Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Team Building Exercises

Share vision, share sacrifice, share victory. There is no "one-size-fits-all" approach. There's a continuum from shared fun to shared misery. And the political fracas about indoctrination is a backdrop. Coaches teach personal and team growth not ideology, but outsiders have their own agendas. 

Here's a handy reference for theory, practice, and major types. Every situation differs in needs, time, resources, and budgets.

  • Communications-based
  • Problem-solving
  • Creativity
  • Trust building 

Boot camp. At the extreme end of shared misery is military 'boot camp'. Even then, you have different intensity at the same site, like Officer Candidate School versus Officer Indoctrination School (Newport). OCS and OIS are light years apart, with OIS the gentleman and gentle lady course. Been there, done that. 


Even within 'tough' training, you can build in diversions on the lighter side. 

Retreats. Businesses hold retreats including seminars, spitballing sessions, and trust-building exercises. A colleague told me of a Fortune 500 company where a relative said that the top 25 executives were virtually the worst people in the world who would do anything to crawl over each other on the corporate ladder. 

Change of pace. Players can get together for a crafts activity or an alternative sport (e.g. a bowling day). 

Speakers. Professional and college teams sometimes bring in guest speakers to discuss leadership and teams. The Patriots had Bill Russell in to speak about winning. During high school, our coach had Coach John Killilea, a longtime coach and soon to be NBA assistant, in to speak to us. 

Community service. 
  • Community cleanup activities
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Youth mentoring
Shared readings. Find the material you want shared. 
  • UNC's Anson Dorrance has the women's soccer team read Michael Useem's The Leadership Moment
  • James Kerr's Legacy is brilliant but maybe not for everyone
  • The local volleyball team reads and discusses Jay Bilas's Toughness
  • Jocko Willink's Extreme Ownership is excellent
  • Kevin Eastman's Why the Best Are the Best offers clarity on character and leadership
Simple exercises like "Two Truths and a Lie" from the reference mentioned:

Two Truths and a Lie

"This is a great team building activity for small groups. Have your group gather in a circle. Ask everyone to come up with three facts about themselves, one of which is a lie. Then, one at a time have each member state their three facts and the rest of the group guesses which one is a lie. Then, one at a time, have each member state their three facts and the rest of the group guesses which one is the fib."

Lagniappe (something extra). Influence the defender NOT the official. 



Lagniappe 2. Find a few options that work for you on the curl. 

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