Your Team Doesn't Need Another Escape Room
- Leslie Speas
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
When most organizations think about team building, they picture ropes courses, escape rooms, Office Olympics, bowling nights, or company picnics.
Does anyone else dislike doing some of these events? I'm all about establishing camaraderie, but I have sometimes dreaded these types of activities. For people who enjoy them (usually relationship-oriented extroverts), they can create fun moments and help people connect outside of work. There’s value in that.
But let’s be honest. Most traditional team-building activities only scratch the surface.
If organizations truly want to strengthen their teams, they have to move beyond team building and focus on team development.
Team Development Goes Deeper
Real team development is intentional.
It’s designed to help teams become more self-aware, communicate more effectively, solve problems together, navigate conflict better, and create sustainable improvement over time.
It’s not just about getting people to like each other more.
It’s about helping them work better together.
Effective team development can help organizations:
Build trust and strengthen relationships
Improve communication and collaboration
Increase empathy and understanding
Generate new ideas and innovation
Identify and solve challenges more effectively
Align around goals and expectations
Address behaviors or mindsets that may be holding the team back
And perhaps most importantly, it creates a foundation for long-term success instead of a temporary morale boost.
Start With the Goal
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is jumping into activities before identifying what the team actually needs.
Before planning any team development effort, ask:
What do I want the team to know, do, or understand that they can’t today?
What challenge or pain point are we trying to address?
What outcomes are we hoping to achieve?
The answers should guide the experience.
For example, if a team struggles with personality clashes or misunderstandings, the goal may be to increase empathy, communication, and self-awareness.
In that case, generic games probably won’t solve the real issue. But targeted development activities might.
Choose Activities That Support the Goal
There are countless tools and resources available, but the best ones depend on what your team actually needs.
Building Trust, Self-Awareness, and Empathy
Some helpful tools include:
The 5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace
These types of assessments and frameworks help team members better understand themselves and each other, often reducing frustration and improving collaboration.
Improving Communication and Reducing Conflict
Many teams need support in learning how to communicate professionally and navigate difficult conversations productively.
This might include:
Creating team ground rules
Establishing communication expectations
Building conflict resolution skills
Practicing healthy feedback conversations
A lot of workplace conflict isn’t actually caused by bad intentions. It’s caused by assumptions, poor communication habits, or a lack of clarity.
Increasing Team Engagement
Sometimes teams simply lack connection to purpose.
Helping a team establish or reconnect to a clear, meaningful team purpose can significantly improve engagement and alignment.
Even icebreakers can be valuable — when they are designed with intention and tied to a meaningful outcome rather than simply filling time. Just don't ask them to share a 'fun fact' about themselves. This is one that I personally don't like (maybe I just don't have any fun facts).
Don’t Overlook Facilitation
Who leads the session matters more than many organizations realize.
Some teams use internal leaders or HR professionals, while others bring in an external facilitator.
Both can work, but internal facilitation can sometimes be challenging — especially when leaders are trying to both participate and facilitate at the same time.
A neutral facilitator often fosters greater psychological safety, encourages honest discussion, and helps surface issues that might otherwise remain hidden.
That said, if bringing in someone external isn’t possible, a well-prepared internal facilitator can still create a highly effective experience with the right planning and mindset.
Team Development Is Not “One and Done”
One team development event will not transform a team overnight.
Real development requires reinforcement and follow-through.
Organizations should think about how team development becomes part of the culture rather than just a once-a-year event.
That may mean:
Integrating development into regular team meetings
Revisiting concepts consistently
Reinforcing shared language and expectations
Creating accountability around action items
Tracking progress over time
The best team development efforts continue long after the workshop ends.
A Few Keys to Successful Team Development
To make team development truly effective:
Clearly communicate the “why” behind activities
Encourage participation from all voices, not just the loudest
Facilitate discussions intentionally
Be willing to address difficult topics
Reinforce learning consistently afterward
Define clear next steps and accountability
And remember, discomfort is not always a bad thing.
Growth often requires honest reflection and meaningful conversations.
Final Thoughts
Strong teams rarely happen by accident. They are developed intentionally over time through trust, communication, self-awareness, accountability, and shared purpose.
Fun activities can absolutely have a place. But if organizations want deeper collaboration, stronger leadership, healthier communication, and better performance, they have to move beyond surface-level team building and invest in true team development.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not just about helping people bond.
It’s about helping teams become stronger, healthier, and more effective together.
Need a partner in this process?
I’d love to help! We offer customizable Team Transformation Solutions designed to fit your unique needs. And even if you just want a little guidance, I’m happy to offer some tips at no charge. Let’s unlock the full potential of your team!
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