If you have visited many other corporate team building provider websites in the last year or so, you likely will have noticed an increasing number of high-tech event offerings.
The novelty that technology like phone apps or iPads or GPS receivers may offer is certainly attractive to many event planners, but those bright shiny objects are often yet another example of style over substance.
Seldom do those advertised high-tech experiences have the lasting impact that more low-tech team building events will provide. The gadgets are fun to work with, but your team will benefit far more from low-tech activities that encourage them to interact andwork more effectively with PEOPLE.
What a low-tech teambuilding event offers that many big-box companies do not is a customized collection of engaging simple, laugh-out-loud engaging activities that offer insights and ideas for better team productivity. If all your team carries away from a team building event are a few laughs, then your facilitator has done a poor job.
When considering a corporate event for your team, know that the purpose is not only to enjoy the few hours of the event together. More importantly, your team should ALSO be able to refer back to the fun interactions and take way insights and applicable ideas from debriefing discussions that can positively impact your organization weeks or months or even years later.
High quality results for your team are only made possible when your people are placed in a safe situation where they are challenged to build rapport and learn more about each other’s strengths, to communicate more effectively and collaborate for success, and to overcome adversity together to establish trust and a sense of team pride.
These valuable outcomes are the basis of any ROI your organization will see, and are only created when your people transfer the laughter from an engaging activity into lessons that can be applied to your workplace the very next day!
Team building events that emphasize experiential learning instead of technology are powerful tools to grow your team and connect silos, or emphasize the importance of communication, or to address an issue specific to your situation.
So how do low-tech events provide great results for your team?
Well, since most leaders are aware that “telling is not teaching,” they are always looking for ways to allow people an opportunity to experience a message. That is part of the reason that many seek out interesting ideas for team bonding.
But just as importantly, you must also be mindful of legendary basketball coach John Wooden’s warning to “never mistake activity for achievement.”
Wearing the same uniform or being in close proximity to others does not make your group a more productive team. Participating in a high-tech group event is not guaranteed to achieve the results of improved collaboration, trust, or accountability that you may be seeking.
It isn’t the high-tech part of the activity that leads to achievement.
Team building is the result of reflecting on the interactions that a relevant group challenge provides.
The single most important question for you to ask as you consider contacting a team building provider is “how will this event help my team to improve?”
Your answer will always be based on how the event will improve group interactions.
It is the quality and frequency of face to face interactions that low-tech events provide which become an observable microcosm of your team dynamics… and those dynamics and behaviors are the basis for vital debriefing discussions where your team’s laughter is transformed into actionable lessons for improvement.
There is nothing wrong with using technology as a teamwork tool – but it is not a shortcut to creating the culture of teamwork that you desire.
Having more computers does not make a school or its students more successful. Their success, like that of your team, will be the result of quality interactions and encouragements and challenges and relationships and reflection.
So, if you are truly interested in high quality results for your team’s next bonding event, don’t get distracted by shiny objects. A customized low-tech sample schedule of team building activities and debriefing discussions will likely have a far more lasting and positive impact on their performance.
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