Avoid the Lame, Enjoy the Game: Virtual Team Activities Part Two

Team-building activities are a common tool used by well-meaning managers to try and improve their team’s performance and member satisfaction. However, not all activities are created equal. As I stated in Part 1, a lot of team-building activities are lame. Seriously lame. In Part 1, I outlined three things that should be considered prior to selecting a team-building activity:

• Start with your "why" before you pick your "what."
• Know your people.
• Pick an activity that lends itself to the virtual world.

In Part 2, we’ll talk about the good and the bad when it comes to team activities. I’ll provide a few examples of “lame” activities and talk about why they are lame. Then I’ll provide “good” activities and describe in detail why they are ones you should consider using.

Why Bother with Activities?

With so many lame activities out there, you might wonder if they are worth the effort at all. But good activities have been shown to improve communication, collaborative skills, and productivity, while reducing stress and turnover. So, it’s worth the time to find the “good” ones. Before we look at the good ones, though, let’s look at some lame ones and identify why they are lame so you know what to look out for.

The Lame Ones

Virtual Karaoke

One thing you want to avoid with team activities is shaming or embarrassment. This is not The Voice. Not everyone can sing or wants to sing. And we don’t all want to listen to Bob in Accounting’s rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine. Individuals singing does not really create team collaboration, collective decision-making, or even trust. And the community building that might come from this activity is negated by the frustration and embarrassment it causes. Give this one a pass.

Online Office Olympics / Scavenger Hunts

Yes, I’ve seen The Office episode, and I enjoyed it. I even saw the Big Bang Theory episode where they did a scavenger hunt, and I liked that one too. Neither were conducted virtually, and neither was really about team building. When you expect adult workers to get up and run around their house to find something in the shape of a triangle or do 15 push-ups, the only result you get are annoyed employees. Enough said.

Murder Mysteries

This one is a bit better, in that it does require team members to communicate with each other and make decisions. But it requires purchasing a specialized program and learning it. Do you (and your employees) have time for that? And are your employees really interested in spending time going around being referred to as “Ms. Scarlett” or “Colonel Mustard?” I didn’t think so.

Good Activities

In Part 1, I listed reasons to do team-building activities:

• When you introduce people to each other in a new team
• When you introduce a new leader to a team
• When team members need to work on process and/or role issues
• When team members need to work on collaborative skills
• General community-building (trust/personality issues, new member, etc.)

For my paid Substack subscribers, I will provide detailed examples of each of these. I will also include a team-building activity you can use to work on process and decision-making! You will also get this activity if you pay for one of our Virtual Teams Workshops.

Chow for now!