Corporate Team Building Activities

Planning a successful corporate team building event can be tricky because there are so many factors to consider. You want to plan an outing that people will enjoy, but also want to make sure that it’s convenient and relaxing. The classic team building retreat to the woods where you complete obstacle courses and trust exercises often isn’t very convenient or relaxing. The rationale for these camp-style team building outings isn’t misguided, however. They are usually born in an effort to have a retreat that is somewhat productive in terms of building a sense of camaraderie throughout the office team. There are ways to build this same camaraderie that are also more fun, relaxing and convenient. Here are a look at some popular corporate team building activities.

Sporting Events

Attending a sporting event is a great way to build team unity without having to physically do anything as a team. Attending a sporting event lets your team skip the obstacle course and outsource the physical activity to the real athletes. Studies show that when people cheer for the same sports team it can build a strong sense of community. Sporting events also build this community within a competitive context, something that is often necessary for the business world. Sporting events also provide entertainment for those members of your corporate team less competitively-inclined. A sporting event may appeal to a coworker’s children or other family members. More than ever before, stadiums offer a wide array of beverage and dining options which can make the experience relaxing and memorable for everyone.

Happy Hour

If the goal of your corporate team building activity is more about providing an informal setting for coworkers to gather outside of the workplace, the office happy hour is the go-to move. For those who might think this is an uninspired, outdated choice for an event, there is good news. There has never been a more diverse set of options in most metropolitan areas as far as bars and restaurants go. More and more restaurants and bars are providing unique and local atmospheres, food and drinks. So while an office happy hour may before have been associated with the same appetizers and drinks at the same national chain restaurant, event planners should now view the office happy hour as a chance to provide employees with an opportunity to keep up with the newest, trendiest dining and drinking options available in their city.

Murder Mystery Dinners

For a more unique corporate team building activity, consider a murder mystery dinner. While it may seem like an off-the-wall choice at first, murder mystery dinners meet the most important prerequisite of all extra-curricular work events: food. They usually provide adult beverage options as well. What sets apart murder mystery dinners as a corporate team building option is the nature of the content. They provide your corporate team with the opportunity to use their brains together in a fun setting outside of the office. Seeing the way other people’s minds operate in dealing with the mysterious, often-humorous elements of such a dinner-theater performance can be a great way to build appreciate for team members.