Team building games, games for adults

Approximate reading time: 3m 47s

Often, leaders do not plan team building games adequately, i.e. they do not set a goal that they want to achieve with their help. This, however, turns out to be a huge waste of time, and they themselves risk losing the respect of their team, since they have organized an event that does not help in any way the people who will take part in it. 

Team building games - games for adults can be an excellent means of uniting teams, developing skills and addressing weaknesses, but only if the exercises are planned and conducted strategically. In other words, behind your decision to choose a given exercise there should be a goal – for example, improving problem-solving skills or strengthening creative thinking.

Are you wondering what to include: free online games, logic games, action games, games for adults, puzzle games or something live in the office?

In this module, we will show you which questions you should think about when organizing your next team building, and additionally we will suggest 3 games that address 3 of the most common problems in corporate teams.

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Team building games that really build teams

The most important step in planning team building games should be taken right at the beginning: even then you need to clarify what challenges your team is facing. Only then can you choose the exercises that will help you deal with the existing problems.

Take time and think about the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Ask yourself the following questions. They will help you identify where all your problems come from.

• Are there conflicts between certain people that create division in the team?

• Do the members of your team need to get to know each other better?

• Are there people who focus on their own success and as a result harm the team as a whole?

• Does poor communication in the team negatively affect its progress?

• Can your employees work together?

• Are there people who resist change and does this affect the group's ability to move forward?

• Are there people whose morale needs to be addressed?

Sample team building games

Literally there are thousands of team building games that address a wide range of problems. We have selected 3 easy-to-implement games that focus on the most common challenges teams face.

Game for improving communication

„Back-to-back drawing“

Divide your team into pairs and ask each pair to sit on the floor with the partners pressing their backs against each other. Give one person in the pair a drawing depicting some shape, and the other – a pencil and a sheet of paper.

Ask the person holding the drawing of the shape to give verbal instructions to their partner on how to draw it, without saying what it actually is. After you finish the exercise, ask each pair to compare the original shape with the drawing made and think about the following questions:

• How well did the first person describe the shape?

• How well did the second person interpret the instructions?

• Were there any problems in sending and receiving the information?

Game for eliminating stereotypes and labeling

„Stereotype party“

This is a fun exercise suitable for medium and large teams. On slips of paper, write different types of people (mechanic, Olympic champion, professor, fast food restaurant employee, movie star, etc.) and stick them as labels on the backs of your employees. Each of them should be able to see the labels on their colleagues, but not their own.

Now, one by one, the members of your team must start recognizing what label is placed on their back by asking their colleagues questions. Sample questions: „Am I a man?“, „Am I a funny person?“ etc.

Game for building trust

„Minefield“

This is a great exercise that will require a large room or an outdoor space. Create a „minefield“ using chairs, boxes, etc. objects that will serve as obstacles. Do not forget to leave enough space between the objects so that one person can pass between them easily.

Then divide your team into pairs. Be careful how you assign them. This exercise is a great way to work on relationships between your employees, and therefore in this case it is a good idea to choose people who have trust issues with each other.

Blindfold one person – they will need to cross the „minefield“ without speaking. Ask their partner to stay outside the minefield and give verbal instructions to help them avoid the obstacles and eventually cross the entire field.

Before you begin, give the partners a few minutes to agree on how they will communicate with each other. Make sure there will be „penalties“ if the person crossing the minefield hits an obstacle – for example, they will have to start the game over.

Also think about other useful applications: free online games, logic games, action games, games for adults, puzzle games and games you can play online

Conclusion

For the team building games you organize to be effective, you must first identify the problems that exist in your team. Then plan activities that directly address these problems and make sure your team will benefit from the events. The exercises you choose should not encourage competition, but quite the opposite – make team building part of the everyday culture in your team, instead of an event that happens once or twice a year.

NIT-New Internet Technologies Ltd. offers ready-made e-learning courses on soft skills, including Employee motivation and Team management. There you can find information on how to properly lead your employees, how to build team spirit, how to motivate them, etc.. The trainings also contain additional examples of team building games suitable for different types of situations.

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