Fully customizable virtual simulations are transforming the team building landscape, breaking down barriers and making it possible for teams at different locations to participate in engaging and interactive experiences. But, are cool animations and eye-popping graphics are enough to produce effective team building?

Photo by Torley via Flickr

As soon as you receive your brief case and Mission Access Code, your team logs into the Spy Inc. headquarters website from any computer in the world. This activates the clock. You have 3 hours to complete your mission. Your mission briefing consists of a dossier with your scenario, objectives, advice, and clues. You’re given the coordinates for the location in your city where you’ll rendez-vous with the other agents in your spy network to obtain more clues to help you complete your mission. Your performance is measured by time, the other performance of the other teams, and the track record of previous agents. As soon as you complete your mission, you log off with your correct solution codes. Your time is calculated and presented on the Cyber League Table. Results are compared and debriefed. Debriefing focuses on problem-solving, planning, team management, and delegation.

Demo: Spy Inc. Demo

UK based Clever Zebra, a virtual worlds events company, recently designed a 3D immersive meeting in Second Life for a global consulting firm’s 3 day IT leadership conference. Team building exercises incorporated 3D puzzle building, dancing competitions, and treasure hunts.

Benefits of Virtual Team Building

Some of the benefits of virtual team building include:
- virtual simulations can easily be customized with company logos, products and services
- the same experience can be replicated to enhance learning and provide opportunities for review and practice
- virtual simulations can be completed in a relatively short period of time, reducing the amount of time team member are off the job
a full team building cycle including context setting, simulation, debriefing, and business application exercises can be comfortably in half a day without analytical learners feeling pressured or rushed
- companies can bring international teams together and save travel, meal and hotel expenses

Examples of Virtual Worlds for Team Building

If you’re having trouble picturing how this can work, here are some examples.
The Second Life Update blog has a video demonstrating how team members around the world can log into Second Life to participate in a variety of team exercises, games, and activities using virtual characters.
Demo: Virtual Team Building Videos and Exercises

According to Stephen Hillanbrand, owner of Amusitronix and a member of Linkedin’s Event Planning and Management Group, “Not only is it possible to place virtual people in a virtual world, real world people, products and logos can also be placed INSIDE a short, fun and interactive experience that reinforces a company’s branding.” Here are some examples:
Demos: Virtual Reality, Interactive Game & Simulator

Towards a Business Case for Virtual Team Building

In his Winning Workplaces blog, Linkedin member Mark Harbeke shared the experience of a Seattle-based professional services provider to underscore the potential business case for incorporating virtual teams into team building initiatives. I agree, virtual team building does seem to be worth exploring.

Is the “Virtual” in Virtual Team Building Enough?

Remember, cool animations and eye-popping graphics should never be the key drivers of your team building initiatives. When we last explored team building, we identified the phases required to produce effective team building (See Team Building: Getting the Name Right.) The critical success factors for virtual team building are the same as any other team building. The exercises, simulations, activities, or games are only as effective as the context setting before the experience and the debriefing and business application exercises that follow it. Remember to always include these key elements to transform virtual simulations from eye candy and entertainment into powerful and effective team building delivered in an exciting and engaging way.

Social Media Reflections:

Join Anne Thornley-Brown for discussion about team building in Linkedin’s International Team Building Alliance Group.

The economic meltdown is giving our industry and its clients an opportunity to clear up confusion and return to a bottom line oriented approach to team building.

Photo by Executive Oasis International

In the coming weeks and months, we will be examining team building from various angles. Before we embark on this exploration, let’s pin down some definitions.

Question: What do these headlines have in common?

Northumberland council criticized over team building courses (from the Journal, July 24, 2009)

“Thousands of staff working for Northumberland’s new super-council are being sent to special team bonding workshops – at which they are asked to say what animal they most closely resemble.

Part of the session involves participants being asked to tell other group members what animal they would describe themselves as given their personal characteristics. Some employees have been less than impressed by the initiative, which is being held at a time when the council has axed hundreds of posts and is facing major efficiency savings to balance its budget.”

Innovation in hotel teambuilding events (from Travel Weekly, November 1, 2008)

“Hilton Sydney has partnered with Microsoft and Xbox 360 to create Play@Hilton, a new complimentary gaming area available to all Hilton meeting delegates…. Play@Hilton can be selected as either a dedicated gaming room, complete with food and beverages, or as individual mobile units for use in the Hilton Meeting Centre common break areas throughout the duration of the meeting.”

Answer: They represent a disturbing trend in our industry. Increasingly, hotels, recreation centers and entertainment establishments have been marketing recreational and sometimes totally frivolous activities to corporate clients as “team building”. This has created confusion in the marketplace and diluted the meaning of the term “team building”.

Recreation does not Constitute “Team Building” but….

Before you write me off as a killjoy, I want to stress the fact that, I am not opposed to fun. In fact, I strongly believe that incorporating recreational activities into team building can help to relax the group, break down barriers and facilitate interaction during business exercises.

Social and recreational activities are important for team spirit and organizational health. However, merely getting a team together to participate in an activity does not constitute team building. We’re getting to the point that almost any activity from a night at the pub to racing slot cars is being dubbed as “team building” just because a group of employees get together to do it. This practice has trivialized the entire profession and caused many companies to dismiss all team building as fluff and cut the budget as soon as there is a dip in the economy.

Bouncing castles are great for company picnics and parties. I would use an Xbox lounge in a heartbeat for energizers during break time or for an evening activity during an executive retreat…but it’s not team building. Activities that are strictly recreational should not be passed off as “team building” merely to make it easier to market them to corporations or to justify (hide) them on financial statements.

Team Building vs. Team Recreation

The terms “team building and “team recreation” are not interchangeable.

Team recreation involves a group in an activity or experience just for the fun of it. No business objectives or outcomes are expected.

Team building improves team cohesiveness and performance to boost business results. Its goal is to introduce the group to tools and strategies that they can use to improve performance when they return to work.

Team Building Phases

To ensure that team building is effecitve, it is important to build the following phases into the design. (Please note that recreational activities are optional.)

- Pre-session Communique to communicate goals, objectives and expectations
- Executive Briefing to identify key business issues and clarify how team building is relevant to your business (1/2 hour – 1 hour)
- Team Briefing by the facilitator to set the context and establish ground rules ( 1 1/2 – 2 hours)
- Business Simulation that parallels organizational realities and reflects the challenges that your organization is facing (3 – 8 hours)
- Recreation– ideally this should be intersphered throughout the session (flexible & optional)
- Debriefing to uncover key learnings (1 hour)
- Business Application Exercises to give the group an opportunity to tackle specific business issues and challenges based on the tools and strategies acquired during team building (2 hours for prep., 5 to 15 minutes per group for presentations)
- Business Agenda Items (flexible)

Returning to a Bottom Line Focus

Let’s look at one last headline:
Indoor play area plans specials (from the Desert Sun, July 10, 2009)

“One program that is starting to gain popularity is a team-building boot camp involving inflatable equipment.
The business was starting to take off when the economy took a downturn, she said.”
Maybe the economic meltdown will have some benefits after all. Now that companies have to scrutinize and justify their spending, perhaps they will be less likely to try to pass off bouncing in an inflatable castle or jumping on a trampoline as “team building”.

Perhaps, we can finally get back to basics and down to business in team building. However, let’s hope that organizations don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Savvy executives will likely be able to cut through the foolish and frivolous and shift their focus to team building that adds real bottom line value. We can all help by using the terms “team building”, “team recreation”, “social activities”, and “entertainment” appropriately and accurately.