Hiring the right people is only one aspect of team building. You also need to make sure your team understands each other, and can work effectively together. Brian Tracy’s method of Coaching – which is the one we use here at FocalPoint Business Coaching – places a lot of emphasis on the personal side of team building. It’s important to understand each of your team members are individuals, and ensure each team member feels comfortable and respected in the workplace.

Here are some games and activities that will bring your team closer together

1. Best moments in life

Seat all participants in a circle, ask each person to close their eyes and think about the best memories of their lives. Encourage them to really focus on the details:

• sights
• sounds
• smells
• and feelings that made each memory so special.

Then as the following question, “If you could relive just one minute of all those memories, which minute would you choose?” Give each person time to describe what happened in their special memory, explaining what it feels like, and why it’s so important to them.

2. Two truths and a lie

This game is an oldie but a goodie; it remains popular because it’s fun to play. Have each participant write down two truths and one lie about themselves on a piece of paper, without revealing which is which. Next, have everyone talk freely for ten minutes, allowing each person to read their three statements. The idea is for each person to figure out which statements are the truths and which are the lies. At the end of the mingling, put it to a vote and see who was right.

3. Team member profiling

Some of your team members might have experience profiling customers but have they ever profiled each other? Have the participants work together to put together a customer profile of each person on the team, making guesses about what that person likes and dislikes. Then have them read their profile to that person, giving the person a chance to respond, explaining what the team got right and where they missed the mark.

4. Office trivia

Put together a list of silly questions about your office:

• “What brand is the microwave?”
• “How many doors are there?”
• “What’s on the floor above us?”
• “What posters do I have in my office?”

Quiz your team on their observational abilities; if no one can come up with one of the answers, send them on a hunt around the office to find out the truth.

5. Back-to-back drawing

Put your team members into pairs, and have each pair sit back-to-back. Give one person in each pair a picture, and give the other person a pen and a piece of paper. The first person’s job is to describe the image to their partner, who has to draw it as accurately as possible. The results can be really funny; along the way, your team will sharpen their communication skills.

6. Community service

Volunteer your team for work in a soup kitchen, a tree planting, a trash cleanup, or any other activity that improves your community. Schedule this at a time when the company workload is relatively light and when your team members aren’t expecting time off for themselves. This will ensure they are eager to participate in this project and enjoy it.

7. Potluck

On any holiday of the year, announce a company potluck. Encourage every team member to bring in their family’s favorite dishes to share with everyone. On the big day, bring everyone into a large room for lunch, conversation and maybe some fun games. You might even have a contest for “Best Dessert” or “Most Creative Dish.”

Those are just a few team building exercises and activities we love here at FocalPoint Business Coaching. You may have some of your own, too. The basic idea behind all of them is essentially the same: bring your team closer together.