How to Plan the Perfect Team Building Event
Updated: September 2023
Team building events are great for strengthening relationships, boosting morale, and overall, having an enjoyable day. According to Team Stage, 75% of staff say team work and collaboration are crucial to corporate success, highlighting the importance of fostering a cohesive and motivated team through engaging activities and shared experiences.
It gives something for the team to look forward to and encourages a bit of friendly competition. We’ve put together our list of tips on how to organise a successful team building event that everyone will enjoy.
How to Plan a Team Building Event
- Assess your Budget
- Define your Goal
- Choose your Team Building Activities
- Get your Teams Together
- Choose a Team Building Venue
- Get your Supplies
- Select an Appropriate Date
- Choose a Prize
Team building planning is crucial as it responds to a growing demand among UK workers. Recent data indicates that 83% of UK workers want their workplace to provide more frequent team-building events. This statistic highlights the significance of organising team building exercises to meet the expectations and desires of the workforce.
By organising team building, employers can not only enhance team cohesion but also improve job satisfaction, productivity, and overall employee well-being, making it a win-win investment for both the organisation and its staff.
1. Assess your Budget
63% of respondents care most about staying within budget when team building planning. It’s important to understand that while you don’t need to spend a lot when organising a corporate team building event, being mindful of budget constraints ensures that the event remains accessible and inclusive for all team members.
Prioritising cost-effective yet engaging activities and resourceful planning can lead to a successful team-building experience that resonates with the majority while keeping financial considerations in check.
Draw up a realistic budget, and research based on this. If you have a bigger budget, things like paintballing or go-karting are always fun. However, it’s also nice to get everyone outside for some games and activities, and it doesn’t break the bank.
2. Define your Goal
Defining your goal is a crucial step in team building. It helps foster unity within the office community and enhances problem-solving capabilities as a group. To ensure the goal is meaningful and impactful, begin by taking direction from your leaders.
Consider what you aim to achieve, whether it’s strengthening team bonds, enhancing communication, or boosting team morale. This clarity of purpose sets the foundation for a purposeful and successful team-building experience. By identifying your specific objectives, you can tailor the event’s activities and structure to meet these goals, ensuring it’s both enjoyable and purposeful for your team.
3. Choose your Team Building Activities
When planning your team building event, you can stick to one fun activity or schedule different ones throughout the team building day. This mixes things up and keeps everyone’s attention on track. Team games like rounders and football are great for warm days and to get everyone active.
When choosing your activities be sure to mix it up by having sports and also creative problem-solving activities. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, discuss with your team and see what they’d enjoy. You can always create polls to see the most popular choice.
4. Get your Teams Together
There are a variety of ways you can group the teams together. Asking your team to group themselves can sometimes cause unnecessary problems and isn’t always the most efficient solution.
Having teams of different departments is fun if the numbers add up. This also usually creates more of a competitive attitude. Failing this, you usually can’t go wrong with picking names out of a hat.
5. Choose a Team Building Venue
Choosing the right team-building venue is the next practical step. Outdoor team building activities are often preferred as they provide employees with fresh air and an abundance of space, but flexibility is key. Look for a venue that offers both indoor spaces and outdoor areas, so you can adapt to changing weather conditions. Discuss with the venue’s team their willingness to assist with setup and coordination.
Check their catering options, you don’t necessarily need a sit-down meal. Providing continuous refreshments during the event can keep your team energised. For lunch, consider a buffet provided by the venue, offering a chance for relaxation and interaction. This is a thoughtful way to thank your hardworking employees and enhance the team-building experience.
6. Get your Supplies
Make a list of any supplies that you may need. Again, you don’t need to spend a great deal of money. Ask around your team for certain things so you can borrow them. If you need to buy things, ensure you save them for the next event.
Ask your selected venue if they can provide anything that you may need. Some venues have sports equipment that you can hire for the day.
7. Select an Appropriate Date
Rally everyone together to decide the best date and time. Keep an eye on the weather and try to choose a day that will be sunny but not too warm. Fridays are always popular for team building as it gets everyone relaxed ready for the weekend.
It might be good to organise minibuses to take your team to the venue. This way, you can have a few warmup games on the journey.
8. Choose a Prize
It doesn’t have to be a big one, but a little prize for the winning team creates that extra sense of competition and effort. It could be a little selection of treats for the winners, or that the winning team can leave slightly earlier one day.
Get creative with it and ask around your team to see what they’d like. The main thing for the day is that everyone enjoys themselves and gets the chance to mingle outside of the office.
Team Building Event Venue in Milton Keynes
If you are looking for a flexible team building event space for your team building activities, look no further than Kents Hill Park. We are located in Milton Keynes, with excellent transport links to the rest of the country. Our purpose-built facility is one of the largest dedicated training and conference centres in the UK. Don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team for more information.
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