365 Low or No Cost Workplace Teambuilding Activities: Games and Exercised Designed to Build Trust & Encourage Teamwork Among Employees

365

LOW OR NO COST

WORKPLACE

TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES

___________________________________

Games and Exercises Designed to Build Trust

and Encourage Teamwork Among Employees

First Edition by John Peragine

Revised by Grace Hudgins

365 LOW OR NO Cost Workplace Team Building Activities: Games and Exercises Designed to Build Trust and Encourage Teamwork Among Employees

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Peragine, John N., author. | Hudgins, Grace, author.

Title: 365 low or no cost workplace teambuilding activities : games and

exercises designed to build trust and encourage teamwork among employees /

by John Peragine ; revised by Grace Hudgins Other titles: Three hundred sixty five low or no cost workplace teambuilding

activities

Description: Revised 2nd edition. | Ocala, Florida : Atlantic Publishing

Group, Inc., [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015036709| ISBN 9781620230671 (alk. paper) | ISBN

1620230674 (alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Teams in the workplace. | Interpersonal communication. |

Communication in organizations.

Classification: LCC HD66 .P427 2016 | DDC 658.4/022--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2015036709

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Team Leaders

Role model

Personality

Commitment

Cooperation

Optimism

Self-knowledge

Listening

Types of Teams

Project teams

Working teams

Virtual teams

What Defines Team Building?

Chapter 1

What to Consider Before Choosing

the Right Team Building Activity

Before You Begin a Team Building Session

Book Layout

Chapter Breakdown

Chapter 2

Break the Ice: Simple Icebreakers and

Exercises for Newly Formed Teams

Name Games

1. Who am I (Biography)

2. Who am I (Introduce your coworker)

3. Who am I (TV character)

4. Who am I (Embarrassing moment)

5. Who am I (Favorite job)

6. Who am I (Favorite class)

7. The name game

8. Name that balloon

9. Getting to know my colleagues

10. Speed dating

11. Switch sides if…

12. What are you advertising?

13. Human map

14. Salt and pepper

Learn About Your Colleagues

15. Two truths and a lie

16. ‘J’ is for jumping jacks

17. ‘J’ is for jumping jacks alternate version

18. Common ground

19. Color personality tests

20. You get one question

21. Answer and ask

22. Rings

23. Life highlights

24. I would like you to

25. Know your role

26. Rings a bell

Low Cost with Props

27. Sweet stories

28. Quarter of a century

29. Beach ball toss

30. True colors

31. Picture yourself

32. Scavenger hunt

33. The bait and switch hunt

34. Resource utilization

Games

35. Take what you need

36. Telephone on paper

37. Group mirror

38. Cake walk

39. Cake walk alternate version

40. Word association

41. Characteristics

Younger Employees

42. Who’s on base?

Chapter 3

Working Together: Team Building

Exercises For New And Old Teams

In-House Trainings

43. Can we build it?

44. Can we build it alternate version

45. Team feud

46. Team feud alternate version

47. Crazy eights

48. Key people

49. What grade did I get?

50. Conveyor belt

Company Retreats

51. Forefathers

52. Horse show

53. Fearless factor

54. Team mall

55. The emotional bus

56. What’s your fortune?

57. What is it?

58. Four square

Physical Exercises

59. Team bocce ball

60. Team race

61. Use your feet

62. Dodge-mallow

63. Fitness test

Creative Exercises

64. Improvisations

65. Comic strip

66. Big picture

67. Team war

68. Group timeline

Low Cost With Props

69. Cookie towers

70. The plastic cup pyramid

71. The great hunt purpose

Chapter 4

Collaboration Activities For Teams

From Different Departments

In-House Trainings

72. Team slogan

73. Team slogan alternate version

74. Create your own game

75. Common book

76. Ideas on building blocks

Company Retreats

77. Cross-country skiing

78. The big tournament

79. Build a raft

80. Grab-bag skits

81. Mouse trap

82. Mouse trap alternate version

Physical Exercises

83. Untying the knot

84. Double Jeopardy Ping-Pong

Level: First/Basic

85. Triangulate your space

Creative Exercises

86. Classify this

87. Build a car

88. Spot it

Low Cost with Props

89. Mummy wrap

90. Mummy wrap alternate version

91. Spaghetti and gummy bears

92. Build your team’s house

93. Mouse in a pipe

Chapter 5

Team Bonding: Activities to

Make Your Teams Stronger

In-House Trainings

94. Talking stick

95. Purpose mingle

96. Fortune teller

97. Fortune teller alternate version

98. What do you value

99. No ifs about it — only buts or ands

100. No ifs about it — only buts or ands alternate version

101. No ifs about it — only buts or ands alternate version two

102. Better than that

103. There is no ‘I’ in team

104. Every which way

Company Retreats

105. Dart board

106. Break it away

107. Board games

108. Catchphrase

109. Organizational Jenga

110. Charades

111. Dinner on a budget

112. Feeling cookies

113. Talent show

114. How well do you know your teammate?

115. Step in, step out

Physical Exercises

116. Water sports

117. Bridge over happy waters

118. One, double, triple

119. Helium stick

Creative Exercises

120. Memory wall

121. Magazine awards

122. Make a new team

123. Make a new team alternate version

124. What do you think of her?

125. Group story

126. Show me how you feel

127. Mood hats

128. Awesome begins with ‘A’

129. Diversity bingo

Low Cost with Props

130. Colors of the rainbow

131. Office trivia

132. Global warming

Community Service Opportunities

133. Soup kitchens

134. Road/Park/Beach cleanup

135. Makeover a school

136. Build a house/Habitat for Humanity

137. Volunteer at an animal shelter

138. Volunteer at a nursing home

139. Cook for the needy on holidays

140. Donate to children and families in need

141. Soldier care packages

142. Organize or participate in a 5K

Around-the-Town Meeting Places

143. Coffee

144. Happy hour

145. A meal

146. Shopping for an office event

147. Holiday parties

148. Monthly birthday celebrations

149. Cooking class

150. Rock climbing

Younger Employees

151. Circle seat

152. Cinderella, Cinderella

153. Hot potato

154. Frankenstein’s monster

155. Badminton by the numbers

156. One, two, untie your shoe

157. Younger employee meet-ups: lunch, beach, or bowling

Chapter 6

Communication Is the Key: Listening

and Talking Exercises for Your Team

In-House Trainings

158. Do you hear what I hear?

159. The right questions

160. Can you follow directions?

161. What is my crazy line?

162. Active listening

163. Interpretation

164. Times are changing

165. What swims

166. Tell me about it

167. Tell me about it alternate version

168. Tell me about your day

169. Move me

170. Team blackjack

Company Retreats

171. Drought

172. Play with clay

173. Group sculpting

174. Life-size Pictionary

175. Stickies

176. How does that make you feel?

177. Listen and build

178. Listen and build alternate version

179. Listen and build alternate version two

180. White water rafting

181. A storm is coming

Physical Exercises

182. People Tic-Tac-Toe

183. Egg Toss

184. Team body art

185. Team body art alternate version

186. Ships and sailors

187. Cat’s cradle

188. Team geometry

Creative Exercises

189. Writing for the future

190. Writing for the future alternate version

191. Group portrait

192. Back-to-back drawing

193. The complete story

194. The complete story alternate version

195. Mad-lib mission statement

196. Paper talk

197. Follow the beat

198. Zip, zap, zop

199. Chinese whispers

Low Cost with Props

200. Show me your signs

201. Definitions

202. Definitions alternate version

203. Scream for ice cream

Chapter 7

Trust Your Teammates: Trust Exercises

That Will Motivate Your Employees

In-House Exercises

204. Global vote

205. Never have I ever

206. Patience

207. Eye contact

208. Company concentration debate

209. Blind leading the blind

210. The blind line

211. Trust fall

212. Tip me over

213. Task master

214. Task master alternate version

Company Retreats

215. Blind man’s build

216. Blind obstacle course

217. Blind wine waiter

218. Money auction

219. Who’s got a dollar?

Physical Exercises

220. Night trail

221. Running free

222. Slice ‘n’ dice

223. The many legged monster

224. Willow in the wind

225. Till death do us part

226. Till death do us part alternate version

Creative Exercises

227. You drive, I’ll shift

228. Blind man’s tag

Low Cost with Props

229. Protect your assets

230. The three monkeys

Younger Employees

231. Mini-marshmallow pass

232. Chocolate gold rush

233. Tap me next

234. Who’s missing?

Chapter 8

Problem Solving:

Challenges for Your Team Members

to Solve Their Own Problems

In-House Training

235. It’s your problem

236. What’s wrong with the picture?

237. What are you doing this week?

238. Were you paying attention?

239. Shop or else

240. Shark-infested waters

Company Retreats

241. Keep it real

242. It’s a mystery

243. Hot topic

244. Hot topic alternate version

245. Buy it part one

246. Buy it part two

247. Pinky’s up

248. It is puzzling

Physical Exercises

249. Invisible ball

250. Raft flip

251. Move the hoop

252. Over, under, and through the woods

253. The 20-foot monster purpose

254. The cogs

255. No talking on the lifeline

256. Cow fence

Creative Exercises

257. Circle up

258. Card shuffle

259. What’s on your desk?

260. Bus stop

Low Cost with Props

261. Waterfall

262. Mediator

263. Balloon stomp

264. Equally frantic

265. A shrinking vessel

266. Can you count?

267. Cut me a deal

268. What would we look like as…

269. Fake problem

Younger Employees

270. Said the spider to the fly

271. Said the spider to the fly alternate version

Chapter 9

Creative Thinking:

Encourage Team Members to

Step out of Their Comfort Zones

In-House Trainings

272. Team symbol

273. Team banner

274. Code breaking

275. That’s just not fair

Company Retreats

276. Fear in a hat

277. Old barrels to sell

278. New break room

279. Special report

280. All tied up

281. All tied up — group walk

282. Build a big structure

Physical Exercises

283. Human chain

284. Mirroring

285. No man’s land

286. Lava flow

287. Traffic jam

Creative Exercises

288. Fix it

289. Fix it alternate version

290. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure

291. Create a design

292. Team shield

Low Cost with Props

293. Human shapes

294. Balloon keep-up

295. Paper plane contest

Chapter 10

Think Positive Thoughts: Activities

That Will Spread Positivity from

Employee to Employee

In-House Trainings

296. Share a defining moment

297. Hero, highlight, hardship

298. The votes are in

299. If you really knew me

300. Fuel up the tanks

301. Winner-loser

302. Who wants a job?

303. Who wants a job alternate version

304. Climate checker

305. Skill hunt

306. Me and my shadow

307. Me and my shadow alternate version

308. Superheroes

309. Superheroes alternate version

310. Team obituary

Company Retreats

311. Destruction of property

312. Destruction of property alternate version

313. What’s in your bag?

314. Personal scrapbook

315. Team scrapbook

316. The judges say

317. Give a compliment

318. The ‘glad’ game

Physical Exercises

319. Self-esteem pillow sheets

320. Self-esteem pillow sheets alternate version

321. Tap me next

322. Hunting for happiness

Creative Exercises

323. Queen for a day

324. Personal advertisements

325. Personal advertisements alternate version

326. Newspaper ads

327. Newspaper ads alternate version

328. Personal stamps

329. Tree of plenty

330. Group résumé

Low Cost with Props

331. Secret admirer

332. One step into the future

333. One step into the future alternate version

334. Crystal ball

335. Flipping great

Breathing Exercises

336. Take a breath exercise one

337. Take a breath exercise two

338. Take a breath exercise three

339. Black board

340. Sweep it away

Chapter 11

Technology: Team Building Activities

for Remote Teams

Icebreakers

341. Let’s break the ice

342. Reply all

343. Three truths and a lie (virtual version)

344. Where are you from?

345. Two pictures

346. Take a picture of your shoes

347. Find the common thread

348. Create a team logo or character

349. Gifts and hooks

350. Care packages

Ignite the Flame

351. Rotational leadership

352. Shared learning

353. Fear in a hat

354. What could go wrong?

355. Celebrate 5th Fridays

Games

356. Whose office is it anyway?

357. Conference call trivia

358. Online Catchphrase or Charades

359. Virtual bingo

360. Virtual diversity bingo

361. Virtual scavenger hunt

362. Virtual speed dating

Virtual Meet-ups

363. Virtual coffee break or happy hour

364. Virtual team lunch or dinner

365. Catch up via video call

Conclusion

Individual Benefits

Checking In

Motivation

Contacts

Kim Stinson

Pramod Goel

Stephen G. F. Coenen

Breon M. Klopp

Deb Dowling

Michelle Lovejoy

Glossary

Bibliography

Foreword

Team building demands patience, persistence, and continuous evolution. Games and exercises function to stress the importance of certain aspects of effective teams: trust, communication, and cultural awareness, just to name a few. Taking those lessons into daily work demands that leaders exemplify the qualities they seek to instill across the team.

My earliest lessons in team building and leadership began in the humblest of jobs — as a teenager washing dishes in a locally-owned Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Upstate New York. The owner insisted that he would never give a task to an employee that he would not also do himself. By jumping into a dumpster with brushes, soap, and a hose; or diving into the huge pile of dishes during a Friday night rush; or tossing flattened dough high into the air, he lived his words. His philosophy and actions instilled respect for him from all the employees. When he asked a staff member for assistance in a task, we saw that he operated transparently and humbly. We always complied without complaint.

The drawback of that lesson is that it’s culture-bound and rooted in American independence with appeal to equality and accountability among team members. When my career path placed me managing a team of 16 employees across the world in Kenya, that down-to-earth style conflicted with strong hierarchical tendencies and respectful submission to authority. I recognized that my responsibility as a leader demanded that I change to lead that team, although I could not fully shift my basic philosophy. Over my first year with the Kenyan team, I learned which employees embraced more authority and decision making and those that functioned best with a direct, command-style approach.

A leader must recognize that each team is unique, and in our multi-cultural society, each team member will bring along cultural assumptions. Some of the exercises in this edition are designed to highlight those differences to aid teams in being more effective as they adjust to each other.

Remote teams pose specific challenges for leaders, and with pervasive technology that allows team members to work from wherever they are, leaders must foster trust. This is essential. But how? Be responsive, be accessible, be flexible, be inclusive — particularly with communications — and keep a good sense of humor. With a remote team spanning the U.S. from Seattle to Tampa, I erred multiple times presuming I understood a written comment or question when, in fact, the author had very different intentions. I found myself fuming, only to realize later that my interpretation veered wildly from the team member’s meaning. Now when that occurs, I’ve learned to call or to speak via online face-to-face technology — not respond in writing — and seek clarification. This volume provides leaders informative and practical activities to help bring remote teams together in a virtual sense.

In using this book, take stock of which exercises are suitable for your team, their personalities, and the needs of your organization at the time you develop or adapt the activity. Understand that the game or exercise ignites the beginning of the change you seek and that your daily interactions with team members must also reinforce the quality or value behind the game’s purpose. Most of all, be open to truly hearing your team’s responses and reactions in the debrief as you will glean valuable insights to propel you to be a better leader tomorrow than you are today.

—Dr. Shawn J. Woodin

Dr. Woodin’s career spans higher education, non-profits, international education,

and community development. He earned his Doctorate in Higher Education

Administration at the University of Florida while directing a scholarship program f

or international students to study at U.S. community colleges. His professional

work has brought him to countries in Europe, South America, and Africa thus far,

including nearly six years living in Kenya. He is currently President/CEO of the

Southern Scholarship Foundation in Tallahassee, Florida.

Introduction

"The success of teamwork: Coming together is a beginning;

keeping together is progress; working together is success."

—Henry Ford

As Henry Ford quoted above, teamwork is not about going through the motions. It’s not even about the end result. It’s about the bond your team members create while putting in hard work toward their end goal.

Before you pick out the best team building exercises for your team, think about why you want to do them in the first place. Do you have a new team? Are there certain areas within your team that need improvement? Once you’ve narrowed that down it will be much easier to use this book as a guide.

The rest of the book’s activities have been categorized into chapters based off improvement areas such as communication, trust, collaboration, and team bonding. It’s now easier to find an activity that you think will work best for your team.

The second edition of this book includes more team building activities for teams that telecommute or work from home. Technology has influenced today’s workforce — so much so that a large percent now works remotely and is self-employed by doing so. Chapter 11 is dedicated to such virtual teams — big or small — and how technology can bring those teams just as close