It was time once again to run my favourite team building activity ever. Our movie-making program.
It never fails to make an impression. Every group that has ever done this event has commented afterwards that it was the best team building experience they have ever had.
The problem with it though is that I can’t talk about it. I’m sure the reader will agree that internal team building movies should not be made public. What happens in Phuket stays in Phuket!
But this makes it very difficult to write blog posts about it. I’ve even had to sign NDAs with some organisations.
Work Should Be More Fun
I’ve often thought that, in the business world, the need to be seen as professional at all times can cause people to attempt to disguise their true character. In certain industries, laughing and joking around can be seen as unprofessional.
I think everyone, regardless of industry or seniority, should be themselves at work. There is nothing wrong with having a fun character and a sense of humour – as long as you get your work done to the expected standard. Indeed, it is humour that often builds human connections.
But once teams are given free rein to film their own movies during an offsite, their innate sense of humour naturally appears.
This is one of the great things about team building. In this environment, one’s true character is often revealed. It’s fantastic when I see participants comment that they have discovered a new side to a colleague. Or, like last week, when the CEO was in fits of laughter after seeing a junior colleague trying to act. It is these moments that make a team building program meaningful. It’s the breaking down of barriers and the strengthening of relationships.
Rise of The Machines
In recent months, more and more of my clients have been coming from the AI industry. In fact, the last three companies I have worked with have all been linked to AI in some way. This group was one of them.
Sixteen participants from all over the world meeting each other for the first time outside of a 2-inch square in Microsoft Teams. An extremely positive group with wonderful camaraderie, even though they had never met before.
This was not one of those groups attempting to hide their sense of humour at work. It was obvious that the brand was young and energetic – like most AI companies I work with. So they quickly and easily adapted to the movie-making experience.
My advice to any company looking to strenghten relationships is to try this team building activity and see your colleagues’ hidden characters.