Part of my spare time (when I’m not walking the dog or lying around on the floor) is taken up by volunteering with our local lifeboat association. Last Sunday we were out doing what was labelled on the training schedule as ‘rough-weather handling’. Among other things, this involves being knocked around and thrown about on the rough sea to see if the trainees can keep heads up and their breakfasts down.

As one of the several Perfect-Storm-esque waves rolled over the boat, it occurred to me why some teams are drawn to extreme activities for team bonding. You certainly walk away from an experience like that with a stronger bond between your crewmates. However, this highlights very well the difference between team building and team bonding.

Being a volunteer organisation, the majority of our team building is done away from the boat. The process whereby we build a team that trusts, respects and relies on one another is largely achieved through fundraising, boat maintenance, monthly meetings and the like. Our time on the boat serves to extend and cement a process that takes place elsewhere.

In a business environment, this may mean that the perfect team building option for your organisation may not be the adrenaline rush that comes from a high-speed power boat. Rather you may benefit significantly more from an opportunity for your team to build awareness and confidence of itself though a series of shorter problem-solving challenges.

Event hosts a number of brilliant indoor and outdoor team building events, such as our Eliminator and Labyrinth Challenges. It’s events like these that are continually growing in popularity and effectiveness among teams that want to emphasise the importance of ownership and accountability among team members.

Plus, it’s a heck of a lot easier and cheaper than renting a powerboat!

As always, you can find out more about how we can help your team by visiting our website and having a look at our excellent team building events.