Team Building: 10 Tips for Beginners

Updated: November 04, 2010

Team building doesn't have to be difficult, it's really just about helping people connect with each other and get along more effectively. The following practical ideas will help you with your team building efforts in your workplace.

1. Set up regularly scheduled team building meetings, weekly works well.

2. Facilitate activities that help communicate on a deeper level and build trust.

3. Use a facilitator with a good understanding of how to bring people together.

4. Emphasize positive behaviors; what people can actually do to be effective team players.

5. Create a calm, friendly atmosphere with no outside noise and interruptions.

6. People at all levels of the organization, especially leadership is to be involved. It's desirable for team building to be implemented first with the leaders and then with other employees.

7. Design activities that help people interact actively.

8. Avoid activities where someone "wins" or there is a competition.

9. Encourage people to behave kindly, gently, and with compassion toward each other.

10. Have a good time and stick with it.

The secret to effective team building is to create a work atmosphere where people feel comfortable and trust each other. There are no set guidelines you have to follow, just remember that you're trying to help people behave in ways that build deeper relationships and create connections in a meaningful way.