Engaging Skeptics in Teambuilding Exercises

How do you build a strong team when some of the members of that team are simply uninterested in teambuilding exercises? That’s sort of the catch-22 of the entire teambuilding endeavor. On the one hand, there are plenty of ways you can strengthen and unify your professional team. The problem is, those methods are only effective if people are willing to engage with them in the first place, and some employees just aren’t.

You may have some teambuilding skeptics on your own team — so how do you win them over and get them to participate in team activities? A few tips spring to mind:

1. Always make sure there is a method to your madness, and that the method is clearly articulated to your team members. If it seems like your teambuilding exercises are just silly games or wastes of time, then you’re going to find yourself with plenty of skeptics. But if you explain the point, and how it will affect the company’s bottom line and its productivity, some of those skeptics may be more willing to give it a chance.
2. Be mindful of different personalities and talents. The people on your team all bring different things to the table; some may be introverted or more timid by nature, and thus less likely to enjoy group activities. While you should certainly encourage involvement with group activities, you shouldn’t try to change people or cast…