Interactive Workshops for Team Building

3 team building activities to try at your next company offsite. —Leadership team— Have every member of the leadership team answer the following 3 questions in advance: 1. What do I love most about my job? 2. What’s the hardest part of my job? 3. What’s something people often don’t know or misunderstand about my job? Share everyone’s responses as a pre-read ahead of the live session and then lead a group discussion with helpful prompts like: What’s one thing that caught you by surprise? How did it feel to share this with the group? What patterns stood out to you? This is a great way to build x-functional empathy and awareness while surfacing underlying challenges. —Managers— Ask your managers to answer the following Q: On a scale of 1-5, how hard is it to be a manager? Facilitate a live discussion with follow up Qs like, “What’s the hardest part?” and “How does it feel looking around the room and seeing everyone else’s responses?” Then break everyone into pairs for a peer coaching session on a management challenge they’re currently facing. (Link below for template.) This is a great way to foster community and resilience for managers. —Employees— Break everyone into pairs and have them answer the following prompt: What’s a piece of feedback you’ve been sitting on? Provide them with coaching Qs like, “What’s holding you back?” and “How do you think the person would feel if they knew you were feeling this way?” This is a great activity to surface underlying issues, foster communication, and provide a peer coaching buddy your employees can lean on the next time they’re facing a challenge. Looking for more offsite tips and resources? Check out my favs here: - How to coordinate an in-person offsite (including template comms to employees): https://lnkd.in/eMQyHeNa - Leadership team building activities: https://lnkd.in/epGKs9ZH - Low lift management training activities: https://lnkd.in/ea3SPTVN What are your favorite company offsite activities?

Remote work isn't broken. The rulebook is: Most companies wrote one set of remote rules and handed it to everyone. But managers and employees need to run it differently: 1. Set core hours ↳Manager: Pick 3-4 hours the whole team is online, then stop scheduling meetings outside that window ↳Employee: Block those hours on your calendar and protect the rest of your day for deep work 2. Overcommunicate context ↳Manager: Explain the why behind a task, not just the what, so no one has to guess ↳Employee: Add a quick note to every update so your manager never has to ask "where are we" 3. Ask before you assume ↳Manager: If a message sits unanswered for an hour, check in before you jump to conclusions ↳Employee: Ask before you guess, it saves both of you a redo 4. Default to written ↳Manager: Put decisions in a doc or channel, not just a call, so nothing gets lost ↳Employee: Recap verbal conversations in writing so there's a record everyone can check 5. Trust the work ↳Manager: Judge output, not hours online, and say that out loud to the team ↳Employee: Share progress often so trust builds without anyone having to ask for it 6. Show up on camera ↳Manager: Make camera use a norm for some meetings ↳Employee: Turn your camera on for priority calls 7. Build in real connection ↳Manager: Schedule time that isn't about work, even 15 minutes, so the team stays a team ↳Employee: Show up to that time, skipping it quietly adds up to feeling cut off 8. Document everything ↳Manager: Keep one source of truth for decisions so new hires can catch up fast ↳Employee: Write down what you did and why before you log off each day 9. Ask for feedback ↳Manager: Check in at least monthly on what's working and what feels isolating ↳Employee: Speak up early if something feels off, don't wait for the review 10. Guard the boundary ↳Manager: Don't message after hours unless it's urgent, model the behavior you want ↳Employee: Set a hard stop time and actually log off when you hit it A rulebook only works if both sides read it the same way.  Most don't. Which of these feels hardest to actually follow, as a manager or as an employee? --- ♻️ Repost to help remote teams work better together. And follow me George Stern for more remote work content.

If you’re tired of team exercises that feel forced, try the Start / Stop / Continue ritual that actually builds team bonding. Here’s how to do it: Step 1: Pick a topic Choose one specific area you want to improve. You can do this as a team (like marketing strategy, branding, or workflow) or even as a couple or family (like health habits or household routines). When my team did this for our marketing strategy, we asked: “What’s working? What’s not? What should we try next?” Step 2: Sticky it up Give everyone a stack of sticky notes. Each person writes down every task they do related to that topic (one per note). Then, color-code: • Different colors for different people (for transparency) • Or all one color if you want to keep feedback anonymous This part alone often surprises people. We realize how many invisible tasks we’re doing, and how much effort goes unnoticed. Step 3: Place the tasks Draw three columns on the board: 🟢 Start – New ideas or things worth trying 🔴 Stop – Tasks that drain time or add no real value 🟡 Continue – What’s working and worth doubling down on Then, together, sort each sticky. When we did this at Science of People, we learned: • We wanted to start experimenting with Medium and LinkedIn posts • We needed to stop wasting time on low-return platforms (sorry, X) • And we should continue doing more of what was driving real results (YouTube, email newsletters, and blog writing) If you disagree on something (like we did about Medium), place it in between columns as a trial. Set a test period. For example, “Let’s try this for 2 months and then review.” Step 4: Create a safe space This is a critical step. Start / Stop / Continue only works when feedback feels safe. You’re talking about the task, not the person. We even use different colored stickies to separate ideas from ownership. That way, no one feels attacked. When people feel psychologically safe, they share the truth, and that’s when real improvement happens. Step 5: Assign and act Insight without action is just decoration. So before you finish, assign ownership: • Who’s starting the new tasks? • Who’s stopping or phasing out the old ones? And for the “Continue” column, ask: “Can we make this even better?” A bonus: It works outside of work, too I even do this exercise with my husband once a year, for our health and habits. We’ve listed things like: • Start: Morning protein shakes, evening routines • Stop: Buying soda, eating out too often •Continue: Yoga and weekend soccer We walk away feeling more connected and intentional. The takeaway: When you pause to ask, “What should we start, stop, and continue?” you give yourself (and your team) permission to refocus energy where it truly matters.

[Steal this] Recently, I ran a hands-on "Building with AI" workshop that walked our Duolingo Product Managers through spinning up brand-new language-learning challenges using the latest AI-powered prototyping tools. Here's the exact workshop guide that you can use with your team. ⬇️ Why we did it: Great PMs ship fast and learn fast. The session let the team: → Practice modern visual-to-code tools (we used Lovable and imported real Figma files with Builder.io) → Stress-test AI chat interfaces for real product work → Walk away with a functional prototype they could show (or lovingly roast) in front of their peers What we learned: → AI tools aren't replacing PMs, but they are giving them a new storytelling tool → The barrier isn't the technology. It's giving people permission (and carving out time!) to experiment → Our team is creative af - we saw games, creative lessons, roasts, you name it! Try it with your team:  We're open-sourcing the entire workshop guide. Why? Because when more PMs can prototype at the speed of thought, better products get built. Period. Your PMs are sitting on massively creative ideas! This workshop unlocks them in one afternoon. How are you experimenting with new AI tools? 👇

This high-energy team-building exercise, often called the "Move It" or "Chair Swap" game, is a staple in corporate training and group dynamics. While it looks like simple fun, it is designed to sharpen reflexes, improve non-verbal communication, and build a sense of collective rhythm within a team. The game is a fast-paced evolution of musical chairs, but with a focus on coordination rather than elimination. The Setup: A group sits in a circle with one person standing in the middle. The Objective: The person in the middle must secure a seat by causing the others to switch. The Trigger: Usually, the person in the center makes a specific movement or call (like stepping on a marked pattern on the floor). This signals everyone to stand up and find a new seat you cannot return to the chair you just left. The Twist: As the game progresses, the speed increases, and participants must rely on quick glances and "unspoken agreements" with teammates to ensure everyone finds a spot without colliding. Beyond the laughter, this exercise serves several psychological and professional purposes: 1. Breaking the "Professional Shell" In a corporate setting, people often stay within their comfort zones. This game forces physical movement and spontaneous interaction, which quickly lowers social barriers and builds psychological safety. 2. Improving Reaction Time and Agility Participants must process a visual or auditory cue and move instantly. It trains the brain to handle sudden changes in environment a direct metaphor for pivoting in a fast-moving business project. 3. Non-Verbal Synchronization Because the game happens so fast, you can't use words to coordinate. You have to read the body language and "energy" of the people around you to see where the open spaces are, fostering a deep sense of team synchrony. 3 Tips for a Successful Session If you are planning to run this at your next office meet or social gathering, keep these points in mind: Safety First: Ensure the flooring isn't slippery and that there is enough space between chairs to avoid collisions. Keep it Short: These games are high-intensity. A 5 to 10-minute session is usually enough to energize the room without causing fatigue. Debrief: After the game, ask the team: "What happened when the speed increased?" or "How did you know where to move without talking?" This helps translate the fun into a learning moment. "Games are the most elevated form of investigation." - Albert Einstein This exercise is a perfect example of how gamification can be used to improve office culture and employee engagement. It’s simple, requires zero equipment (just chairs), and leaves everyone in a better mood for the work ahead. Have you ever tried a high-energy icebreaker like this at your workplace?

𝟓 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 - 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝗅)  Team events, but online - HOW TO make them special with 'Love Letters'! 💌 We are a hybrid team at femtasy / Pink Internet GmbH, and we only come together in person once per quarter with the full squad for our big 'team days' (including plenty of team-building time). I’m a big believer though that it’s important to create little moments of connection in between. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗥 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟓 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: 1️⃣ Take a regular company/team-wide meeting (eg the all-hands) & add 15 minutes. 2️⃣ Set up a shared workspace (like a FigJam board) with little Love Letter icons & each team member's name. 3️⃣ During the meeting, invite everyone to write a short note (a 'love letter') to their colleagues, focusing on what they admire or appreciate about them. 4️⃣ Ask volunteers to read out some of their notes by the end of the meeting, and let everyone read the rest afterwards. 5️⃣ Observe how the magic unfolds. 🙂 Our team couldn’t stop writing and reading notes to each other! The result? A more connected team that knows their work—and their relationships with each other—truly matter. ❤️ Truth be told, it moved me a lot to read the notes team members wrote to me. But even more than that, it was incredible to hear the genuine words of appreciation colleagues shared with each other. It made me SO proud of the trust, kindness, and support we’ve built as a team. If you’re looking for a meaningful team bonding exercise, try this—I promise you’ll love it! What’s your favorite way to keep your team connected? Always curious to try new things! #companyculture #leadership #femalefounders #team #peopleandculture

Disengaged teams kill productivity and profits. Your leadership questions can change everything. 7 years ago, I pursued a professional coaching certification to be a better leader. It has changed the way I lead. Today I work with leaders and teams to help them enhance team engagement. A highly engaged team drives high performance. So there's 10 types of coaching questions I have put together to help leaders improve team engagement. 10 types of coaching questions leaders use, to improve team engagement 1️⃣ Open-Ended Questions → Encourage expansive thinking and prevent "yes" or "no" answers. → Example: "What are some approaches you think we could take to achieve this goal?" 2️⃣ Clarifying Questions → Ensure understanding and encourage deeper exploration. → Example: "When you say the timeline is tight, what specific challenges are you anticipating?" 3️⃣ Reflective Questions → Help the team member assess their own thoughts or actions. → Example: "How do you think your approach impacted the team's outcome?" 4️⃣ Empowering Questions → Build confidence and ownership of decisions. → Example: "What resources or support would help you feel confident moving forward?" 5️⃣ Goal-Oriented Questions → Focus on objectives and desired outcomes. → Example: "What would success look like for you in this role?" 6️⃣ Challenge Questions → Push boundaries and encourage innovative thinking. → Example: "What if we approached this problem from an entirely different angle?" 7️⃣ Feedback-Oriented Questions → Invite constructive input and foster two-way communication. →Example: "What’s one thing I could do differently to better support you and the team?" 8️⃣ Future-Focused Questions → Encourage forward-thinking and vision-setting. →Example: "Where do you see this project or our team a year from now?" 9️⃣ Performance-Based Questions → Evaluate current work and identify areas for improvement or celebration. → Example: "What do you think went well in your last project, and what could have been improved?" 🔟 Solutions-Focused Questions → Guide team members toward actionable steps and creative solutions. → Example: "What options do you see for addressing this challenge?" Leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about asking the right questions. Start your team's transformation today. ♻️ Share this to help leaders ask the right questions. Follow Adeline Tiah 謝善嫻 for content on leadership culture, future of work and Life 2.0

Excited to share the insights from my Venture Capital class at Stanford University Graduate School of Business where we discussed "VC Group Decision Making,” and explored how top investors structure their decision-making processes to find (and fund 🙂 ) the next unicorns.    Key takeaways:    1. The Power of Small Teams: VCs keep their teams lean (average of 5 partners) to streamline decisions and avoid groupthink. This aligns with research on optimal team sizes and Amazon's famous "two-pizza team" rule.    2. Diverse Decision-Making Models: We examined various VC decision-making approaches, from unanimous voting to independent decisions. Counterintuitive result: high-performing VC firms often avoid strict unanimity rules.    3. The "Agree to Disagree" Principle: As Alastair (Alex) Rampell from Andreessen Horowitz says, "Conviction must beat consensus." We explored how this mindset allows VCs to back potentially controversial but groundbreaking ideas.    4. Empowering "Rebels": We discussed real-world examples, like the Airbnb investment story, showcasing how VCs sometimes let individual partners champion unconventional deals.    5. Innovative Decision Structures: Some firms, like Founders Fund, implement flexible voting systems based on deal size, allowing for quicker decisions on smaller investments.    6. Fostering Constructive Disagreement: We looked at strategies like assigning devil's advocates, using "red teams," and implementing specific speaking orders to encourage diverse perspectives.    These insights aren't just for VCs – they're valuable for anyone involved in high-stakes decision-making. By adopting some of these strategies, you can make more informed decisions that will drive innovation and growth.    What decision-making strategies have you found most effective in your organization? I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences! #stanford #stanfordgsb #venturecapital #startups #innovation #technology #founders #venturemindset

The best teams aren’t the ones with the most talent. They’re the ones that know how to work across differences. In 1939, Viola Spolin—the inventor of theater games, the foundation of improvisational theater—faced a tough challenge: how to bring together a group of kids from different racial and cultural backgrounds who didn’t trust each other. And they did not speak the same language. She had been hired to teach theater, but rehearsals were filled with misunderstandings, silence, and tension. Instead of lecturing or forcing collaboration, she turned theater into a game. She had the kids mimic a moving train, mirroring each other's movements and sounds. Slowly, their self-consciousness faded. They started to work together, laugh, and connect. Spolin wasn’t just teaching theater. She was solving a problem we still struggle with today: how to unlock the potential of diverse teams. Here’s the paradox: Diverse teams have more perspectives, ideas, and creativity—but they also face more misunderstandings and conflict. Diverse teams perform better if they manage differences well. But when differences aren’t embraced, teams struggle. Spolin’s approach offers clues for turning diversity into an advantage: (1) Shift the focus from individual performance to collective experience. Spolin’s games weren’t about individual talent—they were about working together. Similarly, in teams, when we move from “Who’s right?” to “How can we build on each other’s ideas?”, collaboration improves. (2) Create shared moments of connection. Spolin’s games helped kids focus on doing rather than their differences. We can do the same in our teams by designing rituals—structured ways to connect and engage, like brainstorming sessions where every voice is heard. (3) Embrace discomfort. Spolin’s kids didn’t trust each other at first, and that’s normal. Diverse teams feel more friction—but that’s actually a sign they’re thinking critically, not just going along with the status quo. The key is to stick with it. Spolin’s students started out unsure and disconnected, but through play, they learned to work together and create something meaningful. When we find ways to connect—not despite our differences, but because of them—collaboration becomes easier and more powerful. [Learn more about Viola Spolin here: https://lnkd.in/eXsZ8XJy] #team #collaboration #learning #leadership #connection #work #play #differences #diversity #conflict

Is your team tapping into collective wisdom or falling into groupthink? 🤔 🫶🏼 Groupthink occurs when a group's desire for harmony and agreement causes members to ignore different opinions, avoid critical thinking, and make poor decisions just to keep the peace. ☝🏼Collective wisdom happens when the aggregated opinions, knowledge or predictions of a diverse and independent group of people leads to more accurate decisions. To shift a team from groupthink to collective wisdom, the decision-making process should be structured to encourage open communication, critical thinking, and the value of diverse perspectives. How to facilitate this shift? 📝 Individual pre-work: Ask members to independently analyze the issue and prepare their opinions before group discussions. This can help prevent initial ideas from dominating the conversation. 😈 Use rotating roles ... such as "devil's advocate," "fact-checker," and "process observer" to various members, rotating these roles to ensure balanced participation and a critical examination of the group's decisions. 🧠 Use brainwriting instead of brainstorming So the ideas can get first generated individually, then shared and discussed as a group What methods have you found effective in encouraging independent thinking and open dialogue in group settings?