Team building is one of those things that send some members of staff into a frenzied panic.
It has now become office culture, but has taken a huge leap away from the traditional – and somewhat boring – activities of catching falling team members in your loving arms and building bridges using matchsticks.
Today, the world of team building has expanded, offering something a bit more unusual and exciting.
Like Marmite, teaming building exercises have one very distinctive trait: you either love them or hate them. They remove you from a previously comfortable office swivel chair, which can be an extremely daunting experience, forcing bonding and fun on you in the company of other team members – some of whom you may have never met.
However, team building is an excellent way of addressing a company’s core objectives as well as individual capabilities.
If you’re looking for something a little different, that will keep the office talking for days or even weeks later, please carry on reading to discover five unusual North West teaming building activities that we stumbled across.
Sheep Herding
If you’re fed up of being cooped up in an air-conditioned office day in day out, Holmescales may be the ideal company for you. The Lancashire-based company offers a host of outdoor activities – digger driving, zip wiring, tree climbing and raft building to name a few – the majority of which take place over 300 acres of beautiful countryside.
But it’s sheep herding that gives city slickers the opportunity to try something completely different and release their inner country bumpkin. And the fresh country air does everyone the world of good – even if it does have a hint of manure to it. This activity is all about teamwork and communication, moving the sheep slowly around the course and carefully between the gates without any wandering strays. Sheer determination is required with this activity, but don’t fret, Fly the sheepdog is on hand to assist with any mishaps!
Blindfold Driving
How much do you really trust your colleagues? You might depend on Roy from accounts to make you a decent cup of coffee every morning, but throw him in a Land Rover and make him drive blindfolded and you take things to a whole new level.
This is just one of the bizarre team-building activities offered from London-based company Chillisauce. Bungee running, chariot racing and egg launching came extremely close but they were pipped to the post.
If your team needs to improve on communication and confidence issues, blindfold driving is definitely one idea you’ve probably not thought of. This adrenaline-fuelled task requires team members to work together, helping the driver dodge obstacles while remaining calm and collected.
Sledge Building
Let’s admit it, British winter time is always slightly disappointing. The pathetic dusting of snow on the ground is never enough to consider going sledging, let alone attempting to build a snowman. But do not fear, Manchester’s Chill Factore offers snow-filled activities all year round. Whether you have an office full of snowsport fanatics, complete newbies or a mix of both, Chill Factore’s unique setting offers team building with a twist. With tubing, snow zipping, skiing and snowboarding, there’s a great selection of adrenaline pumping activities on offer.
However, it was the sledge building challenge that caught our eye. Go head to head against your workmates constructing a sledge in record time before racing it down our slopes to the finish line. This fast paced activity will put your team’s concentration, communication, trust and accuracy to the test!
Zombie Chase
Following the current Walking Dead craze, and the hype behind the start of Season 5, we can safely assume that flesh-eating zombies are definitely still an in-thing.
We personally couldn’t think of anything worse than being hunted by zombies around an unknown location for three terrifying hours, so bosses with a sadistic streak are signing their staff up to do just that.
At 2.8 Hours Later your zombie apocalypse nightmares come true and it’s up to you to escape their ravenous intentions. It might be better to stick with your colleagues and organise yourself into a defensive unit. Could you carry the petrified account manager with you? Stick together or do a runner?
Calendar Creation
CCC Events offer a variety of unique indoor and outdoor corporate activities, some that are bound to make you feel uncomfortable and cringe more than others, including back to school, superhero adventure and creative grooves.
One activity that really stood out was calendar creation. Think calendar girls, but with more clothes and definitely more props! This highly imaginative task will have even the quietest member of the office coming out of their shell, hopefully in tears of laughter. Your brief is to design and shoot your very own work calendar, and employers are given dedicated studio time where they will showcase their masterpieces in front of a green screen before presenting them to a panel of judges who make Simon Cowell look like a pussycat.
