Team building is an essential activity, however, although it is important to make sure that it is valuable and offers someone in terms of workplace morale and wellbeing. There should be a systematic process in place to organise such events, and to present them to employees as well as follow up on them afterwards.
Without such attention to detail, team-building exercises can serve to simply boost the short term wellbeing of employees. A well-organised team-building exercise can, however, create more long term feeling of enthusiasm and raised morale. At a good event, employees will build better relationships in a positive environment, and create a shared experience which they can then reference in daily conversations. Exercises often build on trust as well: when trust is built through fun activities, this can translate into trust between teams and colleagues when dealing with work-related matters.
Sometimes, team building is not appropriate, such as in an office where teamwork is not required, and individuals are rewarded for their own success. Events also have to be popular, otherwise the contingents who view it as a waste of time will lower the morale of those who are there to have a good time. Events should also be followed up back at the office, with further attempts at teamwork: they should not be seen as a one-off event.
Effective team building will be well planned, perhaps even with input from team members. Such events can also become part of the structure of the company, leading to a feeling that the organisation cares about the wellbeing of its members.
All events should also reflect the ethos and practices of an organisation, otherwise they will be seen as something quite separate from the workplace.