Cambridge has a foundation of collaboration and teamwork! Whilst we can’t guarantee that your team will win the next Nobel Prize, our guide on how to plan a team building event in Cambridge will get you started with designing an event guaranteed to bring your team together.

1. Objective

Be clear on what the objectives are for the team-building event; what are you hoping to achieve? Is it to improve communication between team members; create cohesion within the team; develop creativity? By understanding what your goals are will help determine what activity and venue to choose.

2. Know Your Team

For the best engagement, it is critical to seek and understand your team’s preferences, interests and dynamics. Key considerations include:

  • The size of the team
    How big is the team? If it is small, discussion-based activities maybe more suitable. If the team is large, a dynamic competitive environment may be more attractive.
  • Demographics
    It is essential to ensure that every single team member feels included. Take into account age, physical ability and cultural backgrounds. For example, wine tasting may not be suitable for everyone in your group.

3. Research

Have you hosted team building events in the past?  What did the team enjoy and equally as important, not enjoy.  Allow your team to feel part of the process by asking them for ideas – it will also make your task easier in choosing which activity and venue!

4. Activities

Depending on what you want to achieve, activities can be broken down into roughly four categories. Obviously, it goes without saying, ensure the activity is suitable for every member of the team:

  • Ice-breakers
    ​These are short and quick activities to get everyone warmed up so interaction can start. Ice –breaker questions could include:
    • If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
    • What colours do you associate with different days of the week – provide a set palette of colours to make the choice quicker.
    • Favourite food / pastime / holiday etc.
  • Cohesion
    ​Group problem-solving activities are excellent for creating cohesion within a small team. Encourage managers to step back and allow other team members to take the lead. This not only gives other members of the team the opportunity to shine but also provides managers with valuable insights into the team’s thought processes. For an engaging experience consider activities such as:
    • Escape rooms.
    • Scavenger hunts.
    • Murder mysteries.
    • Code-breaking challenges.
  • Communication
    ​Effective communication is critical to every team and mastering skills like listening, and understanding  require constant practice. Encourage your team to strengthen their communications skills through activities  such as:
    • Drawing each other from a back-to-back position.
    • Untangling a knotted human loop.
    • Navigating a maze or obstacle course – for an extra challenge try:
      • Wearing a blindfold: This not only intensifies the challenge but also allows your team to experience the world from a different perspective, building their equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) skills. How can they apply this experience to improve the organisation?
      • Creating a language for directions. Instead of the usual right, left, forwards, backwards etc instructions, challenge the team to invent their own unique language. This could include non-verbal communication also. This exercise can also enhance your team’s equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) awareness and skills.
  • Creativity
    ​Creative tasks are great for encouraging your team to think outside the box and approach problems from fresh perspectives. These activities foster innovation and collaborative problem-solving. Some engaging options to consider are:
    • Cooking.
    • Art.
    • Building challenges with spaghetti and marshmallows or newspaper.
    • Marble runs.
    • Innovation workshops that involve design thinking or brainstorming sessions to tackle real-world problems. These workshops can be tailored to your team’s interests and industry.

For more ideas visit our Incentives, Team Building and Group Visits in Cambridge page

5. Choose your Venue

Choosing the right venue will be significant to the success of your teambuilding event. Consider:

  • Accessibility
  • What space and materials you need – ask the venue what they can supply and what you may bring in.
  • Do you require outside space?
    • Is there a suitable wet weather option?
  • Ambiance – the event space you choose should enhance your team-building objective. If you are problem solving or focusing on creativity, choose a space that encourages deep thinking and analytical skills which will aid your team. For teams that are looking to improve cohesion and/or communication, a vibrant and energetic space maybe more suitable.
  • Catering – check your team’s dietary requirements to make sure everyone is catered for.

6. Use a Team-building Company

Whilst an extra cost will be incurred, using a specialist company can help ensure your event runs smoothly and encourage participation from every individual. They can also handle any challenging situations and your team may feel more comfortable talking to someone outside of your organisation.

7. After the Event

Do follow up with your team with a summary of key take aways and any photos taken. Collect feedback from your team, including any ideas that could be built into your organisation’s strategy and processes for the next team building event!

 

Further Resources:

Read more about team building events in Cambridge in our guest blog with Right Angle Events.

Read our case study with Zenobe Energy.

 

Need help find a venue for your team building event? Send us your details here.