As a post conference thank you one of our clients treated us to an evening at
Stryke Toronto. There we became expert archers, axe throwers, and knife throwers. There are many reasons why it is very important to like who you work with, and the occasional team-building activity is a great way to build-up inter-office friendships.
In this office, competition is always welcome and everyone had a great time improving and then showing off their skills next to their coworkers. We competed in a “Tour de Stryke” where we faced off, one-on-one in an archery lane. Having someone next to you and knowing that an attendant from Stryke was keeping score got the competitive juices flowing inside of everyone. Competing as an individual is fun, but the next two events were where teamwork became crucial.
Axe throwing and knife throwing are not as easy as they look. Simply throwing them as hard as you can will not get them to stick into the wall, as your distance from the wall and angle of the throw are much more vital. After practicing, we were split into two teams, going one-by-one, attempting to accomplish different objectives before the other team. Giving your teammates advice when they were on a cold streak, getting out of the lane as quickly as possible to set up your next teammate, and the thrill of winning brought each team closer together.
The activity that the group participates in is not the most important aspect in a team-building event. The key was placing us in a new surrounding and having us work together, teach each other and take a breather together to celebrate our success of the fall season. In my opinion, having a group outing at least bi-annually is necessary to keep comradery among colleagues high, and stress levels low. Whether the team-building activities are done by a whole company or simply a division of a larger one, it’s importance cannot be understated. Lucky for us we share office lunches, go on walks for ice-cream, and keep each other’s morale up in the office on a daily basis, but this outing was “spot on” and we were thankful to our client for the treat!
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Guest Blogger:
Matthew Genova