team building activity suggestions

[schmosef]

I've been invited by one of my customers to participate in a one day team building retreat.

We all have to think of one 10 minute team building exercise to run with the group.

I've checked Google and there are lots of ideas available on-line.

I'm asking if anyone here has any particularly good suggestions.

Remember, the exercise can only run for about 10 minutes. I should also mention that there will be 8-10 people in attendance.

Looking forward to your input...

[Nowhere]

OK, which such exercices (from classes) I remember as particulalry fun...

1. Everybody stand in circle. Close your eyes and go to the center - make sure that you'll grab someone's palm. Now try to untangle yourself Team work at it's best, 10 minutes is soo little time for this :>

2. This is particularly usefull for building strong relationship, because you're making total idiot of yourself (as everybody else). Sit in circle. One person starts (direction: right, for example):
- Hi, (name)
- Hi, (name), what were you doing today? (or something like that, don't go with it like it's a script or something )
- I was shopping
- What have you bought
- scissors/rocking chair/cuckoo clock/CD with metall music/etc.
And...the one who started makes something which resembles this object (sciccors with fingers, movements on body like one would be on rocking chair, sound of cuckoo, moshing with head...)
Than the next person starts the convestation and so on...Everyobody's doing the same thing.
When one full circle is achieved, the first person starts new thing but OLD ONES STILL MUST BE MADE!!!

[Nowhere]

And this one's fun (well, if women/man at my faculty is something like 80/20 than no wonder ):
One observer.
He draws a rectangle/circle on ground in which everybody must fit. First - no problems. Second - a little tight, but still doable. Third - OK, which one of you is light enough so can be hold in arms? Fourth - ok, perhaps the ones in center also wil hold somebody above them. Fifth - stacking?

Probably not very usefull to you (and group has to be bigger), but still fun :>

[GNEP]

mud wrestling for the women whilst the men get beer?

[Gurm]

Here's a team-building exercise - let them out of it.

They will, as a team, be so thankful that you aren't making them do more bullshit team-building exercises, that it will draw them closer together.

Only thing teambuilding exercises do is make everyone in the team hate everyone else in the team.

[Nowhere]

Somehow...yeah.

I'll put it this way: definetely my ideas work only to certain...age? (not very precize...but "age" is close)

[KRSESQ]

Take them to a local watering hole and buy them a round of their favorite beverage. THAT'S team-building.

Kevin

[schmosef]

Thanks Gurm, this is a serious requset. I don't have a choice. I have to develop an exercise. The people participating are all 20 somthing years old and not jadded like you. Some of them may enjoy it, others may not. I still have to try.

[schmosef]

from my 5 minutes of google research, this is the current contender: http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descr...liumStick.html

[GNEP]

Seem to remember the trick with that one is angling your fingers at 45 degrees

[Nowhere]

from my 5 minutes of google research, this is the current contender: http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descr...liumStick.html

Irritating, boring, unsatisfying (what them/their minds get as reward?) artificial problem (they are little children or something?) and person that fails gets all the hate of everyone else. Positive emotions only when group succeded (how much is left of what was before?)
Who the hell came up with this?

IMHO of course...

[Gurm]

Bleh. I hated these things when I was 13 and it was a "bonding" exercise for the incoming freshman class in high school. Didn't work then, doesn't work now. The fact that your company is FORCING you to torment these people is pretty terrible in and of itself. I like the idea of buying them all a drink.

[KRSESQ]

Teach them to juggle. I recall enjoying that particular TBE, even though I never learned to juggle. The trick was, you had to ask the subject's permission to teach them, and they had to respond positively. It was all very formal and much flying of colored handkerchiefs did ensue. It was rather enjoyable, for a 6:00 AM motivational meeting.

Kevin

[cjolley]

from my 5 minutes of google research, this is the current contender: http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descr...liumStick.html

I think that one is clever.

[cjolley]

...for a 6:00 AM motivational meeting.

You have got to be kidding.
That belongs in Dilbert.
Why not go ahead and make it 5:00pm on Friday and really irritate people?