8 Trust-Building Activities to Try with Your Team

In the Team Series, we talk about trust A LOT. Trust among coworkers can make all the difference between a collaborative environment and one that struggles to accomplish its goals. While there are intentional habits that cohesive teams must demonstrate daily, sometimes more is needed to really amp up strong teams. That’s where trust-building activities come in!

We have the pleasure of working with leaders and teams across the country, and many of those are small businesses that can really benefit from the morale boost and camaraderie that trust-building activities provide. Increased trust isn’t the only benefit from these activities – teambuilding, communication, and rejuvenation are all benefits!

So, in today’s blog, I’d like to highlight 8 trust-building activities you can try with your team. I ran across these ideas in a recent blog by Seraine Page with Total Wellness, and these were some of my favorites:

1. Willow in the Wind

Similar to a trust fall, this requires a group of about 10 individuals to stand in a circle with a coworker in the middle. The volunteer in the center must close their eyes, lock their legs, and gently fall backward in any direction. The group members need to keep the coworker upright, gently holding them up and pushing them around the circle.

2. Anxiety Party

Everyone has anxieties, but some people are quite good at keeping them hidden. Host an “anxiety party” that allows your employees to write down their biggest anxieties. For example, someone may write down, “public speaking” while another may write “being late to work.” Have team members rank worries from most to least worrisome. Once they’ve ranked their worries, have them share the list with colleagues. This allows for different perspectives and honest communication about real-life insecurities individuals may have. It also helps workers find ways to better work together and can provide new perspectives on how to align future projects in a way that can minimize individual anxieties.

3. Back-to-Back Drawing

Ask employees to sit in pairs and back-to-back with each other. One partner has a pen and paper and the other person a unique drawing or image. The person with the image must give directions aloud of how to recreate the picture. Change out the image and have the partners switch roles.

4. Operation Navigation

This can be played inside or outside. Place numerous objects (like balls, cones, books, etc.) around a room or open field and have employees partner up. One partner will be blindfolded while the other stands behind them and directs them around the objects as quickly as possible. If an object is touched, the partners are out. The partners who “navigate” through the objects and get to the other side without touching anything are the winners.

5. Two Truths and a Lie

This is a quick icebreaker game that’s always a lot of fun. It’s usually best played with a smaller group, so if you need to split into teams, that’s okay. No materials are needed, making this a great option to play on the fly. Ask players to come up with two truths and a lie about themselves. Have other employees guess which statement is the lie. Keep track of scores if you want, but it’s not necessary.

6. Icebreaker Questions

This is a great way to kick-off a meeting or end the work week. Icebreaker questions can lead to thought-provoking responses and help team members to get to know one another on a deeper level as well.

Some questions worth exploring:

Ahead of the meeting, you may consider sending out the questions to help introverts better prepare. Some people like to have the option to screen questions in advance.

7. Free Time

Everyone has a hobby or activity they enjoy after-hours. This trust-building activity for teams is an excellent way to learn more about the people you work with daily. It’s rare people find out deep, personal information about coworkers unless pointed questions are asked. Go around a circle and have employees answer the question: “What hobby or passion project takes up most of your time when you’re not working?”

8. Eat Together

Eating in separate cubicles doesn’t count. Science reports show that those who “break bread together” can increase people’s cooperation and trust in one another. Whether your company hosts a potluck, a catered meal at a lunch and learn, or employees take a cooking class together, just take some time to eat together.

Trust is essential in the workplace. Removing hesitation and emotional barriers among coworkers is one of the most important things leaders can do to help create cohesion and synergy among their teams. By incorporating trust-building activities, your team will learn to rely on one another in a safe, fun, and exciting way! Start by working these activities into a quarterly or monthly cadence and see how much it helps your team!

And if you’re interested in taking it a step further, contact us about enrolling in the next season of the Team Series, our comprehensive team development program that delivers life coaching, professional coaching, and team coaching in a group format.

Wishing you luck as you increase trust among your team,

Krista