions. You will need a marker, flipchart, and reference images to conduct this activity.

How to play?

Make teams of 5-6 employees.
One person from each team will be an artist who will draw the picture.
Ask the other team members to pick one image from a pile.
After that, the team will instruct the artist to draw the image. The artist has to draw the image based on the verbal instructions only.
Each team will get 3 minutes for the drawing.
The team with the closest drawing to an object wins.

5. Perfect Square

Perfect Square is a blindfold game where teammates will work together to create a square with a rope. While doing this, they will be completely blindfolded. The game focuses on improving communication within the team and practicing leadership & collaboration.

How to play?

Divide your employees into small teams of 4-6 people.
Ask teams to stand in a circle facing inward.
Each member needs to hold a rope in a circle and then lay it on the ground.
After that, blindfold every member of the team.
Now, teammates have to turn the circular rope into a square with their skills.
The teams must have a leader who will assist the entire team.
Take their blindfold off after 5 to 10 minutes to see the result.
Most teams make hilarious shaped squares, which is a source of good humor.

6. Office Trivia

Sometimes, you just need a quick activity to get employees involved in an event. Office Trivia is a cost-effective way to improve camaraderie in the workplace. It is an easy way to encourage people to socialize with other departments. No tools are required to conduct this game, and it may take 30 to 60 minutes. The game is not only fun but also highlights the common things among employees.

How to play?

Prepare a list of questions that you will be asking employees. Questions can be related to the workplace or any particular employee, such as “how many people work in the HR department?” etc.
Write down all the questions and their answers on the index card.
Employees will be divided into teams, and they will try their best to answer the questions.
Start asking questions, and the team who gets the most right answers wins in the end.

It is an excellent activity for those teams also who are working remotely. It will develop a sense of belonging within the team. Use the virtual interview software to conduct the activity online.

7. Guess the object

Have you ever played dumb charades? It is the same as that, but here team members have to guess an object rather than a movie. One person from the team will come up to demonstrate the object, and the rest of the members have to guess it. It is a great game for inspiring creativity.

How to play?

Ask the team to send one person to enact the object.
Show the employee a picture of an object.
The volunteer will use his gestures to describe the object to the team. He is not allowed to speak while doing so.
The other teammates will guess the object.
Set a time limit of 1 or 3 minutes to guess the object.
The team with the maximum correct guesses wins.

Wrapping it up

However, there are many team-building activities, but you can choose according to your team size, goal, and available time. These activities are a great way to build team spirit in your company. Use any of these activities to inject positive energy into your workplace. Remember that fun games have a more significant impact on business growth than serious exercises.

FAQs

What are team-building activities?

Team-building activities are exercises and games designed to improve collaboration, communication, and relationships among team members in a workplace. These activities aim to foster a positive and motivating environment.

Why are team-building activities important in the corporate world?

Team-building activities are essential because they help build trust and camaraderie among employees, boost morale, and enhance overall productivity. They create a sense of belonging and encourage positive relationships, which are crucial for a high-performing team.

How can HR professionals effectively plan team-building activities?

HR professionals should consider the team’s size, goals, and available time when planning activities. It’s important to choose activities that are engaging and fun to ensure maximum participation and benefit. Regularly scheduling these activities can help maintain a motivating environment.

How does the ‘Shark Tank’ activity work?

Inspired by the TV show, ‘Shark Tank’ involves dividing employees into teams to pitch imaginary products to senior team members acting as investors. The activity encourages creativity, entrepreneurship, and teamwork.

How is the ‘Blind Draw’ activity conducted?

The ‘Blind Draw’ activity involves teams where one member, the artist, draws an object based only on verbal instructions from their teammates. This game tests communication, listening skills, and the ability to delegate.

What is the ‘Perfect Square’ game?

In the ‘Perfect Square’ game, team members are blindfolded and must work together to form a square using a rope. This activity focuses on communication, leadership, and collaboration.

How can ‘Office Trivia’ benefit a team?

‘Office Trivia’ is a cost-effective and quick activity that encourages socializing and camaraderie among employees. It involves asking trivia questions related to the workplace or employees, promoting interaction across different departments.

What is the ‘Guess the Object’ game?

‘Guess the Object’ is similar to charades, where one team member enacts an object using gestures, and the rest of the team must guess what it is. This game inspires creativity and teamwork.