Planning teambuilding – ten decisions to make your activity day meaningful

1. Decide what the group should be able to do better afterwards

A pleasant day can be a valuable goal in itself. But if you want to improve collaboration, the purpose needs to be more concrete than just 'strengthening the team'. Should colleagues get better at asking for help, sharing information, or making joint decisions?

Choose one main goal and formulate it as a behaviour that can be observed in daily work. 'We will ask for each other's perspectives before we decide' provides better guidance than 'we will improve our cohesion'. Then let the goal guide the choice of activity, not the other way around.

• Write one sentence: After the day, we want the group to more often...
• Decide what the day will not solve, for example, a reorganisation or an ongoing work environment conflict.

2. Start from the group's real situation

A newly formed team often needs to understand each other's roles. An established group, on the other hand, may need to examine ingrained ways of working. If the workload has been high, a packed programme can feel like yet another performance requirement.

Ask participants in advance what helps and what hinders their collaboration. Keep the questions close to their work and summarise the answers without pointing out individuals. If you discover serious conflicts, they need to be handled through an appropriate work process, not hidden in a game.

• Ask: When does our collaboration work best?
• Ask: What small change would make it easier to work together?

3. Decide how everyone can participate

Inclusion needs to be built in before the day. Don't assume that everyone wants to compete, move in the same way, speak in front of a group, or share something personal. Inform participants well in advance about the nature of the activities and offer a private contact method for adaptation needs.

Distinguish between participation in the workday and participation in a specific activity. Anyone who opts out of a physical or personal exercise should be able to contribute in a meaningful way without having to defend their choice in front of colleagues.

• Plan equivalent roles, for example, structuring information, summarising, or following the decision-making process.
• Only ask for the information needed for adaptation, not for medical explanations.

4. Choose collaboration or competition intentionally

Competition is not automatically teambuilding. It can create energy, but it also risks rewarding speed and loud voices when you actually want to practise listening. If the goal is collaboration across roles, a shared task may be a better choice than competing teams.

One possible setup is for small groups to receive different pieces of information for a fictional problem. To find a solution, they must ask each other and share what they know. This is an example of an exercise, not a ready-made activity offer.

• Check that the task actually requires the behaviour you want to develop.
• If you compete: acknowledge collaboration and reasoning, not just the final result.

5. Set the budget based on the entire event

A useful budget covers more than just the activity itself. Include relevant cost items for the venue, food, materials, any transport, and external help. Also account for the internal working hours required for preparation and follow-up.

Divide your wishes into 'necessary' and 'optional'. This makes it easier to adapt the setup without losing its purpose. Prioritise things that make participation possible over decorative elements or an extra activity that squeezes the schedule.

• Appoint someone to approve the budget and any changes.
• Request a clear quote where the scope, optional add-ons, and terms are specified.

6. Allocate responsibilities before sending the invitation

Someone needs to own the overall plan, someone needs to lead the activities, and someone needs to be able to handle practical questions. It can be the same person in a simple setup, but the responsibility must be explicitly stated. Otherwise, the group's manager risks participating, instructing, and solving problems all at the same time.

Also, decide on the manager's role. Should the manager participate on the same terms as others or mainly listen? If the day is to make room for more perspectives, the person leading the conversation needs to be able to manage the discussion and prevent interruptions.

• Appoint an event manager and a contact person for the participants.
• Give the activity host the mandate to adapt or cancel an activity that isn't working.

7. Plan a pace that leaves room for reflection

More activities do not necessarily add more value. A few well-thought-out activities with clear instructions, breaks, and joint reflection can provide better conditions for learning than a packed schedule.

Plan the order before you set exact times: a joint start, activity, break, reflection, and conclusion. Add a margin for questions and moving between locations. If the programme becomes too long, remove an activity instead of cutting all the gaps.

• Mark which parts are necessary and which can be shortened.
• Protect the time for reflection and conclusion in the very first draft of the programme.

8. Secure the practicalities and a realistic alternative

Check that the venue and the plan suit the group's needs before the programme is finalised. Confirm accessibility, meals, special dietary requirements, materials, and any technology. Distinguish between what you wish for and what has actually been confirmed.

If parts of the day are to take place outdoors, an alternative is needed in case of unsuitable weather. Also check what rules apply to the planned activity. For an event at Görväln Naturreservat, you can start with the [practical information](/praktiskt) and then confirm your specific needs.

• Appoint who decides on a changed plan and when the decision should be made.
• Send participant information about the programme, dress code, contact details, and any preparations.

9. Prepare questions that connect the exercise to work

Reflection helps the group to distinguish between a fun experience and something that can be used in daily work. The questions should be about what happened during the collaboration, not about who was the best or what personality someone is considered to have.

Feel free to let everyone think or write individually before you talk together. This gives more people the opportunity to formulate their thoughts before the most talkative ones set the direction. Ask for concrete observations and avoid turning the exercise into an assessment of individual employees.

• When did we succeed in using each other's information?
• What made it easier or harder to be heard?
• Which way of working from the exercise do we want to try in a real work task?

10. Decide on the follow-up before the activity day

Don't end with a long list of ambitions that no one is responsible for. Choose one or two small changes for the group to try, for example, a shared check-in question before making decisions or a clearer handover routine.

When planning, book a time to follow up on the trial. Then ask what you actually did, what helped, and what needs to be adjusted. Distinguish between the experience of the day and the change in work: both are relevant, but they answer different questions.

• Document what you will try, who will coordinate it, and when you will follow up.
• Choose an everyday example to return to, not just a general satisfaction rating.

Take the checklist forward to a concrete event

Görväln Naturreservat is a flexible venue for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, activities, and group occasions. When you want to explore a setup for teambuilding, describe the purpose, desired date, number of participants, and the needs that affect the execution. See more about [events and occasions](/evenemang).

If you would like help from an event planner or wish to add catering, a private chef, or a children's activity host, these are optional add-on services, quoted separately, and subject to availability. Read about our [optional add-on services](/tillaggstjanster) or [contact Görväln Naturreservat](/kontakt) to check the arrangements. Bookings can only be made as part of an actual event at the venue.