In another thread, the question was posed "How do you create team-building activities?" My answer: Vulnerabilities. With each weekly meeting, I get in early and chat with the other early-arrivers. It's always about something not work-related, where I found myself in a situation where I messed up, or was confused, or found out that I was wrong. It shows the early-arrivers that I'm vulnerable, that I have a sense of humor, and, most importantly, that I'm human. Then, when the meeting starts, I try to have a "break-the-ice" round-robin of shared experiences. I ask people to share something that takes them, for example, right back to childhood. I don't go first for that one, but I try to go no more than third. THEN, I tell a story (from dozens I have in my memories) about how a smell, or a song, or a picture takes me back to something locked into my childhood experiences. And how traveling so far back gives me a touchpoint into who I used to be, compared to who I am now. Forget ice-breakers where people share their favorite sports team. Ask them questions that touch upon their very humanity... and celebrate the diversity that manifests, along with how we are, despite being different, at heart all looking for the same things.
Project Management Professional | Changemaker | Lean Six Sigma | Servant Leader | Manage Projects that Increase Revenue, Cut Expenses, and Improve Operations| Renaissance Woman🙋🏽 A.B.L.E- Always Be Learning Everything
Building strong teams requires more than just technical skills. What’s your go-to team-building activity? I am a firm believer that team-building is a continuous effort that should be facilitated by leadership. It should include in-office interactions (or virtual interactions during work hours) as well as after-hours business-sponsored fun nights, and should also include group learning and volunteering opportunities guided around the group's interests. One virtual team I led, we would do a monthly virtual lunch and learn and we would pay for their meal to be delivered. We also had a weekly movie night where we would all get together and watch a movie through Zoom (the company sent a monthly snack pack customized to each team member.) We had a monthly game night where we would play jackbox games. We let each team member pick a cause dear to their heart and once a month we would dedicate half a workday for the team to go and volunteer in their area at something like what that team member selected. For example, on team member was really into animal rescue so on her month, we all went to volunteer at our local ASPCA or for the local shelter, or for a local rescue organization. We all shared pictures of our various volunteering experiences. We had a "water cooler" channel on Slack for just chit-chatting and for meme wars. We would often have "open office hours" where a zoom video was started and anyone who wanted to work in a shared space could hop in. I can't always get that much support from corporate but I find ways to supplement and provide these experiences and while no one is required to do all or any of them, they do get rewarded (in treats, pay, or freebies) if they do choose to participate. #TeamBuilding #teamculture #intentionalculture
