When companies ask us at Catalyst Netherlands to organize a team outing, it is often associated with a form of competition. Approaching team building in this manner means that you will not play together but against each other. And where there is one winner, there are many losers. Especially in this time, when we can physically meet each other again, an eye for 'together' is more important than ever.
An alternative is an activity in which you do not play against each other, but where you all work towards one common goal. Sometimes even without everyone knowing it at the beginning. The feeling of really achieving something together gives greater satisfaction and creates a better connection than playing against each other.
The value of play in a business context
Play is a tricky concept in a business environment. It can be perceived as being childish and devoid of purpose. Participants need to break through this conceptual barrier. A game usually has a clear beginning and a clear end. And in the end, there is a winner. It is then like at school, where high and low points are achieved. And so people are pitted one against another.
Despite this, I am convinced that playing is ideal for connecting people. A game offers a safe and informal environment where people show their natural behaviour. You know it's a game, and you are therefore less wary. You can make mistakes, and you can try something different. A game provides an ideal environment for learning. To get to know each other better, see how someone reacts in a particular situation. But also to see how someone handles pressure. Who takes the lead? Who wants to start right away, and who needs the overview and structure first?
Playing a game at a face-to-face reunion is a great way to reconnect again, particularly after working together from a distance for so long.
A game where there are only winners
The beauty of several of our business games is that you don't necessarily have to have a beginning or an end. Nor do the rules necessarily have to be fixed. The games we offer are not all finite games. Some are like life itself; you are in it to take a step further together. Play is like life itself anyway. You are playing as in discovering, especially now that you haven't seen each other for a long time, and it is uncomfortable to do live meetings. You will find each other again, just like children who are wholly absorbed in their play. We are happy to pass on that positive trigger to you. In this way, an ordinary outing becomes much more than that. It becomes a positive trigger, clarifying why you work at that company. And vice versa, too, which core values are essential for that company. After all, culture and core values are things that you hold together when you see and speak to each other. This does not happen during online meetings but during casual conversations at the coffee machine. Or during a friendly, casual game with only winners.
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Would you like to know more about business games, or would you like an obligation free quote? Please feel free to contact us. We look forward to your message.
