People often ask me how I create the teambuilding activities that I use in my workshops. The answer is very simple, I read! I read everything I can find on subjects related to teambuilding, facilitation, teaching, training, organizational development, leadership, communication, building trust, decision making, outdoor adventure, puzzles, games, group dynamics, youth development, corporate training and education. When I visit a new bookstore, I am drawn to these subjects and constantly look for books that I have yet to read.

I also scan the internet for articles and publications of interest, including books and articles from foreign countries (which some search-engines can easily translate).

So visit your local library or bookstore and see how many books you can find on your favorite subjects. Find an author you enjoy and read all their books. Ask your friends to buy you books for your birthday. Keep a wish list of books you want to read, and find time to read them.

By the way, if you want to know my recommendation for the best bookstore in the entire world, it is Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Oregon, USA. There is an entire aisle filled with books on puzzles and games, plus dozens of other rooms filled with interesting and useful books of all kinds. I know there are plenty of useful internet book sites, but if you want to walk into a truly amazing place, then I encourage you to visit Powell’s. It is one of my favorite places on earth!

14. The Sequence is Critical

I have discovered that the order in which you present activities has a definite impact on the participation and engagement of your audience throughout your program. If you begin with an activity that requires too much trust, or is too silly, or too unfamiliar for your audience, you may lose them at the very start. On the other hand, if you sequence your activities well, so that your audience gains confidence from the very start, you will likely be able to take them further than you imagine.

Occasionally I like to play with the order of my activities, to see if a specific activity might fit better at a different place in the program. For many years, I conducted an activity known as Magic Carpet, during the middle, skill-building stage of my trainings. During one program, I was asked to shorten the teambuilding component of the training by two hours. Rather than simply eliminate the Magic Carpet activity, I used it as the final closing activity for the day, with wonderful results. For years I thought the Magic Carpet activity fit in the middle of the program, but I discovered that it could also be a wonderful closing activity.

So be willing to play with the order and sequence of your program activities, to find the ideal location for each, based upon the results you obtain from your participants.

One of the classic academic papers on sequencing adventure-based learning activities is: Sequencing Adventure Activities: A New Perspective, by Christian Bisson. This document can be downloaded at: https://files/eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED425904.pdf.

15. Life is a sociological experiment. Your job is to collect data.

I’ve always considered that life was a giant sociological experiment and that my job was to collect data. What that means (to me) is that it is up to me to try different things and find out what works best for me. Every time I try a new activity or a new way of presenting something, I evaluate the success or failure of that presentation. I am willing to try something new, even if I cannot predict in advance whether it will succeed or fail. Collecting data is an interesting way of saying, “I don’t know…. Let’s find out together!” The good news is that the more I try new things, the more data I collect, the better I become at predicting which new things will be successful. I’m not afraid to try something new because no matter how it turns out, I gain valuable experience and data that will help me improve as a facilitator each and every time I work with a group.

16. Start with One Index Card

When I first started working as a teambuilding professional, I made a list of ten things I thought I could do well as a facilitator and wrote these on a single index card. I chose activities and concepts that I thought I was uniquely qualified to teach and share with audiences. Over the years, I’ve added to that list of possibilities, but it was useful to begin with my simple original list.

By reducing the scope and breadth of the teaching/training/facilitation world to those things that I was confident I could do well, I focused my attention specifically on the teambuilding component. This enabled me initially to focus my efforts on what would ultimately become my profession of choice.

Over the years, I’ve added new things to my original index card list, including activities, ideas, concepts, educational models, experience, props and other teambuilding related items. My current list of ‘things I can do well’ is now over 10 pages long, and filled with several hundred possibilities. But it all started with ten things written on a single index card.

17. Try Something New

Surprise people, including yourself. Try something new, every time you facilitate.

Every time I facilitate a program, I like to try something new. It could be a new activity, or a new idea or a new prop. It might be using a familiar activity in a new way or to accomplish a new result. Changing something each time I present a program forces me to consider other possibilities and outcomes. It keeps my work from becoming stale. Some of the changes are better than the originals, and I keep those new ideas for the future. Sometimes the new version isn’t as good as the original, so I keep the older version as my preferred way of doing things.

By being flexible and open to new possibilities, I believe I become a better facilitator. My list of activities is constantly being updated and added to. I have a document on my computer desktop with the title ‘new stuff.’ I review this file often and try to find ways to incorporate some of these ideas into my future training events.

18. When given a choice, choose both!

New facilitators often ask me which technique or method I prefer when presenting a specific activity or concept. I think they would like to know my recommendation for which way is best. But I discovered a long time ago that the way I prefer something may not be the way you prefer it. So, when someone gives you a choice (should I do it this way or that way?) choose both and decide for yourself.

What this means is that only you can decide which way is best for you. My favorite activity may not be your favorite activity. My recommendation on how to lead a specific activity best may be different than yours. Only by trying both ways can you decide which way is best for you.

The other reason for choosing both is that you increase the number of possibilities. For the American holiday Thanksgiving, a food-oriented event, when Grandma asks, “would you like pumpkin pie or apple pie for desert?” the right answer is….. a little bit of both, please!

One of the most valuable things I learned in Graduate School is that when someone gives you a choice, choose both. The worst thing that can happen is they might say, “no, you can only have one.” But if they allow you to have both, you have just doubled your possibilities.

19. Be Comfortable with Silence

There is a natural tendency for new facilitators to talk too much and too often. They sometimes provide too much information (minimizing the challenge for any particular group) or feel the necessity to fill in pauses in the conversation with their own voice, rather than allowing their participants the opportunity to speak.

I recommend that facilitators become comfortable with silence. Don’t rush to fill silence with your own words. If you are patient, eventually someone in the group will speak.

20. Provide Choices for your Participants

By giving your participants choices, you give them power!

One of the simplest ways to increase the engagement of any group is to offer them the opportunity to make choices. When preparing for an event, you might have two activities ready for the group. By asking them, “which activity would you like to do next?” you give them control over their own destiny.

Choice is such a simple concept, but when used well, it can dramatically increase the engagement of your audience. So, look for opportunities to give the members of your audience choices and decisions and invite them to join you in setting the course for your time together.

21. Show & Tell beats tell every time

If you have ever experienced that moment when, after presenting an activity to a group, they pause and give you a blank look that tells you they did not understand the information you gave them, then you understand how words alone may be incomplete. I higher encourage facilitators to not only tell their participants about the next activity, but actually (in as many ways as possible) show them.

When I work with audiences that do not speak my native language, I have discovered that by showing (rather than telling) participants what to do, my intentions become much clearer.

So, the next time you are presenting an activity to a group, especially when equipment or resources are involved, be sure to not only explain (tell) to them what to do, but also show them.

22. Which activity should I present?

The correct answer to this question is very simple. You should present the activity that you are excited about. If you are excited about an activity, your audience will be excited about it and if you are not, they won’t be either! Enthusiasm is contagious. Facilitators have more energy for an activity that excites them, and they pass this energy on to their audiences.

So, spend a few moments today and make a list of all the activities that really excite you. This list of ‘favorites’ identifies those activities that you are likely to lead with enthusiasm.

23. The Emergency Kit

A few years ago, I attended a conference and one speaker suggested something that I thought was quite profound. He mentioned that while many people assemble an emergency kit of essential things, in case of a natural disaster, power outage or weather event, few people assemble a kit of the most essential things they typically use in their training programs.

I went home after that conference and prepared a ‘survival kit’ of my favorite, essential training supplies, and placed these items in a safe storage container, protected from water, fire and other natural elements. In the event of an emergency, I’ll have these essential items at my fingertips, ready to go.

International journalists often keep a ‘grab and go’ bag filled with essential things they might need for an unscheduled trip or event. Essentially, they are always prepared.

As a facilitator, you too can be prepared for an emergency. True, you may not need teambuilding supplies if there is a Zombie Apocalypse, but for all other forms of disasters, having a collection of your favorite training supplies as a backup, could prove valuable. Think of it as an insurance policy in the event the airline loses your luggage or a rain shower destroys your roof, and your book collection.

Having a few essential training resources (books, props, tools) in reserve, just in case of an accident or force of nature event, is a good idea. What will you put in your emergency training kit?

24. Pay Your Dues

Folk musicians know the phrase paying your dues, which refers to working tirelessly in the beginning, taking every job they can, perfecting their craft, working for peanuts and more, to become the best version of themselves. Don’t be afraid to work hard at the beginning of your facilitation career.

That effort will pay off in the long run.

25. Retire activities that don’t produce teachable moments or outcomes you desire.

In the same way that some people create a ‘to do’ list, it can be helpful for a facilitator to create a ‘not to do’ list of activities and training methods that simply do not work for them. I encourage facilitators to retire activities that do not produce the teachable moments or outcomes they desire. If, after changing some elements of an activity, the outcome is still far from what you desire, then remove this activity from your list of possibilities, or better yet, replace it with another activity that does create the outcome you need.

26. Stand Back

After I present the basic information for a group to begin working together on a team challenge, I physically step back, away from the group, and let them work on the activity alone.

I discovered as a new facilitator, that if I remain a part of the group, participants would often direct questions to me rather than to each other. I am never far away, and of course I will help any group that asks, but my goal as a facilitator is to help my group be independent of me. Then, when they return from the training program, they will have grown confident of their abilities, without the need for a facilitator to help them through the most difficult parts. Empowerment can be a valuable life and work skill.

27. Speak French – Facilitator = Animateur

Interestingly, the French word for facilitator is animateur, which means to animate or bring life to. I like the idea of a facilitator bringing energy and life to a group, but this requires preparation on the part of the facilitator. If, for example, your group lacks enthusiasm and energy, as a facilitator, you may have to give them some of yours.

I once facilitated a full day program for an entire group of people that were all introverts. At the end of the day, I was exhausted. I realized that, in my effort to create a high energy experience for the group, I had to use all of my available personal energy to make up for that which was lacking in the group. Since then, I have learned new ways to ‘animate’ a group, using music, activities, group discussions, art, physical movement, creativity and other engaging techniques. What will you do to animate your next audience?

28. The Goal of a Facilitator

I believe that the following statement is true. The goal of a facilitator is not necessarily to help a team succeed, but rather to help a team learn as much as they can from the experience, no matter what the outcome is.

There are a unique set of skills that are valuable in life related to tenacity, perseverance, fortitude, grit, persistence, determination, diligence, endurance and drive. Learning how to recover from failure is as important as learning how to deal with success. The ability to try again, and keep trying are valuable attributes.

It is not uncommon for a facilitator to want their group to succeed. But it can be even more valuable for a facilitator to help their group gain all the knowledge possible, even when they fail.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas A. Edison

29. Remember Being a Beginner

As a facilitator, always remember what it was like when you were a beginner. Sometimes facilitators become so well acquainted with their activities and teaching methods, that they forget what it was like the first time they experienced an activity or team challenge. New participants are often stymied by the knowledge, skills and talents of a professional teacher, trainer, facilitator or group leader. Another way of saying this is ‘know your audience.’ Anticipate their level of knowledge and abilities. Challenge them. Encourage them. But know as much about them as you can. And remember, you were once a beginner too!

30. Trick or Treat?

I made a personal choice early in my facilitation years, not to trick the participants in my audience. Which means I try not to fool them or misdirect them. I discovered that if I trick (fool) my audience in one activity, when I move on to the next activity, they tend to look for another trick, rather than learning from the teachable moment present there. And that to me is a tragedy. The last thing I want to do in a team challenge is misdirect my audience, causing them to miss the reason why I chose that activity in the first place.

This is not to say that magic cannot be used to create teachable moments. Just be sure that you present activities in a manner that encourages the creation of teachable moments, not simply magical misdirection.

As you review your list of possible activities, are there team challenges which fall into the category of ‘tricks’ rather than ‘treats?’ If so, consider how you might alter these activities, or replace them.

31. The 4-H Motto – To Make the Best Better

When I was a teenager in the United States, I was part of a youth leadership organization known as 4-H. From this experience I learned many things about group dynamics, teamwork and leadership. The motto of the 4-H organization is to make the best better, and this is a good idea for facilitators too.

Taking what you already know how to do, and constantly trying to improve it is a recipe for success. By continuously improving your talents, your knowledge, your activities, your facilitation skills, you set yourself on a path of making your best even better. Now, which of your training techniques would you like to make better?

32. PPPPP – Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Becoming a skilled facilitator takes more than just ‘winging it.’ Proper preparation includes having a plan for the event, estimating the size, age and skills of the group, preparing the necessary equipment and resources, practicing activities to ensure that you can create teachable moments with them and building confidence when working with groups. Each of these things is an essential component. Be prepared!

33. Take Your Time

Don’t be in a hurry to go onto the next activity if the one you are currently in is producing valuable results with the group. One of the basic mistakes made by new facilitators is to rush through a pre-planned series of activities, so that participants have the full range of experiences during the event, but minimizing the richness of the experience with any specific activity. If an activity has created a wonderful teachable moment with your group, let them fully experience this moment before moving on to the next activity. It is more important (in my opinion) to pull the full measure of value from an activity than to rush on to another activity.

34. Be Ready to Do More

As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to always have more activities (and equipment) ready, just in case you need it. If the original program plan is for 20 people and 2 hours, it can be helpful to prepare for 30 people and 3 hours. You can always edit your plan during the program and remove unnecessary activities, but adding more activities won’t be easy, especially if any of those activities require specialized equipment.

35. Kill It Before It Dies!

There is a classic rule in gamesmanship that encourages facilitators to never play any specific game or activity too long. If you conclude an activity when the group is enjoying it, they will always want to play it again. But if you stretch it out to the point of exhaustion, no group is likely to want to repeat that activity.

36. A Controlled Stop

When you are ready to conclude an activity and move on to the next item on your schedule, don’t simply say, “STOP!” This abrupt conclusion can cut short the discussion and interactions between the members of your audience. Rather say, “you have one more minute,” which will allow them time to complete their essential conversation.

37. YGMDWYHF!

Have fun! A colleague of mine at Cornell University’s Outdoor Education Program once remarked, you get more done when you’re having fun! Above all, facilitation should be fun, for both the facilitator and the members of their audience. If you are not having enough fun, you might want to re- think your program content.

38. Allow Your Audience Time to Solve Problems

When a member of your audience asks you a question, consider replying, “I’m going to allow you a few minutes to work through the details of this challenge, and then I’ll answer any questions you might have at that time.”

This technique will encourage your audience to try and solve their own problems, not simply hunt for answers.

39. Learn About Your Audience

Learn as much as you can about your audience. Corporations for example, have websites that feature their mission statement, current issues, news releases, vision and goals, etc. Ask questions about who will attend your program. Find out their goals. Inquire if anyone has a different ability that might require you to modify one or more of your activities.

One of the questions I most like to ask is this, what can happen today so that at the conclusion participants will say, ‘that was worth it.’ In other words, ask your client their criteria for success, then work to achieve this.

40. Get Comfortable with Reviewing!

The final component of many teambuilding activities is known as debriefing or reviewing. This component of adventure-based learning is often the most valuable part of the experience. Simply stated, reviewing is where the good stuff is!

When I first began leading teambuilding activities, I have to admit, I was all about the activity itself. I loved teambuilding activities. But in those early days, I often raced from one activity to the next, without pausing for a moment or two to discuss with the team their performance.

Roger Greenaway once remarked, reviewing is not something you do at the end of an activity, it is the reason for the activity!

So, get comfortable with reviewing. The debriefing process has dozens of valuable techniques that you can use with children and adults. Look for ‘teachable moments’ and help your group discuss and learn from these moments.

If you need help, see the book, A Teachable Moment (ISBN 978-0-7575-1782-2). This book is filled with 130+ activities for processing, debriefing, reviewing and reflection.

“Every expert was once a beginner.”

Dr. Jim Cain is the author of 16 team and community building texts, including the classic Teamwork & Teamplay, A Teachable Moment, Find Something To Do! and his latest book, 100 Activities that Build Unity, Community & Connection. He is also the creator of the innovative T&T Training Cards.

He has traveled to all 50 states and 31 countries (so far), sharing his knowledge on subjects ranging from teamwork and leadership to creative problem solving and trust building. His train-the-trainer programs are legendary and his conference keynotes/playnotes are active, engaging and tremendously fun. With regard to Jim’s group facilitation skills, Tom Leahy of NCCPS remarked, “Jim, you are a Jedi Master!”

If you want to incorporate teamwork into your organization, your next staff training or your next meeting or conference, and you want to do it right, contact Jim at Teamwork & Teamplay. You’ll be glad you did!

Jim Cain, Ph.D.
Teamwork & Teamplay
468 Salmon Creek Road
Brockport, NY   14420

Phone:   585-637-0328
Email:   [email protected]
website:   www.teamworkandteamplay.com