TEAM BUILDING - Corporate Team Building Retreat Ideas

Draw inspiration on how to build employee teams with retreat activities

by Kristie Lorette, Demand Media

Small and large businesses alike can treat employees to a corporate team building retreat. These retreats take employees outside of the work environment and place them in remote locations where they can participate in activities that teach them how to work as a team. With so many ways to teach employees team-building skills, you can draw inspiration from different resources to choose the team building retreat that best suits your business.

Whitewater Rafting

Lodges, hotels and cabin retreats near whitewater locations offer whitewater rafting as a team building exercise. While whitewater rafting can be a fun and exciting trip for employees, it also requires each member of the team to take on a role in order to pull off a successful ride down the rushing river. Whitewater rafting requires employees to paddle together to maneuver the rapidly rushing water. The dynamic atmosphere helps to teach your team focus and how to work together to accomplish a common goal.

Golf Retreat

A golf retreat can be almost anywhere in the country. Many golf courses partner with a resort or hotel, so you can put up your employees for a weekend or a few days. Golfing can be a relaxing, yet competitive, sport that provides an atmosphere to foster communication among team members and employees. In between leisurely rounds of golf, your employees can partake in other resort activities or company meetings. For example, a company may create a theme for the golfing event, such as “Embracing the winds of change.”

Camping and Hiking Trip

For retreats to wooded or mountainous areas, your employees can learn how to work as a team while hiking. Hiking trails usually requires a buddy system. Once the team gets up the trail, you can have them set up camp for a one- or two-night stay in the woods. You can even add activities such as the tree hugger exercise, where employees are paired with a buddy. One buddy blindfolds the other and leads the blindfolded employee to a tree, which the employee touches and feels. The pair then steps away from the tree and the blindfold is removed so the employee can try to find the tree they were touching.

Charitable Activities

Programs where employees come together as a team to do something for the underprivileged can be a good personal experience, where a team spirit is often born. Employees may build a house, build a bike or raise money to provide other equipment, toys or items to benefit someone who could not otherwise own the it.