Team building is an essential part of employee engagement and retention, in today’s age. More and more companies and organisations are seeing team building as an influential aspect that affects their efficiency and productivity, and have seen successful results from the emphasis on team building activities within the organisations. This includes creating a more comfortable and friendly working environment and increased motivation.
 
However, when the term ‘team building’ is mentioned, many employees would typically react in two ways – either they are relieved because they won’t be spending their day toiling away dealing with their clients or they groan and whine because precious professional time is actually being wasted that would be used to get some work done. Hence, it all falls in the hands of the facilitator, manager and/or organiser to make the team building activity fun and a learning experience for everyone involved. Here are 5 brilliant ideas for team building games, compiled from the best HR handbooks out there.
 

1. Choose your Lunch Buddies

A fairly straightforward game that is best done in a company with multiple departments and inherent bureaucracies, get your staff to draw lots which will then place them in groups of 4 or 5 people. Each group will then dine in a different restaurants of their picking.
It is a workplace habit for many co-workers to dine and team up with colleagues that they are most familiar with, whom are usually in the same department. Playing this game helps people know more about their colleagues from other departments, across job functions and organisational levels.
 

2. Be Inventors

Break your staff into groups of five. Each team will be given an assortment of 7-8 random objects, and the aim here would be to combine the objects provided to create an invention. Each team will then have to present their inventions to the rest and convince them to invest in their project.
A limitation of resources is a common problem we face, even at work. Instead of writing a wishlist (or an email) for all the things we could get, it’s better for us to make do with what we have to produce the expected results.
 

3. Paint Ball

Nothing brings people together like a little pressure and competition, and paintball is amazing in bringing these feelings out. Paintball is face-paced and team-oriented, and so to win, you must work together as a team, communicate, make decisions on the go and be willing to take risks.
Some might worry about the pain that comes with getting hit by the paintball, but in the excitement of the game, the pain becomes somewhat negligible. In fact, the realisation of being eliminated when you’re hit is much more painful than the actual paintball hit could ever be.
 

4. Human Knot

A game that will be sure to create a pile of laughs, the aim of this game is to untangle a human knot without breaking hand contact. This game is great to play among new teams and is an excellent way to boost cooperation and communication.
To start, have a group of at least 10 people stand facing inwards in a circle. Tell everyone to reach their right hands towards the centre and grab someone else’s hand. Remember to not grab the hands of the person next to you. Next, get everyone to reach their left hands out and grab someone else’s hand again. Great, now the fun begins!
 

5. Sumo Camp

Tired of the usual team building games that you play? Then you’ll certainly love this item in the list. Sumo Camp will give you a sneak-peek of what it’s like to be a sumo wrestler. Don’t worry, you won’t actually be wearing a mawashi (although if you could, would you?), instead you will be wearing a sumo suit. If that doesn’t interest you enough, you will be required to complete a high-stakes obstacles course as a sumo wrestler in Sumo Camp.
If you’re thinking that you’ll make do without your team members here, you’ve got it wrong. Not only do you have to cooperate with others to complete the obstacles, you’ll have to put your mind to it to complete the tricky challenges and emerge victorious. Sumo Camp is interactive, frenetic and fun, and the only way you’ll get to play Sumo Camp is to sign up with My Weekend Plan.
 
My Weekend Plan is certainly your pick for a fun-filled team building weekend. They have been dedicating themselves to researching, testing and recalibrating their team building programs to perfection to help the modern workplace cope with the challenges of mundanity, lengthy commutes, and uninspiring work. My Weekend Plan is the right choice to spice your team and workplace up.
 
On top of that, did you know that you can also utilise the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) with My Weekend Plan. With their HRDF-approved Team Building Plans, you will be developing your team’s communication, leadership and critical thinking skills, all for free. What are you waiting for? Have countless fun team ideas here in KL & Selangor by contacting My Weekend Plan today and learn more on how you can utilise the HRDF funds here.