Have you ever participated in a “ropes” course before? It’s an outdoor team building activity which consists of low and high elements. The low elements are at ground level and the high elements are a few feet off the ground. The purpose of the ropes course isn’t to find out how athletic (or in my case, not athletic) a person was. It was for groups to work together toward a common goal. The course was about teamwork – identifying strengths, cooperation, collaboration, and trust.
I’ve participated in a few ropes courses but I must say that was several years ago when they were the thing to do. I hear very little about ropes courses these days. It seems like companies are finding other ways to build a sense of camaraderie in the workplace.
One way is by using social collaboration tools. Today’s Time Well Spent cartoon from our friends at Kronos points out how even when it comes to team building…it’s important to keep up with the times.
As business professionals, we talk about the importance of tailoring our message to our audience. We say it’s important to communicate using the tools people have available like smartphones and tablets. For us to build effective teams, we have to create activities that fit within our corporate and societal cultures.
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parker says
I thought we had moved beyond these absurd and pointless team building exercises like rope and trust falls and sweat lodges, etc, etc.
But there will always be the guillible.
Melanie says
Parker may think I’m gullible but I have had a lot of success with physical activities. It’s definitely only one part of a multi-faceted approach though. I try to pick a healthy selection to make activities accessible to all employees of all ages and levels o ability. My Millennials definitely say they want to do out of the work place activities but I will admit attendance has been an issue. The people who go seem to gain a lot.
Karen Bell says
I agree with Melanie. I use to be a low and high ropes facilitator, everyone gains from these exercises. Especially millennials. They want to get out and actually do something. They want to be involved in their companies. It is so important to get out of the office with your team and get involved.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Hi everyone. Thanks for the comments!
The takeaway for me was about knowing your audience and offering variety. Personally, I’m not an outdoorsy person, but I loved when one of the companies I worked for took the management team whitewater rafting. And I loved when the same company gave me the responsibility of managing our mini-grand prix cars.
For participants, it’s about being a good sport with whatever activity is planned. While the ropes course wasn’t for me, I did learn something.