Having facilitated team building activities, I ensure the following: Link to Goals: Connect team-building activities to specific team goals, like improving problem-solving or innovation, to show direct value. Start Small: Introduce short, low-commitment activities to gradually ease the team into the idea of team-building. Tailor to Interests: Customize activities to align with the team’s preferences, making participation more enjoyable and relevant. Emphasize Fun: Focus on the fun aspect of team-building, reducing the pressure and encouraging participation through light-hearted engagement. Reward Participation: Offer incentives or recognition for involvement, making it feel rewarding beyond just the activity itself.

To convince a hesitant team about the benefits of team-building initiatives, emphasize how these activities improve collaboration, communication, and trust, leading to better project outcomes. Highlight that team-building can break down barriers, reduce conflicts, and create a more supportive work environment. Share specific examples or data showing positive results from team-building in similar situations. Encourage the team’s input in selecting activities, ensuring they are meaningful and enjoyable.

In our experience, we find that if a team is reluctant to participate in a teambuilding activity, they’re either afraid of being embarrassed OR they think it’s going to be a waste of time. The best way to deal with this, is to be transparent right from the beginning. Let them know why you’d like to do this and ensure them it’s all about having fun and that the activity will be designed for all fitness levels. Prior to choosing the activity, it might be a good idea to get their feedback and see what they would like to do, so they feel more involved. While it’s hard to make everyone happy, there’s definitely things you can do, to help people feel more comfortable. Choosing the right activity and the right teambuilding company is key!

To convince my team of the benefits of team-building initiatives, will highlight how they can improve communication, foster trust, enhance collaboration, and boost morale. Emphasize that these activities can lead to better problem-solving, stronger relationships, and increased overall productivity, making the work environment more positive and effective.

The easiest way to get colleagues invested in team-building is to remind them that there is no singular success. We rise together; we fall together. Anything else is a myth. I love highlighting the cosmic perspective - that we are tiny beings in a vast universe. We are lucky even to be here. And...if we are lucky to be here, we are even luckier that we have company. Another entry point in the discussion is to talk about Ubuntu, the concept that we only know our humanity through the humanity of others. If one teammate is burned out or angry or sad, isn't it felt by all? When I have employed these two frameworks, I have universally found success in getting teammates to try almost any teambuilding efforts.

⬛◼️A veces, es más efectivo mostrar lo que se pierde al no sumarse. Cuantifica lo que la falta de cohesión, innovación o comunicación le está costando al equipo y a la empresa. Nada como un poco de realidad para cambiar de opinión. ◼️⬛Presenta las actividades de creación de equipos como aventuras irrepetibles: desafíos en vivo, gamificación, experiencias inmersivas. ¿Quién podría resistirse a ser parte de algo completamente nuevo y fuera de lo común? ◼️No vendas el team building como una simple actividad para "llevarse bien". Muéstralo como una oportunidad para desbloquear superpoderes ocultos en cada miembro. Potencia las habilidades y fortalezas que aún no han explotado. Todos quieren ser la mejor versión de sí mismos.

Team building is not about having fun. Not that the team doesn't have fun sometimes, but these kinds of team-building activities do NOT mature the team. It's time we think about team maturity instead of team-building. Teams can have fun, but many of them are dismal in their maturity as a team. Team maturity is based on the upskilling of teaming abilities on the inside of each person on the team. Things to look for are psychological safety and emotional intelligence (two very different things - but both very needed), the ability to co-create, customer- and stakeholder-driven outcomes, norms creation, and a planning mindset to name just a few. The clincher is to know which of these must come first, second, and later to mature the team.

Getting a team excited about team-building is like convincing someone to try a new dish—start with the benefits. Explain that team-building activities are not just about trust falls or awkward icebreakers; they’re opportunities to enhance collaboration and improve communication. Share examples, like how a shared challenge can turn a group into a high-performing team, much like how surviving a chaotic escape room can forge strong bonds. Highlight that these activities can make work feel less like a “job” and more like a “team adventure.” With a little humor and a focus on the positives, you can turn hesitation into enthusiasm.