Any ideas for team building activities for a group of 15?

Question

I work for an insurance company and we had 2 teams of office assistants that they now combined to 1 team. We have been 1 team for months but still act like 2 separate teams. One team are very hard workers well organized and the other only does what is required and does not like change. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

move their desks to rearrange them so the teams are combined and cliques are broken up. sounds juvinile, but it works. assign members from both teams to work together on projects. have daily meetings when everyone has to report on the days before so they can't keep taking advantage and slipping through the cracks.

Answer 2

I would say ( if you are capable ) to give goals and deadlines to the people who only contribute the minimums, and reward, punish, and critisize accordingly.

In my management experience and owning several businesses. it has becom really apparent that the best employees I have ever had were ones that were rewarded for doing a good job. Not just more money, but just letting them kow that you appreciate thier work. and they are doing a good job.
If the only attention they receive is when they do something wrong, they will be less likely to do more than what is required.

IMHO,

I would have an open office meeting and get it all out and in the air first, that will probably cause a few arguments and such.... look past that to the end result where
If everyone is on the same page and working for the same goals there will be more of a group effort, especially if they are commended for doing good work.

Answer 3

Hi,

If you reply directly I can put you in touch with one of the world's best industrial psychologists who's an expert in these and related matters; if it's been going on for this long you need a well-structured intervention before the rot sets in further. One exercise won't do it, and you need very good reviewing skills to bring out the links between the exercise and the real world, otherwise it looks like an episode of The Office.

Here's one activity I've seen this person do as part of a bigger intervention (having previously taken out life assurance, which you ought to be able to cover):

In a very large room, with people in casual clothes and plenty of time, you have enough chairs for there to be one per person (you may need one or two spares for ex-members, members-to-come, etc.). Then you tell the group that their task is to arrange the chairs in such a way that they accurately represent the relationships between the people in the room, and when they're all satisfied they signal this by sitting in their own chairs. I leave the rest to your imagination ... it doesn't half bring everything to the surface, which is why you need excellent skills to run and review it - don't try this at home - and as an instant 'evaluation' you can do it at the beginning and end of the intervention and take photographs at both stages.

But there's more, much more ...

Answer 4

Music is the best way to develop a spirit of your team members. Ask each team to use different instruments and create a rhythm together. This activity will let you encourage your team of students.

Answer 5

Break them into team of 2, 1 from each group and do a scavenger hunt.

Answer 6

Pair up more industrious workers with less industrious ones, and give each pair an assignment (or a series of such).

Answer 7

There should be some sort of ropes course that you can go on for a retreat. They require cooperation and teamwork. Paintball never hurts either.

Answer 8

fire the sorry team members!