Team Building Mistakes - The Top 5

As a team building professional, I am involved with a lot of great events that clients are thrilled with and that our team has really enjoyed delivering. Along the way, there are always many pitfalls to avoid and I thought that it would make a useful article to help readers to avoid falling into them next time they are organising a team building session. So here's my selection of the top five mistakes and how to stop yourself from making them:

1) "That's looks a great activity..."

Focus first on the desired outcomes. Don't be tempted to "jump in" in to an activity that you like the sound of before you have listed what you want to get out of the time you commit to the session. Those that do might have a great time but are likely to achieve little else when they could have had both fun and sustainable benefits.

2) "Yes, we're all up for jumping in rivers..."

Consider all the participants before selecting the activity. Often, those that are responsible for deciding which activity to run with opt for one that suits them, without consideration of their colleagues' preferences. It's not unusual for decision makers to be extrovert individuals who enjoy physical things or things that risk having a laugh at other people's expense. Yet there are usually at least an equal number of people in teams who hate the very idea of such, so-called challenges. Don't risk dividing the team at an event that is supposed to bind it closer.

3) "What a nice place to go..."

Choose the activity before you choose the venue. Choosing the venue first may restrict your options. For example, should it turn out that country pursuits such as archery or falconry would suit your chosen outcomes and you have already booked a city centre hotel, well, you do the math! The same can be true for indoor activities. If the option of best fit requires more room space that the venue has available, you'll have to choose second best instead.

4) "We've got this slot here in the agenda..."

Allocate enough time to the session. Give it sufficient priority in your schedule for day. Any team building activity of merit has three stages to it. Preparation, during which teams get on top of what it is they will be doing. The activity itself. Finally, the debrief. When time is tight, it is the latter that tends to suffer the greatest squeeze and yet it is that element that delivers most of the benefits to be gained.

5) "Now, I want the tables to be at 37.5 degree angles..."

Trust your team building provider. If you have chosen wisely (and why would you choose unwisely?), then you have selected a professional organisation that knows what it is doing, has an excellent pedigree and will ensure that your session is perfect for you. If you are tempted to micro-manage them or to interfere with the arrangements unnecessarily, you are simply risking unbalancing a finely tuned service. Don't buy a dog and then do all the barking yourself. You're paying them, after all, and if you avoided making my mistake number 1 you should be able to let them earn their fees confident that they know what you are expecting from the session.

The Pareto, or 80/20, rule applies here. There may well be another 20 mistakes that you can make, but they are very much less consequential. Avoid these 5 and your event will surely be a success.

The author's company, Sandstone Limited, are team building specialists with a range of unique activities. Their activities are so different that they have attracted partners around the world who deliver them to Sandstone's exacting standards. They even have one that is delivered completely over the web.

Their client list is impressive and their references impeccable. You can call Sandstone on 01158 715690 for an informal chat that will help you choose the best activity for your team building requirement.