The future of team building: what comes next?

Team building has changed considerably over the past few years, largely because the way corporate teams work and relate to each other has changed too. At Team Building Milano, we see this in conversations with corporate clients, where the starting point is increasingly a specific need within the team rather than an activity someone has simply spotted and liked. Working this way gives us a practical sense of which experiences can serve a clear purpose, based on the team’s real needs and the company’s values.

Team building is becoming more purposeful

An analysis of corporate teams and the evolution of the team-building industry, published by BizBash, highlights the growing focus on experiences that foster interaction and are tailored to the specific relationships organisations aim to strengthen.

A team building activity needs to fit the people taking part and the reason they have been brought together. A scavenger hunt may suit a newly formed international team, while an escape room can put communication and decision-making under useful pressure.

Human connection needs attention

Hybrid and remote work have made workplace relationships harder to maintain for many teams. Microsoft found that 43% of leaders saw relationship-building as the biggest challenge of remote and hybrid work, while many employees reported having fewer workplace friendships after moving towards these arrangements.

A well-designed experience can create the kind of interaction that rarely happens during a video call, particularly when colleagues work across locations. Psychological safety matters here as well, since the American Psychological Association links it with positive workplace relationships and effective teamwork.

Technology will support the experience

Technology already plays a role in team building, with GPS challenges and smartphone games adding another layer to physical experiences. Smart Eventi, for instance, has developed a Rome treasure hunt using iPads, combining movement around the city with challenges that require teams to work together.

Artificial intelligence is also set to play an increasingly significant role in this area, helping to enhance the experience. However, technology alone cannot build trust among colleagues, which still depends on human interaction. 

Experiences will become more relevant

Choosing an activity because it looks impressive is becoming a harder sell. Corporate teams have different personalities and ways of working, so the same format can produce very different results depending on who is taking part.

An escape room may suit a team that needs to work on communication under pressure. Orienteering or mountain biking can create a different dynamic, while building something together through a creative activity can give people another way to contribute.

There is also growing interest in experiences connected with charity and sustainability, giving participants the opportunity to work together while contributing to a social or environmental cause.

People changed, so team building changed

Perhaps the real shift is happening in the reason people come together in the first place. When colleagues spend much of their working week behind screens, an event creates a rare opportunity to see how people communicate when the usual roles and routines are taken away. That can make an activity far more revealing than its format might suggest.

The way a specific team-building activity is chosen changes accordingly. We start with what the group needs at that moment and shape the experience around it. Sometimes the choice falls on something familiar; other times it leads to an idea that would never have made it into the original brief. What matters is that people return to work having discovered something new about their colleagues. That is ultimately what makes an experience successful.