Teams at Play

Nowadays, experiential learning is leading in the space of outbound team building programs. With constant focus on teams and evolving them to function as a single unit as well as appreciating the diversity of all members, MICEtalk delves further into what is available for such requirements.

Shift from ‘I’ to ‘We’

All major corporations are working first and foremost to attain a common goal — the move from ‘I’ to ‘We’. Hence, typically the first session of any team-building exercise is focussed on getting the participants in touch with a pride of place and their reason for being in the organisation. In a nutshell, unless you feel like you are contributing, you are not likely to take yourself seriously and that will reflect in your work.

Any organisation has the tendency to put people in silos, its structure and set up (which it can’t do without), albeit to maintain order. But it leads to an illusion amongst their people that it is their own goals and their own team’s task that are important to them. The challenge arises in resisting the temptation of viewing any situation that one encounters outside of one’s silo as ‘not my problem’ and constantly keeping a holistic view of goals and tasks.

Team building activities are useful for improving team dynamics, building trust, facilitating communication and teamwork. Here are a couple of exercises/games that demonstrate to team members that each and every person of the team is of paramount importance to move towards a common goal.

Multi Vine challenge

It is a high energy rope activity that requires support and team work to accomplish the challenge safely. There are many ropes that form a STAR shape. The members are required to start at the closed end of the rope and balance themselves on outstretched arms while moving towards the open end. The rest of the

team has to act as balancers and spotters to ensure if any member falls off the rope he/she is safe.

Pipe Dreams

The team has to transport ‘crazy balls’ from the start point to the end point using several pipe pieces held by a number of participants. At the end point, they have to deposit these balls into a glass and only then is the task complete.

Team building activities are useful for improving team dynamics, building trust, facilitating communication and teamwork

5-pointed Star

This activity requires all participants to be blindfolded. Each participant is then given a part of a rope to hold. The group is then expected to form a 5-pointed star as per instructions of the facilitator. A new challenge is presented after each task is achieved,.

Spider’s Web

The team must determine how to get every team member from one side of the web to the other, without touching the web and while using each opening only once. For more info, visit www.greatindianoutdoors.in