TEAM BUILDING - Advantages of Team Building Over a Corporate Retreat

by Jennifer Williams, Demand Media

Team building can be more advantageous than a corporate retreat. Team building exercises are usually individual exercises completed within hours, as opposed to retreats that usually last days. Today's workers have busy and demanding lives outside the work place and employers are unrealistic to expect to be a worker's whole life. Individual team building exercises are likely to be more easily accepted and gain greater cooperation from workers than retreats that require days away from family and other private responsibilities.

Everyone Has Stake in Outcome

Team building exercises require a minimum commitment of hours rather than days on the part of every team member. To get the most out of the limited time available, team members themselves choose the activity. This promotes the sense that each team member has a stake in the successful outcome because each team member had a say in the exercise planning.

Relaxation And Trust

Using a team building exercise creates an atmosphere of shared fun, which breaks down personal barriers and encourages a deeper comfort level among team members. Since team members know the exercise is of short duration and no personal commitments are threatened, team members relax, which makes it easier to develop a sense of trust and shared goals with fellow team members.

Comfort Breeds Creativity

Also a byproduct of the quick fun afforded by team building exercises, the atmosphere of team building exercises encourages members to become comfortable with each other, which allows them to more freely express their creativity and more deeply held ideas about the organization and how to reach its goals.