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Building a team atmosphere is perhaps the most important yet most difficult part of working on a project. The most valuable way to build human connections is through spending in-person time together. However, having structured opportunities for members to get to know one another on deeper levels can help build human connections and trust a bit quicker. There are many team building and icebreaker games/activities you can find and use online. Here is one to get you started.
Walk and Talk: Take 10 minutes to pair up and then walk around asking each other these types of questions:
Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
Would you like to be famous? In what way?
Before making a phone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say? Why?
What would constitute a perfect day for you?
When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you choose?
Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?
If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?
Is there something that you've dreamt of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it?
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
What do you value most in a friendship?
What is your most treasured memory?
What is your most terrible memory?
If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
What does friendship mean to you?
What roles do love and affection play in your life?
Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items.
How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's?
How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “we are both in this room feeling…”
Complete this sentence “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…”
If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know.
Tell your partner what you like about them: be honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met.
Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life.
When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?
Tell your partner something that you like about them already.
What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?
If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet?
Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why?
Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why
Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen.
Another important aspect of building coalitions is establishing group rituals. Beyond being done consistently, rituals can be almost anything that lead group members to act in synchrony with each other, fostering cooperation and strengthening group cohesion.
How to create a team cheer:
Generate a cool team nickname on your own or use a computer team name generator
When your chant leader shouts out, “Who are we?!” your team should have a reply besides silence. To maximize the belongingness factor of a group yell, you should select a cool team name. The simplest way to pick a team nickname is to assign each group a color, but you could be as creative as you wish. Examples of cool and creative team names include The Three Marketeers, The Team Name Procrastinators, Avengers Understudies, or The Dot Com Squad.
Write your mantra
Enlisting the whole team to craft the chant serves as a fun and creative team building exercise. Just be sure that all teammates agree on a comfortable level of raciness or cheeky language in the chant.
Practice, practice, practice
To perfect your cheer, practice when possible. Writing down and posting the cheer in a public area is a good way to include newer or forgetful teammates and to keep the chant fresh in your teams’ minds.
Scream your hearts out
Whether you created your team chant for a one time event, or as an ongoing energy exercise, you should perform your cheer with as much enthusiasm and energy as you can muster. You can recall the cheer whenever your team needs a boost, such as pre-presentation or during a sluggish afternoon. You can also use the team yell as a motivator in the morning or a warm up at a team building event.
One last way to support coalition building is through the creation of a common identity that group members are able to identify with and adopt as a part of who they are. This can be through a name, logo, shirts and other types of symbolism.
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