“I recently did a presentation on teambuilding events and asked the audience whether they loathed or loved teambuilding events,” wrote Anthony Lambatos (Footers Catering) in a recent article for Catersource.
“The result? Of those who participated, there was a split of about 50-50 on either side.
Companies across the world spend billions of dollars each year on teambuilding events, attempting to bring their people closer together. The problem is that these efforts are often met with eye rolls and resistance from several employees who immediately think of trust falls and cheesy ice breakers when they hear “teambuilding.” On the other hand, consider the US Army, an organization that places significant emphasis on the importance of teambuilding. In an environment that can literally be life and death, they have found that creating closer connections not only improves the ability for teams to meet their goals and accomplish the 'impossible,' but it is also paramount in helping to build bonds that can mitigate post-traumatic stress and prevent suicide.
If we want to do the work of building trust and bringing our team members closer together, we need to understand why many teambuilding events fail.”
Here are the reasons Lambatos offers for teambuilding events falling flat:
- They’re often forced
- Lack of intention
- Misunderstanding team camaraderie
