The key to making the most of a team building event is what you say to the group before and after the activity. In so many cases, people just want to dive right into the “competition.” After a winner is determined, it’s over. All too often there is no mention of the purpose of the event, expectations from management, or debriefing of the activity. This leaves a lot of the potential benefit unrealized. 

The Briefing is important so that people understand the reason for their participation. It is fun, but it is not “just a game.” Management or the facilitator should stress that participation is very important, because it is a rare chance to interact with the learn about their colleagues. It may, in fact, never occur again. So people need to take advantage of the opportunity. The learning opportunities should also be mentioned: a chance to hone communication skills, learn about business concepts, and how to lead a team. These activities should not be “optional.” Everyone should be required to participate. If there is some reason (like physical limitations) why a person feels uncomfortable taking part, explain to them that they should at least stay with their team and lend their ideas and encouragement to help their team succeed.

During the event—ask short, leading questions: what did you experience or learn that might help you achieve a higher level of success going forward? Just get them to think about what they are doing and whether they are operating as a team.

The Debriefing should summarize the purpose of the activity, get the participants to think about what they experienced, and share their thoughts. We typically do this by giving each team a short questionnaire (3-4 questions about the activity) to discuss with their teammates. When they have answered the questions, we ask teams to share their answers. 

The After Party can be an important closing activity for a team building event. This allows people to compare their thoughts about the game and get ideas from others about how they succeeded or why they might have failed. It’s fun and it is a great way to close the event. This can be a cocktail reception before a dinner or just a short refreshment break where people can mingle briefly and talk to each other.