Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers: 50 Exercises That Get Results in Just 15 Minutes »

Brian Cole Miller (Dublin, OH) is the owner of Working Solutions, a management and training consultant firm whose clients include Nationwide Insurance, Mailboxes Etc., and Burger King. He is former director of training and development at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Every group can benefit from team-building exercises. But sometimes it's not practical to embark on a full-scale training initiative. Now, supervisors, managers, and team leaders have 50 team-building activities to choose from, all of which can be implemented with no special facilities, big expense, or previous training experience. Readers will find engaging exercises for:

* Building new teams and helping teams with new members
* Dealing with change and its effects: anger, fear, frustration, and more
* Recognizing individual efforts and team accomplishments
* Finding creative ways to work together and solve problems
* Increasing and improving communication
* Leveraging diversity and individual differences to meet team goals
* Keeping competition healthy and productive within the team

Instructions and tips for follow-up and variations are included for each activity, and an additional chapter provides valuable advice for working through unexpected difficulties in team-building.

About the Author:
Brian Cole Miller (Dublin, OH) is the owner of Working Solutions, a management and training consultant firm whose clients include Nationwide Insurance, Mailboxes Etc., and Burger King. He is former director of training and development at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Training Media Review

an excellent primer on how to conduct and debrief his well-designed activities.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part I.  Getting Ready

Chapter 1.  How to Run a Successful Teambuilding Activity

Step 1: Before: Select an Activity That s Good for Your Team

Step 2: Before: Prepare for Your Teambuilding Activity

Step 3: During: Explain the Activity to the Team

Step 4: During: Check for Understanding Before Beginning

Step 5: During: Run the Activity

Step 6: During: Debrief the Activity

Step 7: After: Reinforce the Learning Back on the Job

Chapter 2.  What Could Go Wrong in a Teambuilding Activity

Part II.  The Activities

Chapter 3.  Communication: Listening and Influencing

$2 Negotiation

Card Triangles

Listen Up

Me, Myself, and I

Origami

Shared Values

Washing Machines

Chapter 4.  Connecting:  Getting to Know Each Other

A Day in the Life?

Gossip Time

Human Billboards

My N.A.M.E.

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Rather Than

Ready, Set, Reorganize!

Similarities and Differences

Sweet Stories

Chapter 5.  Cooperation: Working Together As a Team

Catch!

Pass the Card

Popcorn

Puzzled

Silence Is Golden

Star Power

Tied!

United Hearts

Chapter 6.  Coping:  Dealing with Change

Change Time Line

Guess and Switch

Index Towers

Machines

Makeovers

Numbers

Puzzled Thumbs

Simon Sez

Wrong Handed Picture

Chapter 7.  Creativity: Solving Problems Together

Seven Hands

Balloon Sculptures

Card Stack

Consultants

Improve This

One-Worded Stories

Paper Shuffle

Chapter 8.  Teamwork: Appreciating and Supporting Each Other

Blame Game

But Nothing (Feedback)

But Nothing (Ideas)

First Impressions

Junk to Jewels

Kudos

Labels

Rainbow of Diversity

What I Like About Me

ZYX