When paying lip service to team building is simply not enough!
How many times have you observed your staff or colleagues react this way when they get the memo informing them that there will be a 'team building' activity at the next staff meeting?
So why does this fill some of us with absolute dread?
How many ways and times can you build a tower using given resources?
It's just an excuse to mess about about and be silly isn't it? Or, for some, the chance to be super competitive and prove to everyone else that they really are the best!!
Well, we all know that teams perform better when there is good communication, a positive team morale, mutual respect etc etc.... We have implemented games and activities that have encouraged our teams to collaborate and have some fun in the process. So why is the term ''team building" so often met with huge groans? Why should we bother if people think it is a waste of time?
So why do it?
We do it because we know instinctively that it is important to invest in people in this way but it is often so quickly forgotten and it's benefits short-lived; so the question should be, how can we do it better?
The answer is simple. No, really it is! Create something that no-one has ever experienced before. Like social media, or a good book, we need to draw our audience into a story. We need to engage them in a collaborative adventure which gives them a shared goal and that requires them to rely on each to successfully complete their quest. Yes, you're right! There are team building companies that offer this, but how many tell a story that meaningfully connects location historically and intricately weaves organisational needs into the narrative and challenges?
Where we work and who we work with and for are interconnected. Having a sense of who we are in space and time as well as understanding each other, is the foundation of the stories created by Quest Challenges. They can happen anywhere and at any time and the memories created will bring a smile to everyone's face months later.
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