The Benefits of Team Building Exercises

There are a number of benefits that can be gained from team building exercises, including:

• Improved communication and collaboration skills
   
• Enhanced problem-solving ability
   
• Increased trust and respect among team members
   
• A greater sense of team unity and camaraderie

Of course, not all team building exercises are created equal. It's important to choose activities that are well-suited to your team's needs and goals. With that in mind, here are a few ideas for team building exercises that can be done remotely:
 

1. The "Good, Bad, and Ugly" Scenario: In this exercise, each team member is given a sheet of paper with three columns labeled "Good," "Bad," and "Ugly." They then have two minutes to brainstorm as many potential outcomes for a given situation as possible, with each outcome falling into one of the three categories. Once the time is up, the team goes around the room and shares their responses. This exercise can be used to brainstorm solutions to real problems faced by the team or hypothetical scenarios. 
    
2. The Jigsaw Puzzle: This one is simple but effective. Divide your team into groups of two or three and give each group a jigsaw puzzle to complete. The catch is that each group must put the puzzle together using only verbal instructions—no one is allowed to touch the pieces! This exercise encourages teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving. 
    
3. The Marshmallow Challenge: This challenge comes from Tom Wujec, author of "Make Space." It involves teams of four working together to build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, and one marshmallow. The catch is that the marshmallow must be placed at the top of the structure. This exercise promotes creativity, resourcefulness, and time management skills. 
    
4. Two Truths and a Lie: In this classic icebreaker exercise, each team member takes turns sharing three statements about themselves—two truths and one lie. The other members of the team then have to guess which statement is the lie. This exercise helps promote rapport and trust among team members by encouraging them to share personal information with one another in a safe environment. 
    
5. The Ball Toss: This is another simple but effective exercise for promoting teamwork and communication. Form teams of two or three people and have them stand in a circle facing each other. Then give each team a ball (a softball or playground ball works well) and instruct them to toss it back and forth between members without dropping it or letting it bounce more than once. As the exercise progresses, add more balls to increase the difficulty level.