O.P.T.I.M.A.L. strategy for organizing an event that is successful for team building
You are planning a team-building event but aren’t sure what to do and where to begin? Don’t be discouraged. The “dummy’s guide” to planning the perfect team-building event will provide you with important points to consider and will make you appear like a professional.
The O.P.T.I.M.A.L. approach:
1. The goals of team building
“Why are we holding this team building event, and what do we expect to achieve?”
The need to have a goal in mind, a goal is vital to plan the team building sessions. Setting goals means that you can modify or alter the exercises to satisfy your expectations.
A clear set of goals will assist in setting the mood for the team-building session and define the expectations of all participants in order to ensure that everyone is moving in the same goal or direction.
We have conducted team-building exercises for various organizations. Some of the more frequently used reasons for why they need team building is like this:
A) To build synergies in the new team or team with new members
b) To provide an opportunity for personnel from various departments/ roles to connect
C) To tackle specific issues in the workplace
d) To help reinforce the corporate values of their company
E) In the context of instruction
f) To reward their employees by giving them a day off from work
G) To be social and have fun
Each of the reasons mentioned above will lead to a focus on various aspects of the group meeting. Make sure to think what the primary purpose of the group building session prior to making a decision on the activities for team building.
2. Profile of Participants
“Who will be attending the team building session?”
Another crucial aspect to consider when designing a successful team-building session is the character of participants. The age range, gender composition, and other details about the background of the participants, like the level of education and the job description, are important to take into consideration when creating the program for team building in order in order to make sure that the program is appropriate and pertinent.
The physical condition of the participants in the team-building exercise must also be taken into consideration.
Another crucial aspect of the team-building session that organizers often overlook is food. In a country with a diverse population, such as Singapore, the participants could include Chinese vegetarians or Indian vegetarians, and other people eat Halal food (food legal and permissible according to Muslim legal guidelines) or Kosher food (food which has been prepared in a way that is safe and acceptable according to Jewish laws). There are also people who are allergic to particular varieties of food items. The best method to determine the dietary restrictions is to speak with the participant directly.
3. Time Frame to plan the Team Building Event
“What is the targeted date of the team building session and its duration?”
It is important to have dates, especially when you require to secure venues and confirm whether there are any key people or speakers. We generally recommend a timeframe between 2 and 3 months to plan small- to medium-sized team building event that caters to less than people. When the gathering is larger-scale and large-scale, the time frame could increase to 6 months or even a year prior to.
In the event of team-building activities outside of work hours, certain organizations might want to think about the dates of holidays for schools or school exams, particularly for organizations that place the importance on balancing family and work. To make sure that there is a high level of attendance from participants, some organizations might prefer to make sure that the school exam and vacation time are unaffected, so that staff can enjoy the extra time with their spouses and children.
The length of the team-building session must be considered whether it will be a full day or a half-day event? If there are particular problems to be addressed or other types of training or planning, it could be beneficial to think about a two-day or even a three-day course.
4. The inclinations of participants
“What will the participants prefer to do during team building?”
Knowing the demographics of your participants is generally enough. But, if you can find out what kind of activities that the participants tend to do such as indoor games of people or an outdoors adventure kind or can you find a mixture of both?
It is possible to determine these preferences through polls or questionnaires with participants if you are in small groups or by obtaining the opinions of a sample group in case your size is too large. Also, reviewing past meetings for team building and the feedback that was received may be a good indicator of what’s most liked (and which ones to avoid over and over).
The best practice is to ensure that you have a balanced mixture of outdoor and indoor activities, especially if the size is substantial or you’re exposing your participants to a specific kind of environment or have their preferences.
5. Money is Important
“What is the indicative budget for the team building?”
The budget will significantly impact the location as well as food and beverages and the length and nature of the activities for team building. If there is no budget to be worked on at this point, then use the previous year’s budget as a reference. If there is no information available, you can plan for something modest, and changes can be made there.
The next step is to determine whether the team-building aspect is handled internally or contracted out to an external company. If the budget is available, there are numerous advantages to outsourcing the building part.
First of all, in order to conduct an event that builds teams, it is necessary to have a team of people, and the likelihood is that when your coworkers are running the event along with you and are not able to participate. External vendors are likely to have more experience in executing the events and are less likely to commit mistakes. The vendor will also take care of all the necessary logistics so that your team and you free to take part with all your colleagues.
Team building vendors also carry the necessary experience knowing what works and what doesn’t, and you’re not just spending money on their service; you are also benefiting from their extensive knowledge.
6. Evaluation of the success
“How would you measure the success of the team building session?”
How can the effectiveness of the event be assessed? Can it be considered to be successful if participants had fun or were able to get acquainted with at least three other colleagues?
Although the results of team-building are typically intangible, and the lessons are more nuanced, the measures of success can be measured by the feedback received from participants in surveys or reports of observation—the reports of observation report on the behavior and attitudes that are displayed during the event. Post-event and/or pre-event surveys assess the efficacy of the team-building session with the identical set of questions the organizers would like to inquire about.
7. The location is ideal for team building
“Where should we hold the team building session?”
The venue or location will affect the mood that is created during the group building exercise. The six elements mentioned above will have informed the choice of which location to hold this team-building session.
Other considerations in relation to the locations to consider include accessibility, set-up for the event, arrangements, and contingencies in case of rainy weather (if you are planning an outdoor activity).
Utilizing the O.P.T.I.M.A.L. method developed by anergy, we are confident that you’ll be able to plan the team-building event in a way that is efficient. If you’re planning the team-building event in conjunction with your own committee, make certain to prepare an outline of your work plan and budget with clear responsibilities for each job.
Then, keep in mind important primary factor in successful team building is the practice of rehearsals. You’ll need to make an on-site visit and practice the day’s events since it can help you pinpoint any possible issues to ensure that changes can be made during the event day and contingency plans are in place to address any problems.
I wish you and your team a very productive team-building session!
