Improving corporate culture and employee moral through team-building exercises and activities are necessary components of organizational performance improvement.  The primary element of organizational effectiveness starts with employees and providing them a culture that fosters empowerment and knowledge and skills to consistently move forward. Team building events reinforce the value of working together.  Employees learn enhanced communication, trust, conflict resolution and having a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues.  And most importantly, it is fun… Some of these benefits are: Communication Clear and open communication is vital to the success of projects and relationships within a company.  Employees learn to express themselves but also the ability to listen.  Effective communication is listening and talking.  This can improve office relationships and in return, improve performance improvement.  Moreover, the fun nature of team building activities allows employees to get to know each other in a casual environment outside the office. Trust When a team is asked to work on a project outside their normal job duties it usually correlates to anxiety and the fear of failure for employees.  Building confidence and trust, not only in themselves but that of others provides a greater success in all aspects life.  After all, no one will be fired for not solving the scavenger hunt the fastest. When walls are lowered, people engage in creative dialogue seeking solutions to the task at hand. Co-workers realize they are part of a team with a variety of ideas that can help solve problems. The result is greater trust among co-workers when they return to the daily office tasks. Motivation When a group of employees successfully completes a team building activity it creates momentum and excitement.  Success breeds confidence, which in turn provides greater utilization for employee performance.   Employees need to believe in the corporate culture, they need to understand that no one succeeds in their career or life without others.   Companies that provide a culture that fosters positivity and consistently provide learning and development skills to employees have a much greater success rate, internally and externally. Investment Team building activities is an investment, a necessary investment.  Great companies never stop investing in their core asset, their EMPLOYEES.  Taking an entire day away from the office may seem as an extravagant expense.  Events designed to help the team grow and develop new skills indicate that a company is committed to its employees. As a result, employees are likely to reciprocate this investment in them by investing in the business. They are more likely to take pride in their job and seek to achieve company goals. Investing time and money into team building events and activities builds relationships leading to a more open and collaborative culture.  Investing in your employees is constant and never ending.  If you don’t invest in them, someone else will… Give your employees a reason to not leave your company, instead of a reason to leave your company… A team that works well together is more effective, more productive, and more successful.  Team building activities are the way to go.  Grown-ups can have fun, too!