Team building events, exercises and games are not guaranteed automatic success – unfocused team building and a team building event that is poorly chosen could waste your time or even have a negative effect.

When was the last time you went to see your doctor, said "I'm ill" and were given some "illness tablets"? Never, of course – the doctor makes a thorough review of your symptoms first.

Team building is no different - the place to start in choosing a team building event is to undertake an evaluation of your objectives and the desired outcome. Birmingham based multi-nationals and SME’s who recognise that they have problems to tackle realise that to identify the correct solution they must first determine the causes. Even if they have no readily identifiable communication or performance problems, they will seek to identify how best to maintain or improve their performance.

The number of different team building event possibilities is almost limitless, and a list here would be endless. As recently as just five years ago the most popular team building activities have invariably involved some kind of outdoor event. The Birmingham and UK climate in general is unpredictable outside the summer season which is why KDM Events have developed a full range of indoor team building events to help inspire and motivate your staff and colleagues. These are fun to participate in and will help to transfer the benefits back into the workplace. To reflect the change in the market an increasing number of KDM’s team building events have been designed to take place indoors and are focused upon resolving your specific issues.

For the most effective team building exercises in Birmingham you need to have an integrated programme that combines team building events with ongoing team building activities and efforts in the workplace. Team building is not a single event that takes place offsite, but rather is an ongoing process that takes place within the team over a prolonged period of time. It is therefore important to evaluate your team building needs and discuss these requirements with KDM so that you can choose activities that have aims and objectives that match the issues in your team, and which will make a long-term contribution to better team building.

Evaluation of Your Team Building

There are a number of things you need to think about when you take a more detailed look at your short list of team building options:

• Make sure that members of the team are treated equally and with respect
• Make sure that you create the time, budget and an appropriate Birmingham venue for your team building event
• Ensure that there is no physical risk (Obtain a Risk Assessment and ensure that there is adequate Public Liability Insurance cover)
• Will all team members be involved in the event? (There should never be any coercion involved, it can backfire and be damaging to team morale)
• Plan so that any conflict or feedback at your event will be managed constructively
• You must not create a situation that will expose fears or incompetence – e.g. a fear of failure
• Will the team building event achieve the change you want?
• The team building event must be designed to ensure that individuals won't feel excluded
• Ensure that fun is not achieved at the expense of others
• The team building event must be chosen so that it does not have the potential to stir anger between members

Agreement

Buy in from the team is very important, so it is usually better to make the decision as to whether you hold your event on-site or at another Birmingham venue as a team rather than have just one individual decide both on the venue and the medium used for your choice of team building event.

Team Building Post Event Review

You should perform a review or evaluation of its effectiveness after your team building, to obtain the feedback of your colleagues, to evaluate the outcome and to help in the choice of your next team building event.