When organizing any team-building event, the question always arises—what should the program be? Should there be a program at all? How structured should it be? Should participation be mandatory?

Unfortunately, there are no clear-cut answers to these questions. There is no one-size-fits-all team-building program that everyone will magically enjoy and, by the end, turn into a wonderfully synchronized community. The basis for making the right choice is understanding that building team cohesion is a long process that requires a lot of work. To shape it effectively, we need to know our colleagues! What do they want? How do they relate to one another? What do we need, and what will contribute to our long-term goals with the team? Before choosing a program for an event, it’s worth carefully considering the following questions:

• How many people will participate in the program?
• What types of games do participants prefer based on past experiences? Do they like relaxed, skill-based, or active games? Or do they prefer more sedentary, thinking games? Craft activities? Are they motivated by competition, or is shared experience more important?
• How much time is available for the program? Plan for at least one hour, but without a long break, a maximum of three hours.
• What are the characteristics of the venue? Can everyone sit in one room? Is it possible to break into smaller groups? Is it indoors or outdoors?
• Will the participants be dressed casually or formally?
• What will the circumstances be during the program? For example, will colleagues already be tired or still fresh and energetic? Will there be food/drinks before or during the program?
• What is our goal with this program? Are there new colleagues and you want to lay the foundation for getting to know each other? Do you want to strengthen teamwork? Or is the main goal just some light-hearted fun?

If you take the time to think through and answer these questions thoroughly, you’ll have a much better chance of choosing a team-building program that participants will enjoy and that will contribute to building a more cohesive team in the long run.