Team building puzzles are an educational tool that can be used to bring together groups of people who collaborate in some way. The puzzles’ purpose is to teach the team how to collaborate in efficient and often creative ways. At professional or educational conferences and retreats, team-building puzzles are frequently included in the agenda. Consultants hired businesses to help improve the productivity or general working relationships of their employees frequently use them.
Communication is one of the most important aspects of team building puzzles. To solve the puzzles, team members are usually asked to communicate in unusual ways. For example, in order to complete a task, the team may be allowed to use hand motions and facial expressions but not speak. This type of training aids in the formation of bonds and the development of general communication skills. The development of these bonds and skills frequently leads to improved professional relationships and a professional team’s success.
There are many different types of puzzles for team building. A puzzle that requires a team of two to five people is a common example. One of the team members receives a set of instructions that the rest of the team is not permitted to see. The instructions could be for constructing a model, organizing a collection of objects, or completing a task. Furthermore, the instructions could be printed entirely in graphics, forcing the person explaining them to his or her team to come up with creative ways to verbally interpret what is on the page.
Obstacle courses are sometimes used as team-building exercises. People who normally work in an office environment come together in a physical setting to find new ways to collaborate, stretching their professional relationships and ability to communicate about professional matters. Obstacle courses like these are almost always stationary and can be found in places where team building retreats or conferences are held on a regular basis.
Puzzles for team building are sometimes used at the start of a team’s professional career. This can help a team quickly form professional bonds and relationships that would take much longer in a traditional office setting. Team building puzzles are also used to help a group of professionals who already work together on a regular basis become more united.