Team building exercises and games can sometimes be 'a hit' or 'a miss' – team building that is unfocused and a team building event that is poorly chosen could waste your time or even have a negative effect.

Have you ever been to see your doctor, said "I'm ill" and been given some "illness tablets"? Never, of course - a review of your symptoms is required first.

Similarly, the place to start in choosing a team building event is to undertake an evaluation. Leeds corporates who recognise that they have problems to tackle realise that to reach a solution first you need to determine the causes. Even if they have no communication or other problems, they then identify how best to maintain or improve performance.

There are numerous team building event possibilities, far too many to simply list here. Hitherto the most popular team building activities have invariably involved some kind of outdoor event. The Leeds climate can however mitigate against this which is why KDM Events have developed a full range of indoor team building events which will inspire and motivate your staff and colleagues. These are usually fun, and will help to translate the benefits back into the workplace. The majority of KDM’s team building events have been designed to take place indoors and are focused upon resolving your specific issues.

For the most effective team building exercises in Leeds you need to have an integrated programme that combines team building events with ongoing team building activities and efforts in the workplace. Team building is not a single event that takes place offsite, but an ongoing process that takes place within the team over a prolonged period of time. It is therefore important to choose activities that have aims and objectives that match the issues in your team, and which will make a long-term contribution to better team building.

Evaluation of Your Team Building

When you then take a more detailed look at your short list of team building options, there are various things you need to think about:

• Make sure that members of the team are treated equally and with respect
• Will the team building event achieve the change you want?
• The team building event must be designed to ensure that individuals won't feel excluded
• Make sure that you create the time, budget and an appropriate Leeds venue for your team building event
• Will all team members be involved in the event? (There should never be any coercion involved, it can backfire and be damaging to team morale)
• Plan so that any conflict or feedback at your event will be managed constructively
• Ensure that there is no physical risk (Obtain a Risk Assessment and ensure that there is adequate Public Liability Insurance cover)
• Ensure that fun is not achieved at the expense of others
• The team building event must be chosen so that it does not have the potential to stir anger between members
• You must not create a situation that will expose fears or incompetence – e.g. a fear of failure

Agreement

Buy in from the team is very important, so it is usually better to make the decision as to whether you hold your event on-site or at another Leeds venue as a team rather than have just one individual decide both on the venue and the medium used for your choice of team building event.

Team Building Post Event Review

After your team building, you should perform a review or evaluation of its effectiveness, to obtain the feedback of your colleagues, to evaluate the outcome and to help in the choice of your next team building event.