Have you ever seen those t-shirts that say "I Love New York" with a picture of an apple on them, that are usually only sold to tourists? As a former New York resident, I always smile when I see one. Today, we will be using the concept to take you on a corporate team building treasure hunt across Manhattan. While we're at it, you'll have an opportunity to see some of the wonders of New York and maybe learn a little about the history of this great metropolis.
If the opening paragraph piqued your interest then you are a potential client for a New York style team building activity. As a business owner or manager, your most difficult dilemmas will often arise as a result of employees not working together as effectively as you would like. Team building activities, like the "I Love New York" Treasure Hunt mentioned above, can help build a sense of unity and purpose in your staff.
Here's how it works. Let's say you have twenty employees in a department and their deadlines are getting missed more and more often as time goes on. You check the schedule and can see clearly that the workload isn't too heavy, but you can also see that some members of the team are working as individuals, not as team members. You call a corporate team building company and they set you up to do an activity that will get the team back on track.
In the example, "I Love New York" Treasure Hunt participants split up into teams. Next, a list of locations is given to each team and at each location there is a clue to answer. These answers are not obvious so the team has to work together to answer them quickly.
When you get back to the starting point, scores are added and teams see their placement, but more then that, it is now time to look a little deeper and see what really went on. The physical hunt is over but a discussion is led by the team building facilitator to see exactly what went on during the hunt - teamwork-wise. When the discussion is over, the team and leader's insights have helped everyone understand more about how they work together. They also have figured out how to take what they have learned and use it to make improvements in the future. So, not only did the teams have fun and bond during the treasure hunt, but because the team took the time afterwards to have a group discussion, they can bring positive changes back to the workplace.
This is just one of many team building events offered in New York City. Remember though, professional team building activities are a lot of fun but should be designed to provide a learning experience for the participants. The goal is an experience that will be designed to help build a positive and productive workforce.