Creative team-building ideas

You’ve been put in charge of planning team-building exercises for your eight-person team. To get you started, here are a few ideas from administrative professionals:

Find the perfect activity in The Big Book of Team Building Games: Trust-Building Activities, Team Spirit Exercises, and Other Fun Things to Do (McGraw-Hill); or Quick Team-Building Activities for Busy Managers: 50 Exercises That Get Results in Just 15 Minutes (AMACOM).

Bowl your way to tighter bonds. Affordable, low-stress team sports are a good bet for smaller budgets. Another sporty idea for teams: bocce ball.

Spring for a big-budget adventure, such as the “BG U.S. Challenge” (www.challengerworld.com), a two-day adventure race. One admin says on the Admin Pro Forum it was “the best experience of my life! We have to train throughout the year (hiking, running, mountain biking and paddling), and that is also a great team-builder.”

Another good option for bigger budgets: facilitated team-building. Example: Adventure Associates (www.adventureassoc.com) offers a range of exercises, from navigating a ropes course to assembling a tent while blindfolded.

Give back to the community as a team. Ideas: Organize a clothing drive, work at a food bank, clean up a neighborhood or volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. You also can call your local United Way for suggestions. “A contribution of time, energy and knowledge to the community will strengthen a team of individuals who share the experience,” writes Bernie on the Admin Pro Forum.

Admin Pro Forum is a free weekly e-letter and companion forum that helps you solve your most pressing workplace problems by tapping into the expertise of thousands of your peers. Wondering how to tackle an assignment more efficiently? Having difficulty with someone at work? Whatever your workplace challenge, consult the collective wisdom of your peers.