Team Building Games


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Changing how you interact with each other is one of the biggest keys to success as a team. Finding ways to connect outside of work is an easy way to do this. Since teams are built from individuals, being able to relate to these individual members is important.
Games can be a great way to do this. Not only are games fun, they can also promote teamwork and communication. There are many types of gaming that can help build your group’s bond, so there’ter no need to pick just one!
Team building exercises don’t always have to cost a lot of money or take too long to complete either. Having a competition between groups or having participants create their own game can really strengthen relationships.
This article will talk about some different types of games that can be done at any time and anywhere, and will suggest some simple ones that anyone can play.
Card games
One of the most popular types of team building is to play card games. There are many different varieties of cards, and depending on the rules, even more variations on how they can be played!
Many people enjoy playing poker at home or with friends, so why not have an interactive game where you work as a group?
Games that use specialised sets of cards like Bridge or Tarot can also facilitate good leadership skills, because each person gets their own personal set which they can study individually.
There are several reasons why these games are great team builders. First, everyone in the team has equal status – it’s totally up to every individual player whether they want to contribute money or resources towards the goal, and there is no one who is “higher rank” than anyone else.
Second, due to the nature of the game itself, people tend to talk more openly when they are part of the team, sharing secrets and ideas freely.
Online games
One of the most popular team building exercises is to play online games. This can be done with any game, not just ones that have interactive features. Some examples include: Fifa, Rocket League, The Sims, Pokemon, Counter-Strike, Call Of Duty, etc.
These types of games are great because you can easily find a version of the game that anyone can use. You do not need expensive software or an account at a gaming website to give this exercise a try!
There are several benefits of playing online games as a team building activity. First, it gets people out of their comfort zones and into a more social environment. These games typically have chat rooms where participants talk about the game while they are playing.
Second, it creates a sense of community. Having different players come from all around the world adds to this feeling. Many people enjoy watching how well others play a video game so being a part of such a group gives them a boost of confidence.
Third, it teaches teamwork. While some individuals may prefer to go one way in a game, everyone needs help and support when working together towards a common goal.
Fourth, it cultivates creativity. Since teams must work together to win a game, opportunities arise to explore new strategies and concepts.
Real life games
The best way to truly understand team building is by playing real-life teams or group settings, such as having an argument with your partner about where to go for dinner.
Or how to prioritize your responsibilities when you are in a job setting. Or what it takes to be successful around people of different cultures and backgrounds.
These are all things that professional groups do every day! And they are some of the most important skills that each member needs to have if they want to succeed.
So why don’t we teach these lessons in school? Because schools usually can’t afford the expensive equipment needed to facilitate learning like this, not to mention the cost of creating the lesson plans and materials.
This doesn’t mean those lessons aren’t learned, though – just maybe outside of the classroom.
Team sports
One of the most popular team building games is to have a game of football or soccer. To play, you need enough space to field an equal number of players on each side. A good size area is typically a half-field length per side which makes it easy to form one group or other depending on who is being trained.
The goal in this type of game is to get your own team to score as many goals as possible. For every goal that your team scores, someone on the opposing team has to try to prevent them! This can be done by picking up the ball or shielding a player with their body. If they are unable to do either, then their teammates will pick up where they left off and keep trying until a goal is scored.
Team sports like these are great ways to improve leadership skills. The leader of the team gets to focus more on motivating his or her team to work together instead of just having them follow his or her commands.
Challenge games
One of the most common team building exercises is to play what’s called a challenge game. A challenge game asks teams to work together to complete a task as quickly as possible while trying to beat another group’s time.
Typically, one member of each team gets assigned an action or task that must be done before the next person can do their job. This creates more pressure because teammates are working against each other to achieve a goal as fast as possible!
Games like this promote teamwork by forcing players to rely on each other and share responsibilities. It also tests how well groups work together in a crisis situation — if someone on your team fails, what will you do?
These types of games can feel very competitive, which may not always be a good thing. You want to make sure people are able to control their emotions so they don’t hurt each other instead of helping.
Another way to use challenge games is to have a winner and a loser. The winners walk away with something (like reward points or trophies) and the losers lose.
Leaderboard games
Another popular type of team building activity is called a leaderboard game. In these games, teams work together to achieve a goal as a group, but then they compete against each other to see who can accomplish the task the fastest!
The groups must perform actions that are related to their job function, but that also have an element of competition. For example, if your team works in marketing, you could play a word search game where players look at a word and its definition, and then use this information to create a new word. You would need to be careful to not make the words too easy to find, or it will not challenge anyone!
These types of games can be done anywhere and anytime, and do not require much preparation time aside from gathering the supplies needed. Some people even creates fake jobs so they can conduct a more relevant setting.
Fun competitions
Running through this list is not an exact way to determine if a team building activity is worth doing, but it can be helpful in giving you some initial insights. You may also want to check out more specific guidelines under each activity’s linked article!
Some of the most common competition types are:
Give a quiz or test (these are often referred to as “team knowledge tests”)
Ask a question and see who answers (this is typically done with a topic and people field and then everyone gets a chance to answer)
Having someone stand up and talking about something (usually one person talks for a while before others get a turn)
Getting points for correct answers or statements (sometimes called ‘point-for-answer’ games)
Giving away prizes for the best performance of a skill (often referred to as a ‘skill contest’)
Team members must work together to win the prize, which makes it a challenge instead of just an individual event
These types of competitions can be fun for participants, spectators, and audience members. If you are looking to boost teamwork and collaboration, these are great ways to do so.
Give and take
A good team building activity is to ask each person to assume responsibility for another individual’s success. This can be as simple as asking someone to help their colleague find his/her phone, or asking a coworker to go out with her/his friend after work.
By having individuals contribute to other people’s success, they will feel more motivated and invested in the success of the others around them. It also creates a sense of community where everyone else helps each other succeed.
This type of exercise can easily transfer into the workplace. Perhaps you are planning a party for your department’s anniversary, and this week you would like every one of your colleagues to do something special that they normally wouldn’t (for example, hosting a potluck instead of giving a presentation).
Party planners often fall under a lot of pressure when celebrating such an event, so offering to do something similar allows them to preserve some level of control, while still encouraging creativity.