Question: “My boss wants me to research all-day team-building activities that, in her words, will ‘make people suffer a little.’ Her theory is that we all need to have our cushy office lifestyles totally stripped away to kick us out of our comfort zones and remind us of how to work together on a more human level. What have been others’ experiences with these sorts of ‘pleasantly harsh’ activities, as she refers to them? What should we try, and what should we avoid?” – Donna, law office admin
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This is an interesting concept and we would like to hear what you have to say about it. Would you please take a moment to leave your comment below.
Does putting people in uncomfortable situations really make them a better team?
Related:
35 Insanely Fun Team Building Activities For Work
Team building to me is the best it brings people together in terms of socializing and thinking out the box.
How about a one-day service project such as working on a house for Habitat for Humanity or cleaning up a beach?
Physical activity that is light is usually the best. A scavenger hunt that has the team walking is one that we tried and it was fun, a little bit of work and lots of challenge. We also did one that was all day, a number of different activities, in teams around a large park. My manager said it was better than playing golf which was a big deal as he loves golf. Teams were switched up throughout the day so everyone got to work together.
In my experience I’ve found that positive team building activities are the best. You can still stretch people out of their comfort zones and have a positive experience. Any activity that is going to consist of bullying or harshness is more likely to demoralize a team than build it. Good Luck!
I think the focus of teambuilding sessions should be on creating opportunities to bond together and have fun. My group is a mix of ages and physical abilities, so we choose a variety of activities, including both mind and physical games. If the time of year and weather permits, getting outside is always a plus.
I think it depends, but for the most part I believe it works and it also prompts people to head in different directions. It may encourage employees to “think outside the box”, can open discussion, and builds team work. People may be uncomfortable, and as long as the discomfort is not related to bullying, harassing etc then I see no problem with it. Sometimes people need a little push to leave their “comfort zone” to broaden our way of thinking.
A team I used to work with volunteered at a Food Bank every six weeks or so for a few hours after work. We had to work together in a not very comfortable environment to accomplish everything needed to serve the meal on time then clean up the kitchen afterward. I felt it gave the team an appreciation for how we were able to work together to help and serve others.
In my experience, this kind of activity doesn’t build the team it is counter-productive. I’ve found that more “fun” team-building activities bring people together. They can laugh and make good memories which tend to bring people together. Uncomfortable situations bring out the more defensive and competitive side of people instead of bringing them together. That’s just my opinion.
Oh Gosh. Let me give 2 examples:
14 years ago I started working for someone (I was part of a team of 3) who was quite indecisive (they didn’t like conflict). The upshot was that those who needed that person to do things were frustrated and let their frustrations be known to us and my manager denied all responsibility and put it on to us. It felt like we were being attacked with the ground being hacked away under our feet by the person we were meant to support. 2 of us left. (And fast forward a few years and I’m working for one of that team). The team was forged by fire and adversity.
My last job, prior to this, was working at a well known, national institution with several high profile worldwide events. I was one of 250 people that ranged from plumbers, electricians, librarians, conservation, security to admins and senior staff. On several occasions, we were put under high pressure for the aforementioned events. We all stepped up to the mark to help shoulder some of the burdens other departments were under – nothing was asked of us, we asked if we could help as we were all in it together. I tried to make sure everyday to speak to people I passed, to get out from my desk to spend a little time with other departments and to make sure those in the more menial (and therefore unthanked) departments got a thank you gift from me at Christmas. Certainly without my colleagues in those departments, I couldn’t have done my job and the entire institution would have ground to a halt. It was teamwork in a much more positive environment.
So, the questions I would be asking of this boss is
1. who is the determiner of what is pleasant and what is harsh?
(a subset of questions – how well does she know her team. How well does she know their home environment? Is this ‘cushy office lifestyle’ actually a refuge from home? At what point will stripping this away become bullying?)
2. Is it an experiment or a permanent fixture (and are those in the team aware). (If it’s an experiment, then who sets the time limit? btw, there are lots of social study experiments. Zimbardo’s infamous prison experiment at Stanford was set up to create deindividualisation and depersonalisation in the participants – is this what stripping the little luxuries away will do)
3. What does she think the issue with the team is? How are they not being human?
4. Is she prepared that some of her team may quit their jobs as a result of this?
I’m not sure if this has been helpful, but in my experience I’d go for the more positive ways of engaging a team. Stripping things away tends to lead to resentment and there will be a sense of cohesiveness, but probably against the boss. Good luck!