Invest in the process, not in the outcome. It’s the mantra that brings together the world’s greatest guides, teachers, coaches, and leaders. Of course, in business, sports, or any other team activities, outcomes are what keep you in the game. Yet, when you focus solely on outcomes and are only happy when things go exactly your way, you set yourself and your team up for disappointment and ultimately failure.
Not to mention, nothing beats the adrenaline rush and dopamine hit that comes from winning. The key to winning early and often, though, comes from practice and process. It’s turning every day–just showing up and being present into a Victory Lap. Make the process fun, and the team will always prosper.
The great thing about corporate teambuilding events is that they are usually fun, a chance to get away from the office and disguise that process of coming together and learning how to get better into something that seems different, yet really isn’t, and takes the edge off to sharpen the edge your team brings every day.
It could be an outdoor adventure, a group art activity, or just about anything that builds trust and strengthens the bonds that hold your team together. Learning about each other, what keeps them getting up every morning, and what they want in life and in their jobs all make the day away from the office that much more productive than most days in the office and, in turn, make all the days after even better.
Of course, we’re partial to indoor electric karting, axe throwing, virtual reality, and video games. That’s because we’ve seen firsthand how happy people from organizations of all sizes in almost every industry leave happier with each other after just one day here.
They also get to work as teams. One of the most popular activities at Accelerate Indoor Speedway & Events is the blindfold challenge where the driver has to navigate a course with twists and turns while a teammate behind the kart has to direct every single move. The team with the fastest times wins, and everyone leaves with more patience and understanding of how to connect with team members than before.
Axe throwing, which has become one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, brings a different vibe or speed if you will. There is primal satisfaction to the sight, sound, and poetry of a perfectly thrown axe sticking in a wooden target.
Or, if you want something more high-tech, try a team virtual reality game where you have to save the world from Zombies that are far scarier than your competitors.
Now, if you do have to get some work done while we’re here, we have wifi and a large conference room with full multimedia capabilities. But do try to enjoy everything the place has to offer. After all, fun play makes fun work.
By the end of the day, everyone on your team will learn that trust, teamwork, and working together are fun.
Winning is fun, and fun is winning.
