Team Building – Without the Trust Falls
April 17, 2025 | By David M. Wagner
So many “team building” activities – like the much-maligned trust fall – have gotten a bad rap.
Many are corny, awkward, or simply ineffective.
But that doesn’t make it any less important to foster camaraderie among your team.
You’ve probably experienced what it’s like to work with a group that hasn’t gelled: quibbles over details that don’t matter. Spending more time arguing than working. Division, factions, gossip.
Getting your team on the same page – and getting along – is maybe your most important role as a leader.
How can you build that sense of togetherness, without resorting to the expense of elaborate team-building retreats (or the workers comp claims from failed trust falls)?
Create Unstructured Opportunities for Genuine Connection
Keeping conversations “strictly business” stymies teammates from getting to know each other on a human level.
But building connection doesn’t require forced sharing of personal stories.
Instead, create windows for genuine connection to happen organically:
Start meetings with time for non-work-related chat
Organize informal get-togethers
If possible, plan occasional face-to-face meetings for team members from different locations
When your team gets to know one another, they can learn to better accommodate one another’s communication styles and preferences, leverage each other’s skills, and show greater empathy when things go wrong.
Encourage Authentic Communication
Ever get tired of “work speak?” You know, those surface-level conversations where participants skirt around the real issues and pretend everything is ok?
Communicating authentically requires courage.
Set the example by leading with vulnerability.
Admit errors. Acknowledge difficult situations. Point out otherwise unspoken emotions.
Go out of your way to ask for feedback.
The more “real” conversations you start, the safer you’ll make it feel for your team to follow suit.
Facilitate Shared Vision, Purpose, and Values
Teams work better when everyone has the same understanding of what they’re doing – and why.
As a leader, foster collective comprehension by talking often about, and asking your team to weigh in on:
The values that you all share
The purpose that drives your work
The enduring and near-term vision for the organization
Some disagreements are normal. The point is not to reach consensus, but commitment – and eliminate uncertainty about shared goals.
Practice Proactive Inclusion
Camaraderie happens when members feel like they belong on the team.
On rare occasions, that feeling develops for everyone organically.
The rest of the time, inclusion requires intentional effort, such as:
Inviting non-participants into discussions and activities (which might require asking active participants to momentarily step back)
Showing appreciation for overlooked contributions
Squashing any exclusionary language, policies, or team behaviors
Inclusion reinforces the message: you matter to this team. Your team members will contribute more fully when they believe that to be true.
Creating a healthy team is a core leadership responsibility. By fostering connection, authentic communication, shared goals, and inclusion, you will bring out the best in your team – individually and collectively.
If your team is struggling to gel, let’s talk about how independent meeting facilitation or coaching could improve your team dynamics.