We had the absolute time of our lives.
For one hour, the Susan Graham Consulting team worked together to solve a series of puzzles to help us “escape” the room — and we made it with 10 seconds to spare on the clock!
Going in, we weren’t sure what to expect. No one at SGC had done an escape room before, and we were all a little nervous about putting down our phones for that long (staying in touch and available is a key part of our business, after all).
But 60 minutes later, we piled out of the room laughing, giddy with our accomplishment — and with a refreshed sense of commitment to our coworkers and our company. Yes, we had a ball, but we also strengthened our business at the same time.
Here’s how this team-building exercise really helped SGC, and how it can do the same for your company.
1. It Fostered Cooperation
You cannot get out of an escape room when only one person is doing the work, just like you can’t succeed as a company if only one person is performing. Everyone exercised their brains in this scenario, and everyone saw how useful it was to have all parts of the team contributing. We had different people working together at different tasks, and they all came through beautifully.
Real-world value: Just because you haven’t worked directly with someone before doesn’t mean you can’t. Sometimes it’s helpful to shake up teams to see what a new combination can do.
2. It Let Everyone Shine
Every person on our team truly made a contribution to our escape. Each one did something to push us closer to the final key. Without even one of them, we would not have succeeded.
Real-world value: The escape room helped everyone feel appreciated and important, which is how valued employees should feel every day.
3. It Encourages Having Fun
We had a ball doing the escape room. When we got out, we celebrated so loudly and enthusiastically, you would have thought we won an Olympic medal.
Real-world value: Sometimes work can feel overwhelming. Escaping from work (and that doesn’t have to be in an escape room) reinforces that taking a break can help you return refreshed and reinvigorated.
4. It Gives Employees Ownership of the Outcome
Everyone bought into the fun and the good cheer of the escape room. That feeling followed us back to the office. We had new appreciation for one another’s skill sets and new inside jokes to laugh at stemming from our shared experience.
Real-world value: If your company is going to be successful, you need everyone to buy in. Doing things together helps accomplish this.
Team-Building Ideas for the Future
Susan has always been a proponent of team building. From our nights cooking at Ronald McDonald House to including our families in fun outings, we know we get along better and are more productive when we share time outside the office, too.
What type of team-building activities does your business enjoy? If you let us know, we’ll feature them on our social media channels over the coming weeks. You can find us at:
www.facebook.com/SusanGrahamConsulting