Team building activities help teams learn and grow. It is important to educate teams on teamwork concepts and assist them with work processes during all stages of team building. For leading teams, some tips on planning a team building activity can be critical to the team’s success.

First, determine the purpose of the team-building activity to determine if it can be part of a meeting or should be a separate event. Is the activity to introduce a topic, communicate a point, improve relationships, review previous training, or teach a new technique? All of this can be done in a meeting as long as a safe environment and sufficient time is provided. Otherwise, plan a special event so other jobs don’t interfere with the learning process.

Decide how much time you will spend on the team building activity and when it would be best to do it. If the activity will be part of a team meeting, plan it for the appropriate place on the specific meeting agenda. At the beginning of the agenda is a good time to “get to know you” kinds of activities and icebreakers, or to revisit points from a recent training course. If an uncontroversial topic is to be presented or a new technique is to be taught during a few minutes of the meeting, these can fit anywhere on the agenda where it is needed. For example, if a new decision-making process is to be taught, explain it just before the team needs to use it to make a decision. Applying techniques immediately to work makes them more meaningful. The introduction of new training concepts that will not be used within the meeting should occur near the end of the meeting.

If the time / date for team building must be outside of a regular team meeting, plan a special training session or team building event. This will require additional work by a team member or leader to find a good date and location that meets the needs of the activities to be performed. Decide activities before choosing a location or may need to be rescheduled to meet physical requirements. When selecting an activity for the event or training, consider the physical limitations of the team members. When planning a multiple exercise team building event, activities that each team member can participate in should be considered before those that may require a member to “stay out” during exercise because it can make them feel left out.

Find the activities or exercises that best make the intended training point or exemplify the desired equipment concept. Then narrow down the selection list to which ones might be best to use based on the materials needed, the time available, the relevance to a particular team, and the fun factor. It is a key to success for team building events to be fun and informative. In meetings, it’s nice to have a fun activity, but the relevance to work at hand will mean more to the team, so aim for the relevant first and both whenever possible.

Before the date of the meeting, training session or team building event: decide who will facilitate, invite participants, provide the agenda if applicable, and gather the necessary supplies. If it is a special session rather than a team meeting, it may be more fun to surprise the team with the agenda at the beginning than in advance. If you facilitate the activity, arrive early and be prepared with all the necessary materials. If someone else is facilitating, make sure they understand the expectations you need to meet, as well as when to be there and where to go. It may be beneficial to have someone outside the team facilitate the activity if the activity requires special training, facilities, or materials that a team member does not have.

Use these tips when planning any type of team activity. Continuous learning will motivate the team to contribute better results as they mature and go through various stages.