The idea behind team-building exercises is to help employees become more in-tune with each other’s strengths and weaknesses. By sharing experiences, members of a team should be able to operate like a well-oiled machine, specifically under pressure.
Sadly, many team-building exercises don’t work that well because the teams feel as though they’re just going through the paces. There’s not enough engagement to actually create a connection. Developing that connection is the whole purpose of team building, so any exercise that doesn’t is a waste of the company’s resources.
Lori Harris is a member of the Forbes Coaching Council, and Managing Partner of Harris Whitesell Consulting.