With corporate giants such as Microsoft and Nike leading the way, the Team Building business has grown into a multi-million dollar industry within the last decade. Companies seeking to build a more motivated and creative employee pool are utilizing morale-based activities more frequently than ever before. 

However, many companies are recognizing that deploying an effective team builder is harder than it looks.  In a marketplace that is saturated with cheesy activities that do more to embarrass the executive team, than to motivate the office staff, how do you separate the good team builders from the bad??  Fred Granados of Event Experience offers 5 surefire ways to make certain that your team builder is a success.

1. Knowing Your Group: According to Granados, The number one reason that team building and team morale events are so sought after, is that companies are seeking to understand their diverse employee population.  Granados emphasizes that the most elementary key to a successful team builder is breaking down the office space mentality ask the questions that remove the cubicles.  Once a company understands the attitudes and needs or identity of their staff, they can more effectively target growth areas to highlight within their team building activity.

2. Identifying Goals: Most companies understand that goals must consistently change in order to accommodate corporate as well as personal growth.  However, few apply the same principle to team building.  Granados points out that, the standard ropes course doesnt cut it anymore.  New activities must be designed to target specific growth areas as goals change.  He continues, Maybe transparency of communication isnt an issue but speed and efficiency of communication are a problem.  The team builder should cater to the goal of quicker more professional communication.

3. Technology: The team building industry hosts a diverse array of activities as technologically sophisticated as GPS-guided scavenger hunts, or as simple as a gunny-sack race.  Granados points out that a team building activity should be as simple or sophisticated as the do-ers of the activity.  The main thing to remember is that technology should never be used as a crutch.  We use technology to mirror the changing face of corporate America, and ultimately to encourage employees to think for themselves.  Granados also adds that the diversity of groups who will be engaged by your team builder decreases as the use of technology increases.

4. Recognizing Personal Differences: Granados stresses that team builders must be relatable across ethnic and social cultures.  When employees arent engaged by activities that are fun and relatable whatever culture you come from it is ultimately a hindrance to their ability to effectively and honestly communicate within the workplace.  To ensure that your team builder is fun for everyone, Granados suggests building educational elements into the activity both topical and interpersonal.  You will learn something thats the goal.  We dont want people to think we are sending them to class.  Its a matter of building activities that are fun, engaging, and that lead us to learn something we didnt know before.

5. Fun: What is a team builder, if it isnt fun??  Fun is the flavor that has been taken out of team building.  Says Granados, Your team builder cant be your grandfathers boring activity.  Fun is the breath of life in your activity.  Fun is the height, depth, breadth, and width.  For Granados, the morale event is more than a one day activity.  We dont want to simply create events we want to create memories.  Granados continues, When people remember the experience they had, it carries over to both their personal and professional lives, and thats the goal.  Suggestions that Granados makes to ensure that your event is fun: Engage the senses.  People have fun when you snap them out of their comfort zone, and get them to try something new.  Now thats fun!

--B. Ghorley