Assignment:
Team-building activities have proven to increase positive communication, raise morale, empowers team members, and encourages bonding. Two common approaches to team building activities are physical challenges and mental team building activities.
It is very common for organizations to have their teams go through physically challenging activities to develop them as a team. As the team struggles, fails, reorganizes, perseveres, and succeeds team members learn to work together to develop plans and how to praise each other's ideas. An example of a physical challenge to develop team building would be to organize a group trip to go white water rafting. The team could be split up into two teams that have to work together to win the challenge. The challenge could be finishing first, or having the most team members finish first or in a group crossing the line.
An even more popular method for team building is through mental team building activities. Through these mental activities team members learn about themselves, each other, and how to better work as a group or team. It is very important for team members to understand and value each other's contributions to a group. Fast Word is a game that requires teams to make as many simple sets of words as possible in the time allotted. Specially designated words are worth more. There are 3 rounds and they increase in complexity as they go. This gets team members to use their minds individually but still help to gain their team points to win the game.
I understand that it is not always an option to have team members goes through physical challenges to strengthen their bonds, but in my mind it's the best. This is probably just because I am in the military and basic training was how Soldiers are initially incorporated into a team. I remember on two occasions offer myself up to be "smoked" as a "battle buddy" for two females I absolutely could not stand. This was because I knew even though I didn't care for those females it's always "one team, one fight."
References:
ACT. (2010). Retrieved November 28, 2014, from
https://www.corporateteambuilding.com/programs/products/fast-word-team-version
Glover, D., & Midura, D. (1992). Retrieved November 28, 2014, from https://www.humankinetics.com/products/all-products/team-building-through-physical-challenges