What should the icebreaker be? How much content is too much? And how do you get participants to genuinely engage?
Designing and facilitating a successful team-building workshop is both a science and an art. It requires careful preparation, mapping out an intentional curriculum that aligns with learning objectives, and knowing how to adapt in the moment based on your intuition and your team’s needs.
If you’re planning a team-building workshop or training program, I’ve got you covered. I’ve facilitated more workshops than I can count, and I want to share some of my top learnings and insights with you.
What Is A Team-Building Workshop?
A team-building workshop is a structured event designed to help your employees foster trust, improve communication, and collaborate more efficiently and effectively. It provides an opportunity for employees, whether on the same team or across different departments, to come together and learn how to perform better.
These training experiences can vary in length, from short sessions (60 to 90 minutes) to multi-day events. They can be conducted in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format, allowing for flexibility based on your team’s needs.
Benefits Of Team-Building Workshops
Some of the advantages of conducting team-building workshops for your employees include:
- Improved communication and empathy
- Reduced conflict and interpersonal issues
- Boosted employee morale and productivity
- Enhanced sense of belonging and psychological safety
- Better problem-solving skills and team performance
- Greater innovation and long-term success
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Team-Building Workshop
Drawing from my experience as a workshop facilitator, here are 11 actionable tips for creating an effective team-building workshop that your employees will actually want to attend and actively participate in:
1. Begin with a purposeful icebreaker.
One of the most common missed opportunities I see in team-building events is starting off with an unrelated or generic icebreaker. These activities are your participants’ first impression for the entire workshop, yet they’re often chosen without much forethought.
Many facilitators opt for common icebreakers like “two truths and one lie” or “would you rather?” While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these, they often fall short of achieving your ultimate goal: fostering team connection and growth.
You can set the stage more intentionally and powerfully by choosing an icebreaker that aligns with your workshop’s goals and objectives. A well-selected activity can immediately engage participants and reinforce the purpose of your session.
2. Be mindful of physical contact.
Speaking of icebreakers, please avoid activities that require participants to touch one another. Personally speaking, there is nothing I dread more than being asked to do the human knot or any other activity that involves physical contact for that matter.
While these icebreakers might seem fun or lighthearted, they can quickly backfire, erode trust, or even traumatize participants. Additionally, they can create unnecessary risk for your organization.
Put simply, choose activities that build connection without physical contact.
3. Avoid forced engagement.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Do not force people to participate in your workshop. This includes not cold-calling on people to participate. You’re not Annalise Keating from How to Get Away with Murder, and this isn’t a law school—it’s a team-building workshop!
If you notice participants aren’t engaging as much as you’d like, revisit your content, design, and facilitation approach. There are creative ways to encourage participation without putting anyone on the spot.
For example, you may need to have participants share their thoughts with a partner or in a small group before opening up to the larger group. The key is fostering natural engagement rather than pressuring someone to speak up before they’re ready.
4. Know your audience.
You must get to know your audience as you plan your workshop. Ask yourself, are they naturally talkative or on the quiet side? Do they lead with emotion, or do they prefer logic and reason? If they’re a cross-functional team, will they need more time to build trust, or are they already well-acclimated to one another?
Depending on the context, you may wish to conduct a quick pre-workshop survey to get a sense of the audience and their vibe. As an alternative, you can complete the survey at the beginning of the training session.
5. Consider accessibility needs.
Accessibility is often forgotten when planning workshops, especially in remote-first environments, but it should always be a priority.
Don’t assume that you know whether participants will need accommodations. Instead, ask ahead of time so you can make your space as welcoming and inclusive as possible.
But don’t stop there! I’m a fan of checking in on accessibility needs throughout workshops. One way I do this is by saying, “Please put your hand on your head if you can hear me,” which quickly identifies anyone experiencing audio issues in real time.
6. Provide ample breaks.
I’ve attended too many workshops and training programs where breaks were few and far between. While it may not seem like a big deal at the moment, it always disrupts the workshop’s flow when participants start sneaking out mid-session.
People are human and need time to recharge, so consider scheduling breaks at least every 60 to 90 minutes to keep the energy levels high and ensure participants stay engaged throughout the day.
7. Set realistic expectations for your workshop.
You need to be honest about what you can realistically achieve within your workshop’s allocated timeframe.
If you’re focusing on introducing MBTI in the workplace, for instance, you might be able to help your team better understand how to navigate personality differences and communicate with people who are different from them. However, you can’t expect one session to resolve all interpersonal conflicts overnight.
Your workshop should be part of a broader learning and development strategy if you want meaningful, lasting change.
8. Remember that less is more.
When curating your agenda, embrace simplicity. For starters, avoid overloading your slides or cramming too much content into a single session, since “death by PowerPoint” is the last thing you want during a team-building event.
The same goes for lecturing, which I strongly advise keeping to a minimum for any workshop. This is particularly true when creating team-building workshops, since the focus should be on fostering connection between team members, not delivering lengthy monologues.
9. Allow space for reflection.
While keeping the energy flowing is important for a team-building workshop, you should also remember to provide time for people to think and reflect. This might look like allocating time for meditation, journaling, and small group discussions.
According to The Myers-Briggs Company, a majority of people prefer Introversion, so consider blending solo reflection with small group reflection opportunities to ensure everyone feels comfortable contributing.
10. Expect the unexpected.
No matter how much you plan, things will go wrong. However, as someone who used to plan 500-person fundraising events, I’ve found you can often be ready for more possibilities than you think.
When designing a team-building workshop, aim not only for plan A and plan B but also plans C through E. (This advice might also be because I have anxiety and always want to be ready in case the worst-case scenario happens, but the impulse serves me well.)
For instance: What if your laptop dies? Or the Wi-Fi isn’t cooperating? Or there’s a power outage? Can you get by with just conversation, flipchart paper, and a handful of Sharpie markers? Be ready to adapt on the fly!
11. Know when to hire an external facilitator.
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s important to recognize when it’s worth investing in an external facilitator for your event. While you may be tempted to rely on an internal resource for your team-building activity, whomever you choose won’t be able to fully participate if they’re also tasked with leading the workshop.
An external facilitator brings a fresh perspective, unbiased insights, and professional expertise that will elevate your workshop. They’ll ensure the session is engaging, meaningful, and memorable, allowing your team to focus entirely on participating rather than managing the event.
Final Thoughts On Conducting A Successful Team-Building Workshop
These tips are designed to inspire you as you plan your next team-building workshop. Please don’t feel pressured to implement all of my suggestions at once. Instead, think of them as a buffet: sample each tip over time, adopting the ones that work best for your team and leaving behind the others.
On a final note, if you’re considering bringing in an external facilitator for your team-building workshop, you’re welcome to contact me to discuss how we can collaborate to create a meaningful and memorable experience for your team. I’m here for you! You’ve got this!
