How2Day: Free Team-building Drills

Team-building is essential in academic and business settings. Ryouchin/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Team-building skills are essential for effective communication and problem-solving. There are free team-building skills available which serve to improve the cohesiveness of a team and promote improvement in both individual and team decision-making.

The object of the Helium Pole group activity is for a group to lower a wooden dowel to the ground within 45 to 60 minutes. This activity sounds easy, yet it is not carried out as easily as one may anticipate. The Helium Pole group activity teaches team members how to work together to accomplish tasks successfully. Team members will experience the value of trust and communication in this game, according to TeamBuildingUSA.com.

Zoom is a team-building activity for a group of 20 to 30 individuals. It has been published in 18 countries, and it teaches problem-solving and communication skills. You must hand out pictures to each member, and each member must neither show his picture nor look at the picture that belongs to other group members. Within 20 to 30 minutes, the group must arrange the pictures in sequence to tell a story, by placing them on a table. Group members are only allowed to discuss the pictures to determine what they may have in common. End the activity by discussing the level of difficulty in arranging the pictures, how other's points of view were perceived, who were leaders and how the activity would be handled differently if it were played again.

This exercise is based on the saying: "The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." Divide eight to 30 individuals into two teams. One team will be the early bird; the other will be the second mouse. The Early Bird Second Mouse exercise teaches teamwork, presentations, debating, group decision-making and how teams must strategize. Each group has five to 10 minutes to develop a 60-minute presentation that explains why their business strategy---Early Bird or Second Mouse---is better. Then the teams must debate about being the most effective strategy for business, work or life. Adaptability will be reflected in how people respond and make decisions.

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