A true leader knows that the saying, "There is no 'I' in team" is untrue. The phrase implies that team members must rescind their personal interests for the common good of the group and its goals. It is the team leader's job to guide group members in figuring out how their unique skills best complement the team's goals.



One motivational speaker compared team dynamics to a train yard: individual cars are each carrying their own cargo to their destinations, but they need the connections to other train cars as well as the locomotive (team leader) so that everyone will succeed. Therefore, if the leader cannot connect or communicate with his or her team, the entire team will ultimately be unsuccessful in reaching its goals.



The corporate world is becoming increasingly interested in promoting team-building exercises as a means to encourage co-workers to work more efficiently together. Team-building exercises offer opportunities that employees may not typically get during work hours: the chance to become better acquainted with their coworkers, creating bonds of trust, and opening up communication. Every member brings his or her unique skill sets and personality to the team. These activities will encourage the team members to work together, everyone utilizing his or her unique contributions to benefit the entire group. Team dynamics will emerge during these exercises; some team members are leaders, some are the imaginative and creative ones who do "concepts," and others are the detail-oriented workers who see to accuracy and completion.



There is no limit to what can be made into a team-building exercise; a quick and inexpensive activity at the office can build relationships just as well as a luxurious team vacation. These choices are left to the discretion of the company and its budget, but either end of the spectrum of activities can be effective and fun for everyone. A popular, quick, and inexpensive exercise is the game "Two Truths and a Lie". Each employee shares with the group three "facts" about him or herself, two are true and one is false. All other team members make a guess as to which of their facts is actually the lie. The personal information shared during this game will help teammates find common interests and perhaps encourage a new perspective concerning their coworkers.



Another team-building exercise, with moderate time and budget constraints, is a Video Scavenger Hunt. Teams are sent out with a video camera and a list of activities that have been assigned point values, perhaps 100 points for greeting a police officer, or 150 points for helping someone elderly cross the street. Get creative! There is a series of activity questions and a set recording time to see who the winner is.



In a particularly fun team-building exercise, team members are assisted by professional chefs as they learn to cook together. Exercises that emphasize teamwork strengthen relationships and build communication skills while the team has fun too. Once the cook-off is done, the teams can have fun eating their results. I would really enjoy this team building exercise.


About the Author:
Having one of the top 10 most stressful jobs, Mitch Peders is always looking for fun and relaxing corporate team building events. Mitch recommends the Iron-Chef style competitions offered by Executive Chef Events for their deliciously fun approach to corporate team building activity.