The team was built to receive bad reviews on social media.
In a Reddit post, a burned-out employee complained that the company “forced” him to miss work to attend a mandatory team-building day. “These people are not my family. I don’t need to know them on a personal level. They’re not necessarily my friends. I can totally go to work, do my thing, and then leave. Especially when I already work every week 60 to 70 hours.
On TikTok, there’s no shortage of videos and comedy skits that poke fun at typical team-building exercises, such as falling backwards.
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Why do so many team-building activities fail to achieve their purpose? Bringing together multiple generations with different energy levels, interests and tastes to create a more cohesive team is tricky.
No amount of connections can make up for a lack of leadership, says Szilvia Olah, organizational psychologist, founder of The Strengths Company and author of Corporate Kindergarten and Blind Leading Evacuees .
“When there’s poor performance, conflict, competition, poor communication, or outright hostility within a team, it’s because the problem is being ignored. I hate to break it to you, but no amount of team building or pizza parties will solve the problem. The fallacy is that leaders must But it’s a leadership issue.
Instead, she said, leaders need to have the humility to look in the mirror and say: “I let this toxic culture fester and let my team down.”
Edward Perotti, founder of Edward Perotti Events and Experiences, said there is also a generational problem. “There are clear differences between older and younger leaders in their team-building preferences. Older leaders often prefer traditional activities such as Beach Olympics, bike building, and school baggage. Younger leaders are more likely to gain a connection with the team, culture, and local community. A resonant experience.
Perotti won’t even suggest to his clients many activities that used to be considered standard. “I have 100% stopped any expected – or dare I say, cliche – team building activities. They do have a place; however, salsa and margarita classes are not team building.
Giving back can be complicated
Tom Farndon, director of customer experience at Impact 4 Good, which built the design philanthropy team, said one of the biggest mistakes planners make is not considering attendees’ values or the philanthropic pillars the company has established. “There’s no point in arbitrarily choosing a cause to support based on more superficial qualities, such as how it’s perceived by others.” Instead, start by polling your team to find out what’s important to them, or contact Corporate Social Responsibility departments to align with the causes the company supports.
Consideration must also be given to how team-building activities or corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs may impact those involved. For bicycle making, children who receive bicycles often participate in activities and interact with participants. Some would argue that this approach, while well-intentioned, is ultimately a failure.
“The truth is: engaging kids in activities only benefits the group, not the kids,” said Sharon Fisher, founder of Play With a Purpose. Fisher described having children participate in corporate team-building activities as an awkward and scary experience for the children. “It’s very uncomfortable and embarrassing to be ‘poor’ and get free stuff from people you don’t know. They love getting bikes, but going to a parade just to get it is not a good feeling.
