Free Team Building Activities

Free Team Building Activities Exercise 1: Exploration of Values & Code of Honor Preparation

Purpose: Explore individual and team values; create a team code of honor; explore fears and prioritsing; assumptions & judgements; self sacrifice;

Materials: One chair per person, 3 small pieces of paper. Time: 60 minutes

Number: 5-15 people. For larger groups, break people up into working groups of 10.

Requirements: The group members need to know something about each other.

Preparation: Line two rows of chairs back to back.

Instructions to particpants "Take a seat! Close your eyes! It's early in the morning. You wake up as usual to your family. And you do what you usually do. Breakfast, washing, preparation. Are you with your children?Is your husband, wife, sister, mother, father, friend there? The only difference if you are leaving for a trip. Your bags are packed. You say your goodbye's to everyone. You get on the bus with your team to leave for a conference/ training etc.

As you wave goodbye to your loved ones, you say hallo to your colleagues, managers, empoyees etc. The bus leaves the depot and makes it way out the city towards the mountains. It's beautiful. You think of everyone you're leaving behind and what they mean to you. Looking out the window you think of the future and your dreams. The bus is climbing a steep hill. Below is a large dam. It gets higher and higher. As it goes over the top of the hill you can see down below into the beuatiful scenery and the deep waters of the dam.

You notice the bus is increasing in speed as it starts the drive down into the valley. It gets faster and faster, dangerously going around the bends. The bus driver shouts out that the brakes have failed. Faster and faster it goes. Flashing before you are the people you love and all the things you still want to do.

Suddenly the bus loses control and crashes through the barrier hurtling towards the water below. It lands in the water and starts to sink. You manage to find a way to escape. Luckily there is a boat to rescue you. The only thing is:There is only enough time and space to rescue 3 people, including yourself. Everyone else will drown. Which 3 people do you choose to save.

Keeping your eyes closed, I will come around to you one by one. When I tap you on your shoulder, open your eyes. I will give you 3 pieces of paper. You will place the three pieces of paper at the feet of the three people who will live. Once you have completed, I will ask you to sit back down and close your eyes again. Noone will know who anyone else has chosen."

Desciption of team building exercise

The particpants are sitting back to back. You have 3 small pieces of paper. One by one, tap each person gently on the shoulder, giving that person the papers. They will place each paper at the feet of the chosen people. Pick up the pieces after them. Who is voted for, how many times etc is not relevant. It is the internal experience and motivation that each person has when they make the choice. Part of the decision is to choose themselves or not, as the three chosen includes them, If they choose themselves they can only choose two other people. Make sure each person has closed their eyes again before choosing the next person.

Variations Everyone is on a table... i.e. a boat. The boat is shipwrecked. There is only enough water for 3 people. Who gets the water?

Free Team Building Activities: Facilitator Questions

What did you experience? Which part affected you more? Making the choice? Or thinking about what you might be leaving behind? When you chose three people, what motivated you? How do these values influence the decisions you make? Do you live your life by these priorities? Did it raise fears and anxieties? Did you choose yourself? If so what was behind that decision? If not what was behind that decision? Are you of equal value? Is there agreement on what is important? If people choose informed by family values or values of service – is this seen in the workplace? What happens when values conflict? How do you make these decisions every day? How would you like to make these decisions? Do you believe that your workplace/ team/ manager is able to allow you to meet your top values? What values do you think are compromised for the sake of profit? For the sake of caring? For the sake of family? For the sake of growth? What needs to happen to that different values are able to find their place within the team? What values need to be in place to ensure a high team performance? What situations arise in the workplace that values may conflictor prioritising must be made? Continue to apply to the workplace.

Free Team Building Activities Exercise 2: Work in teams to create a code of honor – What is a code of honor? Why a code of honor?

Free Team Building Activities: Tips for the facilitator

List the values behind the motivation on the board for everyone to see. Values such as 'Who are breadwinners? Who contributes the most to the team? Who makes a difference in society? Who do I need more after we've been rescued? Who do I love? Who is a good person? Etc are some of the questions people think about. In some groups, there may be a gender or cultral difference in how choices are made?

Discuss how values don't need to be either/or. But they do shape decision making every day. Team members need to learn how to have their own values met through meeting the values of others.

For more free team building activities,such as board games or party games go to Team Building Games

For more free team building activities such as indoor and outdoor games, creative exercises, virtual activities, corporate and business exercises, leadership activies return from Free Team Building Activities to Team Exercises Library

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