Lame Virtual Team Activities, Part One: How to Avoid Them

Most of us have survived at least one company-wide meeting that included "team activities." You know the ones – you can practically hear the collective groan echoing through the hall. If you are one of those people who thinks conducting a murder mystery case in a workplace context is a good idea, you might want to move on to another post. For everyone else, read on.

Let’s just say it: a lot of team-building activities are lame. Lame activities make people uncomfortable and frustrated about wasted time. That’s the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. When you're leading virtual teams – where communication is already constrained by technology and often happens asynchronously – effective team building becomes even trickier. All considered — team building can be a daunting task for a virtual team leader.

Don’t get me wrong: virtual team building really matters. Developing things like trust and cohesion can be tremendously hard through a screen. Given this, teams working virtually face an immense challenge — one that can be aided by engaging, meaningful team-oriented activities.

But here's the thing – when you're dealing with professional adults, you need to respect their time and intelligence, as well as the work context they are in. Some of the lamer virtual team-building activities I have encountered are great for a party or informal get-together; not so much for a virtual work setting.

And there is a wealth of lame virtual team-building activities out there. Virtual escape rooms, charades, and scavenger hunts are entertaining, but really – is it worth the time and effort? This doesn’t mean you can’t have “fun” team-building activities – you can. The key is keeping things professional, purposeful, and (usually) brief. Don’t make people feel silly, or embarrassed, or frustrated. Make them feel engaged, purposeful, and relaxed.

So how should a virtual team leader pick a “good” virtual team-building activity? Here are a few tips:

Start with your "why" before you pick your "what."

Too often, leaders do team-building activities just to do them — the “Build It and They Will Learn” approach. But learn what? Is this a new team that would greatly benefit from building trust and comfort with each other? Is your team struggling with unclear roles and responsibilities? Are you the new leader trying to establish credibility and rapport? Is there a complicated project on the horizon that cries out for team cohesion and collaborative skills? Once you know your goal, choosing the right activity becomes easier.

Know your people.

You need to understand the personality, experiences, and interests of each of your team members. This involves having one-on-one conversations with them, especially if you are the new team leader. If you know your people, you can make more informed activity decisions.

Pick an activity that lends itself to the virtual world.

Remember that you are constrained by technological limitations here. Video conferencing helps somewhat with interpreting vocal inflection and facial expressions, but it's still not the same as being in the same room. Plus, your team-building activity is competing with distractions you can't control like email, text messages, or the cat walking across the keyboard. So the activity needs to be engaging enough to hold their attention while working smoothly within your tech setup.

The bottom line? Effective virtual team building requires more forethought and purpose-driven action and less murders or scavenger clues.

In Part Two of this series, I'll dive into specific, lame examples of what doesn't work — and what does. Check back next week for the good, the bad, and the painfully awkward!

And check out our Leading Virtual Teams workshops here on our website!