In a recent episode of Team Builders Podcast our founding directors discussed the concern they have heard from event planners about how best to incorporate team building activities into meetings and conferences without sacrificing other agenda items.

Here are the 5 key takeaways from the podcast episode:

1: Planning

Before any activities, set out clear objectives that resonate with your conference or meeting goals.

"Have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish and why - it should be specific to each team and business stage." Jonathan Hazley

2: Engaging Introduction

Create an atmosphere that encourages participation by communicating the purpose clearly. A sensitive yet enthusiastic approach helps get everyone involved.

"If people are your most important asset, team building should be a top of the agenda items." Gerry Crowley

3: Effective Facilitation

At Team Challenge Company, our role is to guide activities smoothly - providing feedback, stepping in when needed, and managing time and logistics.

"The majority of the people that we find ourselves working with, really want to deliver a key message and have their delegates or their guests part of the learning process for them. Not just being talked to, but being spoken with. And that's what the gamified environment brings. The great teams see that team building is not a bolt-on, it's designed." Jonathan Hazley

4: Insightful Debriefing

Insightful debriefing is an essential reflective approach in project management and team development, emphasising the value of discussing outcomes, assessing procedures, and relating to initial goals. This process involves teams examining whether and how project goals were met, the success of various techniques, and the lessons gained along the way.

This reflection not only helps to discover areas of success and places for growth, but it also promotes a culture of constant learning and development. Open feedback during these sessions is critical because it promotes transparency and honesty, allowing team members to express their ideas and opinions without fear of being judged. This openness helps to create trust, improve team relationships, and ensure that everyone's viewpoint is considered. By connecting discussions to the meeting and conference objectives and focusing on actionable insights, debriefing becomes a valuable tool for future project planning and execution, ensuring that teams are not just looking back but also forward.

5: Meaningful Follow-Up

Recognising efforts and putting key takeaways into action is essential. Use follow-up communication to keep the momentum going, monitor progress, and celebrate successes.

By prioritising outcomes like trust, communication, problem-solving abilities, motivation/engagement, and strategic alignment, effective team building reduces conflicts and boosts morale, agility and innovation.

At Team Challenge Company, we have more than 20 years experience in team building and our event planners can help guide you in pinpointing priorities and designing an engaging experience to create lasting cultural impact. Contact us today. You can listen back to the full episode here.