5 Best Team Building Activities

The second largest city of Maharashtra, Pune is one of the biggest educational centers in the country today with almost half of the international students studying in India enrolled with various colleges, institutes and universities in Pune. The city has the sixth highest per capita income in India and due to its large-scale infrastructural development and industry friendly policies, it a preferred location for manufacturing companies, IT companies and even tech start-ups. With many big multinational and domestic companies headquartered here, Pune is rightly called the Detroit of India. In a fast-paced and competitive growth environment, companies located in Pune are investing in making their teams stronger and more resourceful by opting for best human resource development programs.

One of the proven ways is to involve the staff and employees in extensive and well-planned team building activities. Pune also has some great natural and manmade destinations and venues that are being increasingly used for such corporate team outings. 

Employee engagement is a crucial HR aspect these days with most modern corporate houses making it a key element of their Human Resource development policies. Business entities have realized that their human resources are the most significant part of their existence, survival and growth. Hence such resources should be given a positive environment to work effectively, grow and succeed in their professional life. When teams are nurtured properly they come together to work as a unified workforce. The strengths of each member of the team are honed for enhanced performances while the weaknesses are addressed and groomed through such sessions. Team building activities lead to strengthening the most important resource of an organisation – its people.

Some of the great team activities that can be arranged in Pune, taking into account the city’s large green cover and huge open spaces, have been listed here.

Some of the great team activities that can be arranged in Pune, taking into account the city’s large green cover and huge open spaces, have been listed here.

1.  Raft building

A through and through outdoor activity this one aims at making people self-sufficient and proactive in times of emergency. The purpose is to encourage each team member to pitch in and give their best shot in order to emerge as winners.

The theme of the activity revolves around a group of people – usually 4 to 6 members – who are marooned on an island with only few basic resources at hand. It is for the team to use these resources to build up an effectual practical raft that can rescue them out of the island. Since this is group activity, all participants at the venue are first divided into small groups with maximum 6 members. They are then handed over the basic materials that also include few floatable items using which they, as a team need to make a robust and sturdy raft. Given that most of the participants would have had no prior experience in making a raft or sailing on one, this activity demands focus, attention and participation from one and all. Since at the end of the activity the raft actually needs to be able to carry the weight of at least two of them and sail through the waters, there are risks involved.

The final outcome of whether the team survives or collapses will be evident from how well the raft could be maneuvered through the water. Hence, the raft building exercise cannot be treated lightly – it is almost like a real-time project and needs meticulous professional detailing and execution.

2.  The Pyramid Building Challenge

A task that focuses on honing leadership skills, planning and strategizing skills and collaborating together as a team to deliver best performance, this challenge can be conducted in a large open area at corporate team offsite venue or even at the front lawns of your corporate office.

The task appears simple but needs thorough understanding of the construction plan provided to each team at the beginning of the task. The objective is to make a pyramid – one that stands on its base – using resources and tools provided to each team. Before the actual construction of the pyramid, members need to brainstorm and plan in details the way to go about building a strong and sturdy pyramid. Once completed, teams are asked to decorate the pyramid as per the brand and company acceptable standards infusing creative and artistic elements. Once the teams have completed the task, they are then asked to work as a larger group to use the available resources in hand to make one large pyramid.

3.  Water Volleyball

A game of volleyball played using huge water balloons. The objective surely is to encourage employees to use their physical strength in coordination with other members of the team. Since it’s a sporting activity, participants need to be high on their energy and enthusiasm levels. At the same time, they also need to be mentally active and show presence of mind. The purpose is to emerge as winners while playing the game in the true sportsman spirit. So, team members plan, give suggestions and instructions, lead from the front, follow others; work in a synchronized manner while exhibiting positivity, exuberance and having lots and lots of fun.

A once-in-a-while enjoyable moment that becomes a memorable corporate team experience for participants, the game starts with the group being sub-divided into 2 to 4 teams. Amongst the group the mission is clear and simple- they need to manoeuvre a water balloon from their end and flip it to another team across the net. The other team then needs to use their mental and physical faculties to properly handle the balloon and thrust it to the next team. The game goes on in this manner. Of course, as per the game of volleyball no one can touch the ball – it needs to be thrust in the air with clenched fists. The objective is to prevent from missing striking the balloon because it would mean the balloon bursting open and the water inside splashing on all the team members. Each team also needs to aim at defeating the other teams by striking the ball intelligently so that the opposite team misses aiming at the ball and gets wet.

4.  Drum Jam Session

This session uses the Djembe or the goblet drum from West Africa. In this fun team building activity, every team member is handed over a drum that is meant to be played or struck in sync with a live band. In the beginning the music may not be quite coordinated but eventually the rhythm and the beat catches up and participants strike the Djembe with their bare hands in perfect harmony with the background music. While it enables even a non-musical participant to give it his best try, the high spirits of the group that rises with each beat is best for making the energy levels in the room reach the zenith.

Other than being fun, this musical activity is focused on enhancing the energy and passion levels of participants. Since music is universally appealing and one of the best icebreakers and stress busters, the activity enables the team to form strong and healthy bonds that results in overall enhancement of productivity and performance levels.

5.  Formula 1 car making

The fun team activity starts with the group being divided into smaller sub-groups. The objective is to make a working model of a F1 car, by each sub-group, in the stipulated time and using the raw supplies provided on each table. An important point to note here is that the constructed car will finally have to race with the cars of the other sub-groups on a makeshift F1 track. Since the activity involves making a functioning prototype that must work and win a race, it requires lots of dedicated work from each individual team members. They need to design and execute following honestly all the steps in the life-cycle of building up a car. It is a mini project in hand where the work is complex and demands serious understanding of how project management works. The winning team is the one whose car reaches the finishing line first.

This hardcore technical activity needs lots of collaborative effort from the team members. Technical and non-technical people in the sub-groups need to use their core strengths to make the model functional. Team effort is of prime importance. Communication needs to be transparent, precise and concise. Helps the groups to work in a focused manner, just like they are expected to work on a live project, start it from the scratch and deliver the output in the desired condition.

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