TEAM BUILDING - Team Building Activities for Pairs

by Arnold Anderson, Demand Media

Team building exercises are not limited to large teams of several people. Partners and pairs can also take advantage of the benefits of good team building exercises, thereby enhancing their working relationships. Good team building exercises help strengthen decision-making abilities and allow the participants to develop a framework of familiarity.

Standing

If your pair consists of two physically fit people, try the “Standing” activity. The pair sits back-to-back in the middle of an open room. By using verbal commands and physical movements, the pair must reach a standing position. This exercise improves coordination between partners and helps develop a sense of coordination between the pair.

The Story

This exercise is borrowed from creating writing classes, but it also makes an effective team building exercise for pairs. You will need a piece of paper and two pens for this activity. One of the partners starts by writing down a simple phrase stating a condition, such as "A person is standing in a doorway," or "It is raining outside." Each partner then adds one sentence to the story until it is completed. Each partner can see how the other thinks and reacts in a variety of situations.

Work of Art

Gather as many art supplies as you can -- paper, pens, tape, glue and paper clips all qualify. The pair has 30 minutes to create a work of art with these supplies. The pair is free to create whatever they like, be a statue, picture or a diorama of a famous event. Expressing creativity together is an excellent way to strengthen the bonds between business partners.

Drawing

You will need a whiteboard or a blank flip chart page, a marker, a paper and a pen for this activity. One partner creates a drawing using basic shapes such as circles, squares and triangles. The drawing must consist of at least four shapes. The other partner cannot see the image, and he cannot be told how many shapes were used to create it. The person that drew the image then tries to describe it to her partner, and he recreates it on the whiteboard or flip chart. This activity improves communication and clarifies terminology between the partners.