Two Hour Team Building Workshops
A complete collection of 45 minutes to two-hour workshops, regardless of desired outcomes or content.
These are perfect for a short refresher or the best of the best breakout sessions!
Art for the Sky
One World One Team
Change This!
Empower Me!
Innovate This!
Leading - Is Anyone Following?
Communicate Without Ego
Negotiation - How Big is YOUR Slice of the Pie?
Manage This!
Wash This! - Adding Value to Your Sales
What is Wrong with You?!
Category: Conference Team Building - Big Picture Thinking
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Medium
Time: Two hours
Location: OutdoorA Glimpse into Art for the Sky:
An incredible opportunity for individuals to see the 'Big Picture' from an experiential and literal point of view.
Participants create art that can only be seen from the sky. They are part of a much larger picture, and yet without each 'part', the picture cannot be created.
Category: Philanthropic / Community Service
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Medium
Time: Two hours to several days
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into One World One Team:
One World, One Team is a team building event that focuses on local action with a global reach as teams work together to create, produce and pack unique 'gift boxes' for distribution to children in need - it's an event that literally changes the lives of children in developing countries around the world.
Category: Foundation Workshop
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: High
Time: Four hours
Location: OutdoorA Glimpse into Empower Me:
Test your limitations with firewalking. An amazing catalyst for individuals to crystallize their own goals. Walking on 1200 degree coals is very real - as real as it gets. There is no faking it, there is no half-hearted 'trys'. There is only room for commitment and complete focus.
It is a deep-seated human belief that fire will burn and harm you. Witnessing someone walk on fire will shatter the very core of that belief and allow you to realize that anything is possible.
Transform your fear, negative emotions, and limiting beliefs into power and self mastery at this once in a lifetime seminar. “If you believe it, you can achieve it” is the thought process behind this 90 minute seminar that will culminate with all participants having the opportunity to perform a ritual firewalk.
Category: Communication
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Medium
Time:45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorCommunicate without Ego:
We all KNOW what is required for communication, DOING is something else. Putting participants through exercises so they can experience how easily it is to set aside what they KNOW and DO the wrong thing is extremely fun, insightful and leads to many participants communicating more clearly and with purpose.
The power of each person to influence the success of the team is never clearer than in this activity. The team members must work through frustrations and differences of opinions to solve this magically difficult event.
Overcoming frustration and resisting the temptation to blame each other will be key to moving the pole in the direction you choose. People can find themselves sacrificing their integrity and doing the opposite of their intention.
This is where many teams fall short. Good communication is the real 'win' on this exercise, not actually lowering the bar. If the team can treat each other with respect and maintain open lines of communication while failing, frustrated and somewhat stressed, the team is in great shape.
This problem is exacerbated because each individual is in fact doing their part. Each individual is fulfilling their role and responsibility and yet the entire team is failing to meet the goal. This is where much of the stress and frustration will come from because many individuals will assume that someone is NOT fulfilling their responsibility.
Category: Breakout Session
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Low
Time:45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into What is Wrong with You?:
The reality is we all make mistakes, we all make errors. In fact, we know for a fact it is going to happen. Taking the time to reframe what errors and mistakes REALLY mean can reduce frustration and conflict. Thomas Edison said he did not find a way to make a light bulb, he discovered 1,000 ways how NOT to make a light bulb. What if this positive attitude existed in your workplace?
A step into the unknown and a fascinating peek into group processes!
Do you have wonderful thinkers but do they buckle under pressure in unforeseen business situations? Do mistakes get swept under the carpet and forgotten? Does your group shy away from risks?
We have all heard the adage “learning through our mistakes”. Teams can now experience it through Learning Maze. Facing unforeseen situations is common in organization but it is important for a team to learn, grow and move ahead from the experience. If you want your team to discover how, then try out Learning Maze.
Teams usually have a very good time as they balance their way through the physical activity. This activity literally involves stepping through an array of stones in solving a problem.
The planning processes that each of the teams go through in dealing with the challenge can be fascinating for the facilitator. You will also gauge the manner in which your teams deal with their mistakes and will be able to identify the individuals who discover these mistakes within each team.
What will the group learn from this activity?
- How to deal with mistakes
- How to learn from difficult situations and apply the learning to other similar situations
In other words, groups will learn to recognize mistakes and to use the experience and knowledge acquired from it to perform more effectively in the future.
The insight gained from the activity is many times articulated by the participants in the conversation initiated by the facilitator after the exercise. It is critical to have this dialogue with the group because the thoughts vocalized after a team building exercise will ultimately drive home what the exercise sought to accomplish in the first place.
“A leader with no followers is just a guy taking a walk.”
Category: Breakout Session
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Low
Time:45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into Leading - Is Anyone Following?:
Many of us want to lead. But if we are all leading, who is following? In order to be good leaders, we must also be good followers and know when to be which.
This activity is about leading, following, trusting and communicating.
Many leadership styles emerge during this event. Some find it difficult to be responsible for another person’s safety and others find it exhilarating. To trust or give up control can be very hard for some people.
Some Details:
After pairing up, each individual takes turns leading the other person through obstacles and overcoming adversity. While a very simplistic activity, many people find it difficult to trust their partner and find they will 'cheat'.
Because it is so simple, very few people take the time to strategize or find out exactly how far 'X' number of steps is for their partner. This create the scenario for a great lesson in coaching -- we need to communicate with other people the way THEY hear it best, not the way WE hear it best. This is an activity every manager should master before going back to work!
With several variations, you can run this activity with both pairs alone and then all the pairs together at the same time to create a completely different level of communication.
Who should be interested in this session?
This activity is perfect for a group who must instruct or direct anyone. The need for good, clear communication in a style that the receiver will hear best is a VERY difficult concept to PRACTICE. You can tell someone all day long in the classroom, but try and actually do it. We instinctually refer back to what we know -- that is our default. As supervisors, educators, managers, we need to be sure we are communicating in a way that the recipient will understand it.
Whatever the experience, this is a powerful learning opportunity. This exercise is a great way to start or finish an event, meeting, workshop or any other function in which it would be valuable for some self-examination and how you impact your group or team.
Category: Breakout Session
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Medium
Time: 45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into Manage This!:
The purpose of this exercise is to practice clear communication and develop keys to trust during challenging and confusing times. The exercise creates a great deal of confusion and sometimes frustration as communication becomes difficult.
Feedback, both giving and receiving is the essence of communication and MUST be practiced here in order for the participants to accomplish their tasks. Due to the inherent communication difficulty the exercise creates, a high level of commitment is required by all participants. How many members of the team are not committed to the goals at work?
In addition, all of the participants experience the different roles of leading and following. This allows them to recognize their strengths and weaknesses individually and as a team. This event lets the participants experience the need to be leader and follower.
Because of this role-switching, this event will remind people in each position what the other role feels like and lend insights to improving relations between the two.
This sessiont is FUN and participants learn through experience.
Some Details:
After pairing up, one blindfolded person goes into a large circle to retrieve certain items, with only their partner’s instructions as guidance. The catch here is the partner must stay on the outside of the circle. Still seems fairly simple until all the pairs are in the middle at the same time.
This activity helps participants experience the need for trust, the need for planning and the difficulties of communicating while being both ‘manager’ and ‘employee’.
Who should go for Manage This?
- Groups who need to begin trusting each other beyond simple 'trust' activities through clear communication.
- Groups looking to improve coaching (communication) skills
What will the group learn from Manage This?
- Planning and strategy is important, even for seemingly simple tasks and goals.
- The need to communicate with someone the way THEY will hear it best, not how WE communicate best.
Trusting is a very important part of a supportive work environment. Learn to trust other managers by beginning with yourself.
Category: Breakout Session
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Medium
Time: 45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into Change This!:
We all have a perspective on situations and, of course, my perspective is correct! Being able to honestly understand and see someone else’s perspective is very difficult to do. Experiencing different perspectives and experiencing our own changing perspectives can be incredibly valuable to a company going through change, or simply a fast moving company that is constantly changing.
‘Chain of Command’ is a game that fosters problem-solving skills and the constant changing perspectives of the individuals involved. The emphasis is on facing challenges as a team through trust and co-operation. Leadership must be shared in order for the group to accomplish the task which creates rich discussion during the debrief.
Some Details :
The game has a line-up pattern and therefore the name Chain of Command. The facilitator indicates a strict deadline. This will simulate a fair amount of “real life” office stress among the participants. Using the many variations to Chain of Command, you can help participants discover the pitfalls of gaps in communication and to appreciate the nuances of different communication styles.
The participants must reorganize themselves in a certain order without turning around to speak to the person behind them. This creates a dramatic difference in perspectives from the individuals as the person in the back has the best point of view, and yet is least likely to lead.
Who should go for this breakout session?
If you are looking for a session that involves thinking through a problem and solving it as a team, then choose Chain of Command. The game is based on team dynamics in tacking problems.
What will the group learn from this activity?
- Delivering an optimum solution within a tight deadline.
- To think creatively, on their feet, under pressure.
- That a good working relationship, good communication and trust within a team can go a long way in efficiently handling business situations.
The insight gained from the activity is articulated through the participants during the debrief.
Category: Breakout Session
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Low
Time: 45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into Negotiation - How Big is YOUR Slice of the Pie?:
A high-performance team knows how to define the necessary tasks and work swiftly to implement solutions. Learn techniques to defuse conflict, gain consensus and reclaim the valuable time wasted by infighting, finger pointing and cross-blame.
Some Details :
This activity simulates a realistic environment in 6 different plants that all have projects that must be completed and yet must collectively cut $1,000,000 from the project budget.
While fun, the activity makes the participants make difficult decisions:
- Which projects get the ax?
- Who is responsible?
- Who will have to tell the employees back at the plant their project was cut?
How will the group overcome the inherent conflict and work together collaboratively to come to an agreement?
Who should be interested in this breakout session?
When your goal is help the group uncover behavior that would prevent the group from working together collaboratively, this is a great activity.
Examining behavior in the context of this fun activity will help groups and individuals assess their own behavior and identify if they have hidden agendas derailing the group.
What may the group learn from this negotiation breakout?
- The value of collaboration
- How hidden, personal agendas can derail communication
Taking time to fully understand each person's situation can move a group from conflict to collaboration, as long as the agendas do not stay hidden!
Category: Breakout Session
Prerequisites: None
Activity Level: Low
Time: 45 minutes to 2 hours
Location: Indoor / OutdoorA Glimpse into Wash This!:
Adding value to sales and coming up with creative ideas for selling is many times the difference between a good sales team and a great one.
Wash This! is a creative selling activity in which participants are told to find a way to sell 10,000 used washing machines.
Almost any object could be used in place of a washing machine – used computer monitors, construction cones, old phone books, etc.
Some Details :
Participants given a few minutes to individually come up with ways to sell the washing machines. When the time is up, individuals will join to form groups who then are told to come up with the best idea with a focus on adding value to the end customer. Each group must put together a 30 second presentation and a piece of marketing material – flyer, website, etc, to support the product.
The groups vote upon the best idea, best added value and the best presentation.
Ideas that groups come up with are varied – fish bowls for ocean fish, including wave action, very large jack-in-the-boxes, retro decorative planters, etc.
Who should choose this breakout session?
Anyone wanting their sales team to see the benefit of working together and sharing ideas to create a better end result for the customer. Additionally, helping the sales people experience how to add value to simple items will help them add value to their own products or services and examine assumptions and beliefs.
What will the group learn from Wash This!?
- The benefits of working together to be creative in problem solving.
- How to look at a ‘known’ item and discover hidden possibilities.
- Approaching creativity as a group can be more beneficial than alone.
- Finding the hidden added value is essential for sales success.
