How Successful Are Team Building Events? Well, a one day team building event does not perform miracles. Instead, a one day team building event will empower teams into a renewed spirit of motivation, cohesiveness, trust, respect, accountability, and inspiration.
By engaging in interactive and problem-solving activities, participants learn to cooperate, appreciate each other, ask and give help, collaborate, communicate, and build relationships.
THAT is success.
Here is a little known fact. Team building activities mirror the challenges in the workplace; and so does the behavior of participants. Therein lies the key to success. This new awareness creates better choices. That is the first step. 
The learning lessons and AHA moments abound in the debriefs after each activity. The debriefing process requires special facilitation skills and probing questions to coach and empower the participants. The debriefing process begins with 3 steps:
- The What Questions. “What happened today?” “What was your experience during your team building exercises?”
- The So What Questions. “What was important?” “Why did we choose to do this activity?”
- The Now What Questions. “What did you learn?” “How will you use what you learned today at work and in your life?”
It doesn’t always take numbers, statistics, or assessments to see the benefits of a team building day. One can immediately observe success — yes, observe. So to answer the question, “How successful are team building events?” we look to see if participants were doing any of the following:
- laughing
- participating
- communicating and engaging with each other
- sharing juicy discussions in the debriefs
- celebrating
- not looking at their watches
- becoming more aware
- applying what they learned
The key to successful team building events is sustaining the motivation, energy, AHA moments and celebration over time in the workplace. That begins with creating motivation, commitment, and intention from within. When we can create that inner motivation, commitment, and intention within the participants themselves, the action will take care of itself!
By utilizing experienced facilitation skills, with a treasure chest of interactive activities, team building success is extremely possible and doable.
There are team building activities for every kind of group, and for every kind of goal. It’s important to assess your needs to determine the best activities for your group. Otherwise, you may not see the success you hoped for with your team building events.