Team building activities

The concept of „team building‟ has numerous definitions. These activities are losing their original aim, namely, enabling people to work in a team and making maximum use of each person‟s skills (Schweiger, 2014: 27; Peragine, 2007: 25). According to Schweiger (2014: 28), recreation activities are given priority over the actual idea of team building. A team building operator should know whether the customer is looking for a team building activity in the real sense or if they merely want a retreat for their

28

team. The customers‟ motives might influence their expectations towards the team building activity.

Team building activities come in different forms, for example, outdoor activities, indoor group process discussions and incentives (Klein et al, 2009: 182; Diego, 2006: 42).

Those activities are not bound to a specific environment. Klein et al (2009: 184) state that places such as indoor venues as well as the wilderness are all suitable for team building activities. The form of activity can vary as well and include activities such as games, exercises or adventures (Klein et al, 2009: 218). A team building activity offered by an operator in the Eastern Cape might include, for example, a zipline tour in Tsitiskamma with a debriefing session indoors after the actual activity.

Team building consists of specialised activities which can be tailored to customers‟

wants and needs. This ensures that team building activities assist in achieving outcomes tailored to individual customer requirements. For the purpose of this study team building activities have been categorised as reflected in the table below and include the following (Diego, 2006: 43; Kriek, 2007: 2; Kriek & Venter, 2009: 113;

Swarbrooke & Horner, 2001: 364 and Team building and meetings, n.d):

Table 3.1: Team building activities: Adapted from various sources such as Dynamic Vision Team Building Activities (n.d)

Paintball White water rafting Archery

Quad biking Drumming Abseiling

Canoeing Mountain biking Amazing race

Rock climbing Wine tasting Pigeon clay shooting

Sailing Treasure hunts Kayaking

Tiereny (2002: 15) emphasises the broad diversity of team building activities. Team building clients often choose an activity which they believe is appropriate for their course instead of consulting a team building facilitator (Tierney, 2002: 15). This might happen if clients specifically request a certain activity, e.g. kayaking, instead of consulting a team building operator and stating what they want to achieve with the activity. Kriek (2006: 50), on the one hand, recommends tailoring the chosen team building activity to address teams‟ issues and challenges best. Not every activity will

29

suit every team. It can be assumed that a team building operator will identify an appropriate activity for each team and its goals. An experienced and trained facilitator should be used instead of a non-professional agent for an efficient team building experience (Botha, 2013: 74; Kriek, 2007: 15). Peragine (2007: 25) states that team building is often “misapplied” to activities which focus on creating narrative history between participants or increasing their interactions with each other rather than building effective teams. To avoid ineffective team building, a client needs to choose a team building operator who specialises in team building and not in offering incentives for teams without focusing on the teams‟ development. On the other hand, chosen activities are generally independent from the team building participants‟ objectives.

There is not a tendency for a specific activity to target a particular problem (Tierney, 2002: 15). The reason therefore might be that team building operators have to make use of the resources and activities which are available to them regardless of potentially more efficient activities.

Kriek (2006: 50) points out the most frequently used team building types. Interpersonal, role clarification, task-based, and activity-based and unstructured. Interpersonal team building can be used as „just for fun‟ activities which bring team members closer to each other and create narratives for the team (Kriek, 2006: 50). This type will foster the development of a better understanding, communication and relationships among team members (Kriek, 2006: 50). Teams lacking in communication which can lead to problematic relationships within the team will profit from such activities.

Role clarification serves to define individual members‟ roles, expectations and duties within the team (Kriek, 2006: 50). A team where team members are not certain about their role and work task cannot be as efficient as teams where members know their roles. An activity which can bring clarification of individuals‟ roles will enhance the team‟s work as time can be saved allocating responsibilities to appropriate individual members.

Task-based team building focuses on the achievement of an exercise and the contribution of participants towards reaching the desired outcomes. The focus is less on individuals and their relationship to each other than on achieving set tasks (Kriek, 2006:

50). The team building activity enables team members to allocate specific tasks to

30

appropriate team members who have the necessary skills to fulfil the work. Completing the job has priority over the relationship of the team. It can be assumed that this form of team building activity is used once a team has established positive relationships and communication.

Unstructured team building is a more in-depth approach focusing on interpersonal relations by means of utilising “group dynamics and/or psycho therapeutic techniques”

(Kriek, 2006: 51). Unstructured team building activities are the opposite of task-based activities. It can be assumed that this type of activity is used for teams which struggle with their group dynamics and need assistance in solving issues regards this. It is advisable that a successful team first needs to establish positive relationships within the team before focusing on allocating tasks to individuals.

The last type, activity-based team building, follows a threefold process, namely reflection, generalisation and application of the experienced team building activity (Kriek, 2006: 50). These are the principles of experiential learning. The activities are physically and/or psychologically demanding and take place in a natural setting indoors as well as outdoors (Kriek, 2006: 50). The activities often rely on human interaction or nature, which makes the outcomes uncertain. This makes these activity-based team building activities as unpredictable as the real business world. Experiencing activities which are beyond the teams‟ control can possibly improve the teams‟ reaction to work environment scenarios (Kriek, 2007: 11). These activities usually influence participants on a holistic cognitive, behavioural and emotional level (Kriek, 2007: 11). A facilitator has to lead the team through this threefold process. He/she has to guide team members through an activity. Once the activity has been completed, the facilitator can debrief the team in order to discuss or reflect on the outcomes.

Debriefing is essential for an effective team building activity. The team has to be debriefed by the facilitator (Botha, 2013: 74; Gruno & Gibbons, 2014: 8). This will benefit the team in understanding the similarities between the team building exercise and their work environment (Botha, 2013: 74). Experiences gained at an obstacle course, for example, will be generalised in order for team members to realise how they can apply those experiences and profit from them as a team. An experience could be

31

that team members realise that they can rely on each other to delegate work amongst themselves.

The most popular way to achieve team building is by utilising outdoor physical activities (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2001: 199). According to Kriek and Venter (2009: 125), Stredwick (2005: 385) and Hui and Cheung (2004: 77), outdoor team building is more successful than an indoor context. Outdoor team building assists participants to engage more effectively in situations with uncertain outcomes (Hui & Cheung, 2004: 85). The reason for this could be that it is harder to predict the outcome of an outdoor activity in nature in comparison to an indoor activity where underlying conditions do not change suddenly. White water rafting, for example, is used as a team building activity. This activity requires the team to work together under circumstances such as wild currents which they cannot influence but need to overcome as a team. During outdoor team building activities teams are able to learn in a parallel work environment which is linked back to actual situations at work (Gass & Priest, 2006: 81). A team might realise its individual team members‟ potential while overcoming obstacles relating to outdoor team building activities together and link this realisation back to work- related scenarios.

Clevenger (2007: 24) emphasises that outdoor team building activities are a useful tool to create a change of scenery to the usual work place (Clevenger, 2007: 24). Such a change might be refreshing for a team and lets them approach the activity positively. As the activity is outdoors and seems less related to the usual work scenarios, team members might be more confident to engage and increase their interaction as they do not fear that failure will reflect negatively on their work skills.

Spring and autumn are preferable seasons for outdoor team building (Clevenger, 2007:

24). This is because these seasons are rather mild and usually do not create harsh weather conditions. Outdoor activities during cold winters or hot summers can lower the effectiveness of the team building session. Team members who do not feel physically comfortably might not focus on the actual activity and perceive it as a negative experience.

Clevenger (2007: 22) states that team building days should be structured but not be overloaded with activities. The activities should aim to be flexible and encourage active

32

involvement of participants. The activities have to create an atmosphere where participants can “…talk, learn, share, and generate unique bonding experiences”

(Clevenger, 2007: 23). This atmosphere is essential to make the most of a team building activity. Keeping the activity structured, educational, flexible and entertaining will create a pleasant experience.

Botha (2013: 74) confirms a number of key factors of team building activities. She emphasises the importance of facilitators to explain the link between the exercise and the company‟s goals or reason for executing the activity (Botha, 2013: 74). Parallels need to be shown between the activity and the businesses reality. Outdoor activities should be challenging and facilitated (Botha, 2013: 74). An activity which is not guided and debriefed by the facilitator is likely to have little value for the development of a team. Team members need the guidance of a facilitator to recognise their potential and to realise the parallels between the activity and their work. Challenging activities will bring team members‟ potential to the fore as they might have to leave their comfort zone, and try new ways of working together in order to succeed in the activities.

The team building facilitator should keep team members motivated and engaged: this refers to all participants, including reserved or inexperienced members (Botha, 2013:

74). Gruno and Gibbons (2014: 6) state that all team members should interact, be interdependent and liable for their actions. This provides an opportunity to all participants to experience and show their skills in a pleasant environment. Individuals who did not get to show their full potential before will have the opportunity to do this during team building activities. Raising the team‟s awareness of each individual skill can lead to increased work performance.

Team building should be progressive in its development (Gruno & Gibbons, 2014: 8).

The activities should start with the easiest exercise. Clevenger (2007: 23) suggests the use of so-called icebreakers to get the team members in the right mood for the activity.

Subsequently, team building should build up to challenging tasks which include physical, emotional and intellectual obstacles (Gruno & Gibbons, 2014: 9). This provides an opportunity to all participants to adapt to situations and grow with the challenges as a team. Team building facilitators must ensure that safety is guaranteed and the activities match team members‟ physical fitness (Botha, 2013: 74). An activity