Team Building Activity The activity is presented with a summary, which offers a brief explanation of the activity and its aims. Next, the logistical considerations, activity goal, and the steps needed to prepare for the activity are carefully laid out. Following this detailed introduction, are step-by-step instructions for the team building activity and how it is concluded. In conclusion, some benefits for a company to offer this team building activity for culturally diverse employee base is given in bullet form, followed by a complete summary of the overall activity goals.

Gift-Giving Activity

This activity offers a series of competitive, team oriented goals that are aimed at increasing team interaction, building communication skills, expanding mutual respect, and improving productivity between team members with diverse cultural backgrounds by providing an opportunity for cross-cultural communication, and skill assessment.

Logistics:

Group size: works best with 4-12 teams of 8-10 members each

Required Space: Large conference room or ballroom

Length of Activity: 4 hours

Activity Goal:

Teams will construct small gifts to donate to a non-profit charitable organization to benefit local families-in-need. Teams will compete to meet construction goals. And will have 90 minutes to complete the task.

Preparation:

Activity organizer to contact local homeless shelter, red-cross, or other charitable organization to ask:

1. If they would like to participate in company's team-building activity to raise awareness of local families-in-need and to receive a donation of small gifts

2. charity representative to fill out a simple form with first name, photo, and short biography of families in need who would benefit from event

3. representative from the charity to speak at the event

Participants in the team building activity will pre-register for activity, and will be divided by activity organizers into teams of 8-10 members each. Teams should be diversified by gender, age, culture, etc.

Choose and purchase construction projects to prepare four project kits. Each kit should have one large, or several small projects. For example one kit may consist of material to make one bird house, while another kit may have enough material to construct 4 small wooden boats. Examples projects: birdhouse kit, message board kit, wooded toy kits, towel rack kit, recipe box kit, or photo board kit.

Construction projects...

Participants will be informed that products constructed during the team-building activity will be donated to each team's "family-in-need." (10-15 minutes)
Teams will be instructed to begin with a strategy meeting to decide which kits to purchase first, what each member's role will be, and how to reach the activity goals.

How to Play

Teams will have 90 minutes to complete tasks. An additional 15 minutes may be given, if needed, at activity director's discretion.

Each team will begin with $50 of play money.

Teams will purchase construction kits for $20 each.

Each kit will have the material needed to complete one project.

Start-up funds will not enough to complete projects in all 4 kits.

After purchase, team will construct the items

Teams can sell their finished products for a profit, to other teams or to the 'company store.' (The company store should have pre-made rules regarding purchases)

Teams can also earn money by creating award-winning gifts. Awards for creativity and beauty will be given as each project is completed and will be determined by company judges.

As each team earns enough money, they may purchase additional kits.

Wrapping it Up

At the end of the construction period, all funds are tallied and the team with the highest balance wins the game and receives a ribbon and a round of applause.

The Activity director should tally the number of gifts made and make a presentation to the representative from the charitable organization on behalf of the company, thanking him/her for all they do in the community and for joining the activity.

Invite the representative to end with a few to thank participants for their donations and to reiterate the benefit of gift-giving to those in need…