How to Measure Effectiveness of a Team Building Activity

When you’ve completed a team building exercise, how do you know if it worked? We explain how to measure the effectiveness of a team building activity

Glenn Parker, a team building consultant based in Skillman, NJ, wrote the book “Team Players and Teamwork.” Parker suggests the following barometers:

• Has the problem or situation that caused you to initiate a team building process gone away? For example, Parkers says if there was a lack of commitment to the goals of the team/company, do team members now regularly report on their progress relative to the goals?

• During the data collection prior to the team building, ask everyone to complete a team assessment survey. “Sometime after the team building (e.g., 2-3 months), re-administer the same survey and compare results. Does the assessment data show an improvement in team effectiveness?” asks Parker.

• Look at your business measures. Is there an increase in revenue, a decrease in costs, an improvement in customer satisfaction scores (or a decrease in customer complaints) or some other data points that are important measurements of your success?

• Look at the improvement plan developed by the team during the team building meeting. See if the changes have been implemented and what has been their impact. If team members also committed to change the way they function on the team, ask them to report on the extent to which they implemented those changes and how it is working out, says Parker.

Team building exercises are a way to reward your employees for their hard work and reinforce your commitment to them through experiential getaways. These exercises can also be beneficial in helping your employees identify their strengths and weaknesses and areas in need of improvement by simply sitting around the conference table having constructive and meaningful dialogue.

(Reference: https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/how-to-create-team-building-exercises.html)