5 games to get to know each other and encourage teamwork

Teamwork is a group of people who organize themselves in a certain way to achieve a common goal. In work teams, as in a soccer team, each player comes to fulfill a specific individual role and to be part of a group that is intertwined with a strategy. Each player knows what to do, how to move and what their role is on the playing field. Some time ago I wrote in this blog an entry titled "10 advantages of working as a team" in which we pointed out the following:

10 advantages of working as a team:

1. It leads to better ideas and decisions.

2. The entire team feels involved in the process.

3. Increase the empowerment and commitment of team members.

4. The circle of communication expands, and it flows in all directions.

5. Knowledge and shared information management means more learning.

6. Increases understanding of the perspectives of other team members.

7. It gives a greater chance to show individual strengths.

8. Provides a sense of security to those most insecure.

9. It promotes the development of interpersonal relationships.

10. Facilitates the implementation of new ideas.

5 games to encourage teamwork

Games and group dynamics are the way to operate and organize the activities of a certain group of people. As a general rule, from 3 people it is considered teamwork. There are many group dynamics and role-playing games to promote teamwork, we are going to tell you about 5 of them here. To know more read team building activities for teens.

The sword of time

The group is divided into two teams that must compete to complete in a limited time a similar challenge of some complexity, such as putting together a puzzle, building with office supplies or preparing a  sketch. The pressure of time usually accentuates the difficulties of the groups to self-organize, since various strategies, conflicts over leadership and negotiation processes arise.

Interpretation of words

Blank sheets are taken and each participant writes a word that comes to mind. The partner will have to interpret what the other is trying to convey. It is a good way to get to know yourself and try to interpret what others want to tell us. At the end of the game, what was meant is discussed.

The aerostatic balloon

This well-known group dynamic consists of posing the following situation: the participants are flying over the Teide National Park in a balloon. After a few hours, it begins to lose air but they see an island. The sea is full of hungry sharks and the only way for the balloon to reach the island is to shoot one of the occupants.

A debate should be established to decide who will be the one to leave the balloon. Each of the participants has an assigned role: a priest, a journalist for the pink press, a nurse, a political adviser, a primary school teacher and an official from the National Institute of Statistics.

We must fulfill the premises that they are the only survivors and we must ensure the continuity of the species; the decision must be made unanimously; none of the participants can voluntarily leave the balloon and all must present their arguments.

Winner/loser

Player A tells negative about his life to player B. It may be a personal or work memory, but it has to be true. Player A will have to talk about the same experience, but focusing only on the positives. Player B will then help you explore the positive side of the negative experience. Then the roles are changed.

The objective of the participants and the team is to learn to reformulate negative situations together and turn them into learning experiences.

Know each other through a lie

It is a very useful game especially for recently formed teams, in order to get to know each other; They must think of three things about them, one of them being a lie. The rest must guess what the lie is , justifying why. They will have to debate among all to decide what the lie is, which will force them to have to seek consensus.