Same Same But Different
Team building is a form of experiential learning. That is, learning through experience. I like to refer to it as “learning through reflection on experience”. What I mean by this is that it is crucial to reflect upon and discuss the learning points which have been addressed by the activity. This crucial process is so often missing from team building programs but is vital to ensure learning retention.
Without this process of reflection, any activity is more correctly referred to as team bonding. This is no less important though and I fully believe that spending time together and having fun in an informal environment is a big part of successful team development and relationship building.
Most of my team development programs can be operated in either style. If you’re just looking for some fun and team interaction, that’s fine, I’ll lead it as a team bonding session. If you would like to include reflection and discussion on learning, I’ll lead it as a team building session.