Team building does not have to mean sitting in a meeting room, completing awkward exercises or spending a whole day doing something that only half the team really enjoys.
Sometimes the simplest ideas work best.
Get everyone out of the office. Split them into teams. Give them a challenge. Then add just enough competition to make everyone want to win.
That is exactly what happened recently when one of our long-standing local customers tried 30Squares Team Building around Montrose.
Six members of staff split into two teams of three and went head-to-head in a competitive 5 Square Race.
The feedback afterwards was excellent — and they certainly got their steps in along the way!
How Does 30Squares Team Building Work?
30Squares turns a town or city into an interactive challenge.
Each team uses their own phones to access the game and has a set of squares to find.
The important thing is that there is no fixed route.
Teams can tackle the squares in any order they like. They can read the clues, decide which location they think a square is pointing to, move on to another clue if they get stuck, or change their strategy completely as the race develops.
That is where the teamwork comes in.
Do you all concentrate on one difficult clue?
Does someone spot another square they think they know?
Do you head for the nearest location first or try to plan the quickest overall route?
And when you see the other team disappearing down another street, do you stick with your plan or start wondering if they know something you don't?
Two Teams. Five Squares. One Winner.
For this event they used a 5 Square Race, making it ideal for a Friday afternoon rather than an all-day activity.
Both teams were given the same challenge but different squares and could decide for themselves how best to tackle it.
There was plenty of walking, clue solving, discussion, strategy and friendly rivalry along the way.
Eventually one team came out on top and claimed the winner's trophy.
And judging by the feedback afterwards, I suspect there may well be a rematch!
Team Building Without Feeling Like Team Building
One of the things I wanted to achieve with 30Squares was to create an activity where teamwork happens naturally.
Nobody needs to be told they are practising communication, problem-solving or decision-making.
The game simply makes it happen.
Someone spots something in a clue that everybody else missed. Someone knows the area better. Someone suggests a different route. Another person may decide it is time to leave one clue behind and try another.
Before long, everyone is communicating, making decisions and working together — without it ever feeling like a corporate exercise.
They are simply trying to beat the other team(s).
Fresh Air, Steps and Friendly Competition
Another big advantage is getting everyone away from their normal working environment.
For a couple of hours there are no desks, emails or Teams messages.
Instead, people are outside walking, talking, exploring and having fun together.
They get some fresh air, get their steps in and often discover parts of the town they may normally walk straight past.
And because everyone uses their own phone, there is no complicated equipment to organise.
A 30Squares Team Building challenge can work brilliantly for:
- Staff team-building afternoons
- Company away days
- Departmental competitions
- Office social events
- Networking groups
- Friendly challenges between businesses
A short 5 Square Race can form part of a wider company day, while a larger challenge can become the main event.
Developed Here at Millennium Software
30Squares is one of the platforms I have developed through Millennium Software, and there is something particularly satisfying about seeing an idea move from a computer screen into the real world.
You can test software endlessly while developing it, but the real test comes when real people use it.
Do they understand it?
Do they enjoy it?
Does the competitive element work?
Most importantly — would they do it again?
After this latest team event, the feedback was a very definite yes.
Could Your Team Take on 30Squares?
If you are looking for something a little different for your next team-building afternoon or company event, why not put your staff to the test?
Pick your teams.
Charge your phones.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Get those steps in.
And prepare to discover who really has the competitive streak in your office.
Find it. Solve it. Stamp it. Score!
Visit 30Squares.com to find out more.