Why a Corporate Challenge is Better Than Most Team Building Exercises
Corporate challenges that really take employees out of their comfort zone have grown in popularity post-Covid. With businesses moving away from paintballing and assault course scenarios, where competitiveness runs through the core. There has instead been a preference for shared experiences. Where teams work together through the same challenges. No winners. No losers. Simply the achievement of something remarkable. Together. Whether it’s the completion of the Three Peaks Challenge or a climb up Kilimanjaro. The reason for this move isn’t the zeitgeist or the simple need for change. But because it actually works.
Five Reasons Why Corporate Challenges Make the Most Effective Team Building Method
1. They’re not competitive
Earlier team-building models have been divisive. While they encourage group work on the small scale, there is still an emphasis on winning. The first team to the top. The team with the last paintballer standing. The person who proves themselves smartest in the escape room. And competition always brings out the worst in people. Because, at heart, we’re all just five-year-olds wanting to be the best at Snakes and Ladders. Corporate challenges, such as trekking to the Everest Base Camp, put the emphasis on shared experience and support. No one can win – or lose – because everyone is doing the same thing. Together.
2. Corporate challenges create a genuine sense of achievement
One of the main reasons that team building exercises fail is because they can seem pointless. Where there is no sense of achievement, it can feel like a day has been wasted. Corporate challenges should be just that. Walking Snowdon coast to coast holds bragging rights. Because it’s 28 miles. On foot. Over less than easy terrain. And there’s nothing quite like blisters and sore calves to bring a team together. Not to mention the feel-good factor of doing something good for charity.
3. True challenges create camaraderie
The aim of team building exercises is to improve company cohesion. Sometimes, that can be done through socialising. Barriers can be broken when you share a drink together. But they often rebuild themselves when you’re back in the office. When you share something spectacular – like the view from the K2 Base Camp after you’ve endured the hike up there together – you forge memories and relationships that stick. Helping each other through the tough times, when altitude hits home. And sharing your joy at reaching your destination. Those are the things that create lasting camaraderie and cohesion within a business.
4. Collaboration helps us to grow
When team building becomes a competition, our focus slides. Away from task completion, on to personal attainment. This prevents learning. And it prevents sharing. When we work together to achieve a goal that has no room for personal glory, we learn more. Not just about teamwork. But about ourselves, each other, and the task in hand. And this is more than a one-hitter. Because, with a bit of coordination, your team members will work together to prepare for the challenge ahead.
5. Mindfulness and physical fitness in action
Lastly, but no less importantly, you have the personal benefits that a physical, outdoor challenge can bring. When you embark on something like the Lake District 10 Peaks trek, you are helping your team on a number of different levels. Of course, there is physical fitness. And if we feel good physically, we usually feel better mentally. Which helps with office relationships. But there’s also the benefits of exposure to nature. Which has been shown to reduce stress, lift the mood, help with anxiety, and support a whole range of other concerns. A happy, healthy team will always be more successful.
The type of corporate challenge you select should be suited to your business and your team members. And every team is different. But before you book your next team building war games session, think about what it is that you want to achieve. And then consider the alternatives.
If you’re looking for another type of corporate team building exercise, get in touch with Choose a Challenge. We’ll help you find the best challenge for you and your team.
