How to organize a teambuilding – a complete guide for companies

Get to know your team

Before you start googling “best team building activities” or hunting for the last available hut in the mountains, stop for a moment. Ideas for great team building are sitting right in your office. Yes, they’re your colleagues.

Think about it. Do you have easy-going or energetic adventurers on your team? Are your people early birds or night owls? Sending a bunch of adrenaline junkies to a cheese tasting is like forcing an introverted accountant to paintball.

Give people the space to tell you what they enjoy, either over coffee or by sending them a quick questionnaire. Trust that those few minutes of preparation will pay off.

And one more tip. Try to remember the last time you saw your colleagues really excited?

And what is teambuilding anyway?

Teambuilding is not just a buzzword for a company party, although it sometimes ends up that way. 😉 It’s an opportunity to kill several birds with one stone. Teambuilding is not just for the employees, it’s for the company. Let’s run through them quickly.

While the company may have clear expectations, employees may not even know what to expect. It’s good to keep this in mind and balance.

To put it more bluntly, the company expects to check the collaboration in the team, to integrate new employees, to check the connection of people from different departments. Perhaps it hopes to uncover new talent and for a hidebound accountant to emerge as a leader in a paintball battle. Maybe you need to present new strategic goals and get people excited, and yes, these are all goals you can achieve.

Maybe just tell yourself that one or two such goals are enough for one teambuilding. After all, getting a bit of a buzz is a perfectly legitimate goal too, and everyone in the company should indulge in it.

Bottom line. Choose the goal that is most important to the company at the moment and focus on that. And how to achieve the goal? Plan…

How to plan teambuilding

I’d like to say that the best start to planning a team building is to do team building with colleagues who will help you. Seriously. Coffee, time, and collaboration are key.

It’s gonna take some time. It’s not too early to start planning teambuilding 2-3 months in advance, and the timing is also important. The end of the year is approaching and no one knows where to jump in first? A Christmas party is fine, but avoid any big teambuilding events in Advent.

Think about the weather too. Sure, you probably wouldn’t think of skiing in July, but keep in mind that the weather is as consistent as its forecasts. While you can pick a date that works for the activity, have a plan B in mind.

And here we are, part of the planning is a crisis scenario. We already have the weather, but think of other things that could go wrong. A basic first aid kit, for example, always comes in handy.

In short, there’s a lot to think about when planning a teambuilding event. That’s why we’ve put together a clear list of points from choosing activities, locations, experiences, to “must have” lifelines just in case. Check it out and you can just feel free to tick off what you’ve got lined up.

Programme, location, budget

Sure, you have company goals, you know what your colleagues enjoy and you already want to plan everything. Good planning is the foundation of success, isn’t it? It certainly is, but keep in mind that this rule applies mostly to you, the organizers.

The teambuilding itself has to be organized, but more like a buffet. You can tell a well-planned teambuilding by not knowing that something is organized, it just works. Plan the activities in such a way that there are enough of them and there is room for breaks, or let everyone choose. Stressing about not folding origami because you have to crochet blankets in 15 minutes is not really desirable. On the other hand, sitting still without catering is not either.

The professionals who are dedicated to teambuilding can definitely help you with what to do. For example, we dig for the Pilsen region and feel free to contact us. We’ll help you find the perfect locations and experiences, or you can check out what experiences you can find with us. Either way, choose a location that suits you, is accessible to you, and also offers interesting options in the surrounding area. After all, you can also check out our database of experiences.

Not only to the location, but to every action there are limits and you know it, money comes first. Set a clear budget and choose accordingly. And one tip: Venues outside of Prague will often offer better prices. And no, we’re not talking about saving money, you can simply get a lot more for your budget.

Summary. How to make a teambuilding that will not be forgotten?

You know that moment on Monday morning at the coffee machine when everyone is laughing at a story from the weekend? That’s what it’s all about. Unforgettable team building comes from spontaneous moments that can’t be planned – but you can prepare the ground for them.

Surprise, but don’t overdo it

Surprise? Yes! Shock? No. Instead of an adrenaline-pumping parachute jump, maybe set up a secret night fight. Or invite a magician to dinner. Unexpected moments create memories, but no one needs to push the boundaries of personal comfort.

Create space for “coincidences”

The best stories are made in the free moments between activities. Don’t try to cram your schedule from morning to night. Give people time to just chat by the pool, play cards or take a walk around the neighborhood. Often these are the moments that bring the team together the most.

Document (with feeling)

Take pictures, film, but not like the paparazzi. Designate one person to be in charge. And then? Create, for example, funny video montages or photo montages for the internal newsletter. A month from now, when someone shares a photo in the company chat room, everyone will start laughing again.

Little things work wonders

Prepare funny prizes for activity winners, make fake diplomas tailored to colleagues, create an internal hashtag for sharing photos…

And the main thing?

Have a plan, but sometimes throw it away. When people are having fun at impromptu karaoke, join in. Sometimes the best team building events are the ones that get a little “out there” – in a good way.

PS: And don’t forget – what happens at the teambuilding stays… Well, actually it doesn’t stay, because everyone will be talking about it for months to come! 😉