Why Teambuilding?
- Because we learn better by doing, when we are having fun, and when experience is shared among individuals
- Teambuilding refers to a host of activities, exercises, games, and initiatives that lend themselves to:
- Introducing groups and individuals that are not familiar with one another
- Breaking up monotony
- Building trust, respect, and communication among individuals and groups
- Creating bonds that promote future cohesiveness and effectiveness
- Relative to the Chapter, what groups might benefit from the use of these types of activities?
- Candidates
- Executive Officers
- Committee Chairs / Other Officers
- Committees
- Entire Chapter
- Recruits/ Potential Members
- Outside of the Chapter, what are groups or scenarios in which it might be a good idea to use teambuilding activities?
- Retreats
- Orientation- new student or new organization members
- Meetings- re-energizing a group
- Presentations- breaking up the monotony and illustrating a point
Team Building Activities
The teambuilding activities shared here are only a small sampling of what Sigma Nu chapters, colonies, members, and alumni can use to create experiential learning opportunities. This listing of activities can be sorted by type, size, time, or group. Type refers to Icebreaker, Energizer, or Initiative (more detail on these distinctions can be found below). Size refers to suggested or ideal group size to participate in the activity. Time refers to estimated time to complete the activity and any processing that may accompany it. And finally, group refers to a suggestion of whom the activity be used with (e.g. Candidate Class, Executive Board, or Entire Chapter). When selected, each activity will open as its own file.
Types of Team Building Activities
Teambuilding activities can be grouped into one of three categories: Icebreakers, Energizers, or Initiatives. Each type of activity has its own purposes, ideal uses, and facilitator roles. Please see below for a short explanation of each type of activity and some suggestions for successful facilitation and use.
Put the creativity of participants to the test during this energizer.
This initiative challenges participants to create a long-term vision and set goals to get there. Baseball Team is most useful in a transition setting.
This energizer allows participants to apply the concepts of team commitment and collaboration to accomplish a specific objective.
How important is communication in accomplishing an objective? Find out with this initiative.
This initiative challenges participants to concentrate and work in groups. It requires participants to use their goal setting skills to accomplish their objective.
Is planning necessary for a team to reach a common goal? Challenge participants to answer this question by completing this initiative.
Are leaders needed to accomplish a task? What role does each individual play in accomplishing this task? Explore the role each individual plays in the problem-solving and conflict resolution process with this activity.
Get conversations started with this activity that challenges a participant's ability to be an active listener.
Challenge the reflexes of participants with this active energizer.
How easy is to reach consensus in a group? What role does communication play in the consensus-building process? Can consensus be reached without direct communication? Find out with this initiatve.
Get participants up and moving during this activity. In addition to some healthy exercise, participants will also explore the difficulties of conflict resolution.
How does a group react to failure? Is this reaction important in accomplishing the ultimate task? Identify the role that encouragement plays in the problem-solving process with this initiative.
Participants will understand the importance of effective communication and proper planning through this initiative.
What role do non-verbal behaviors play in the communication process? Are the non-verbal behaviors of chapter members hampering the chapter's recruitment abilities? Explore the possibilities with this activity.
What do the contents in someone's wallet say about them? Get participants talking with this icebreaker.
This icebreaker helps participants identify commonalities and socialize with other participants.
Get participants moving and find out more about their background with this icebreaker.
Awake the senses of participants with this high-energy activity that encourages creativity and critical listening. This icebreaker is sure to engage participants and promote socialization within a group.
How well do you know your fellow participants? Do you know their personal and professional goals? Find out during this activity.
This activity encourages participants to look beyond the obvious solutions to find an answer to a problem while stressing the importance of creativity and critical thinking in solving a problem.
This activity provides an opportunity for participants to quickly learn more about one another.
Does your group struggle to remember names? Test the memory of participants with this icebreaker.
Address the importance of communication in accomplishing a specific task with this activity.
Problem-solving, communication, and teamwork are all addressed in this challenging initiatives. Participants must work together very closely to accomplish this initiative.
How observant are you? What do you really see when you look at someone else? Challenge the observations skills of participants with this energizer.
This activity challenges participants to think 'outside of the box' to solve problems.
How can we ever improve when we always do the same thing? Use this activity to get participants to work together to continuously evaluate the process and improve through planning.
This activity gets participants to think critically to improve a process through planning and goal setting.
This surprisingly challenging activity promotes basic problem solving, communication and teamwork. How well can a group work together to accomplish a seemingly simple task?
Some tasks are harder to accomplish than they appear. Challenge participants to work together and attempt to complete this initiative.
This activity is a quick, helpful energizer that can be used to divide participants into smaller groups.
For a group that is meeting for the first time, this creative activity allows participants to learn more about one another.
This activity helps participants to understand the importance of proper planning and effective communication. How well can a group work together to accomplish a challenging task?
Participants will explore the role that communication, active listening, and teamwork play in the problem-solving process. How well can your team function?
Challenge the creativity of participants and break up longer sessions with this quick energizer.
This icebreaker is useful for introducing individual participants in a larger group.
What role does failure play in group process? Is all failure bad? Is there such a thing as good failure? Explore the answers to these questions with this energizer.
This activity demonstrates the importance of communication-specifically listening-in accomplishing a task.
How well can participants handle multiple projects at once? Can all 'projects' be handled in the same manner? Practice group cooperation with this initiative.
This is a helpful energizer to boost team morale and motivate participants.
This icebreaker challenges participants to choose an affiliation: what sides are the most popular?
Use the simple game of rock, paper, scissor to energize a group prior to the beginning of an activity.
Does your chapter need to be challenged and think about things differently? Use this activity to get participants thinking "outside the box".
Get participants up and moving during a long day with this activity-also a helpful way to break a larger group into smaller subgroups.
Why is trust important to your chapter? How does trust relate to ethical leadership? Find out with this activity.
How well can your group work together to reach a common solution? Do leaders dominate the process or does everyone play a role? Explore the possibilities with this initiative.
This lighthearted icebreaker provides a great way to challenge a group to meet a common objective.
This activity will help participants identify the diverse roles that each individual plays in a group's decision-making process.
Want to get some good competition going? This activity will challenge participants to plan and work in groups while providing a competitive environment.
How carefully can participants follow instructions? Can the group utilize multiple forms of communication to accomplish a stated objective? Find out during this challenging initiative.
Individualized roles and communication are two important concepts in the problem-solving process. Find out just how important they are in this activity.
Participants learn more about the life experiences that have shaped those around them in this icebreaker.
Is procrastination hurting your chapter? Spread the message to members with this initiative.
Each member plays an important role within a team. Find out just how important that role is with this activity.
How well do you know other participants? Can you spot a lie? Find out with this icebreaker.
This activity challenges the creativity of participants and promotes active listening skills.
Get to know other participants through simple yes/no questions. This activity also promotes active listening.
Icebreakers
- Icebreakers are short, simple activities to be used with groups of people that are unfamiliar with one another. These are typically reserved for initial meetings of the group. They are also good when introducing multiple newcomers into an established group or team (new candidates or potential members to the chapter)
- These exercises are designed to:
- Get a group to warm up
- Get to know one another
- Learn about each other
- Make people comfortable with the group
- Icebreakers are typically conducted at the beginnings of events as a way of loosening new groups up and helping group members learn names
- The quick and simple nature of icebreakers allow them to be used at many different events, including:
- Recruitment events
- Mixers with Sororities
- Candidate Class Orientations
- Networking / Alumni events
- Family / Parent events
- Facilitators or group leaders should always participate in icebreakers with the group. This will show the participants that it is ok to participate and have fun
- Icebreakers do not require processing at the conclusion of the activity
Energizers
- Energizers are quick, simple activities that can be used with any size group. They are used to break up monotony, invigorate individuals after a break or meal, or to add some action to a program or event.
- Energizers are designed to:
- Get a group moving
- Give a break from long periods of sitting down
- Excite a group about the next portion of a program or event
- Energizers can be interspersed anywhere throughout an event or program. They can either be built into the schedule or used on an as-needed basis as determined by the facilitator or group leader
- Energizers will be most effective:
- When the group returns from a meal or break
- After long periods of lecture or sitting
- As a lead in to a new topic
- Whenever the energy in the group is low or approaching a lull
- Like icebreakers, facilitators or group leaders should always participate in energizers with the group. This will show the participants that it is ok to participate and have fun
- Energizers do not require processing at the conclusion of the activity
Initiatives
- Initiatives are designed for:
- Groups to work through a problem together
- Allowing groups to become comfortable and effective working together
- Raising issues in a team/group
- Posing relevant and educational challenges to the team/group
- Initiatives generally take longer than icebreakers and energizers because of the planning, thought, and execution of the task.
- Facilitators or group leaders should NOT participate in initiatives with the group
- The role of the facilitator or group leader in initiatives is:
- To explain the objective and confines of the activity
- To act as timekeeper and rule enforcer
- To monitor the safety and actions of participants throughout the activity
- To process the experience of individuals and the group at the conclusion of the activity (whether the objective is completed or not)
- There are some important guidelines that should be followed to ensure that initiatives are carried out to create a successful and fulfilling experience for the group. They are as follows:
- When using initiatives, always use the "Challenge by Choice" rule. Members should be challenged, but no participant should be forced to participate in any activity or situation which makes them feel uncomfortable.
- Set ground rules. These should be discussed and understood/agreed upon by all participants.
- Handle any potential safety issues. When using activities that require the use of additional equipment and/or involve lifting people off the ground or any other potentially dangerous situation, make sure that all equipment is in good condition and used properly, that all participants understand the importance of and their role in spotting and generally ensuring the safety of all participants. Be prepared to stop any activity if the safety of the participants is ever of concern
- To make activities more challenging (particularly if members of the group have attempted the activity previously), feel free to institute additional consequences or obstacles such as blindfolding, no talking, or mobility restrictions
- Provide only the basic instructions and do not get caught up in providing too much information or direction. It is often best to do this in the context of a story
- Only answer questions and provide additional information as it is necessary and relevant when asked by the group
- Use good judgment. It is important to provide the group with the proper balance of challenge and support so they stretch themselves and learn, but also do not become overly frustrated and shut down
- After the group has completed an initiative, it is essential that the facilitator or group leader help the group to process what has just occurred. Without processing, initiatives are just games!
- There are numerous settings and groups to use initiatives in or with, including:
- Chapter Retreat
- Officer Retreat
- Committee Meeting
- Officer Transitions
- Candidate Class Retreat/Meeting
- Recruitment Event
- LEAD Session
A Few Thoughts on Processing Teambuilding Activities
- Processing is what differentiates games from initiatives (teambuilding activities)
- Processing:
- Enables the group to further identify "lessons learned" from the activity
- Improves the understanding of group dynamics
- Allows the group to assess its strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement related to working as a team
- In its simplest form, processing attempts to have the group answer the questions: What? So What? Now What?
- What?
- What happened?
- From the beginning to end, what occurred as the group worked together through the problem?
- What process did the group use to complete, or not complete, the objective?
- Were all active participants?
- Did a leader emerge?
- What happened?
- So What?
- Why do you think these things happened?
- Why was the group successful or unsuccessful?
- Why did the group use the process it used in its attempt(s) to complete the objective?
- Now What?
- What does this mean?
- How does this apply to the current group or situation?
- What are some ways lessons from this activity can be applied in the future?
- What will you do differently in the future as a result of this experience?
- Things to keep in mind when processing
- Avoid yes/no and close-ended questions
- Do not let one individual monopolize the discussion
- Draw out participants by asking questions that give ownership (How did you feel when..., or would you have done things differently?)
- There are no right or wrong answers
- Don't force anything, it is better to under-process than over-process
