Best Team-Building Activities for Communication and Trust

A study by Edelman found that 27% of employees feel that executive management members don’t trust them, and a good portion of them mirror that distrust too. Not to mention, many employees don’t trust their fellow coworkers either.

Not only can this lack of trust break down morale and workplace efficiency, but it can also affect communication and prevent people from forming strong connections. This negativity can greatly impact your business, but luckily, there are ways to turn things around.

If you invest in team-building activities for communication and trust, then you’ll see a noticeable difference. Foster workplace bonds and efficiency with these fun and effective trust-building activities.

8 Trust And Communication Team Building Activities (That Aren’t Lame!)

1. Trust Fall Circle

Chances are, you’ve heard of the trust fall circle, as it’s a tried-and-true trust-building activity. So it’s one of the best ones to start with! 

Just ensure that all participants understand the importance of catching and not pushing people; if you don’t take this activity seriously, someone can get hurt. So only do this in a physically safe space.

To do the trust fall, everyone will form a tight circle, and one person will be in the center. That person will cross their arms and allow themselves to fall in any direction. The circle members will then gently catch them and guide them back into an upright position.

Through this activity, participants will build both physical and emotional trust. In addition, you’ll gain group cohesion and mutual support, as well as accountability and awareness within teams.

2. The Blindfold Challenge

“The Blindfold Challenge” is one fo the best activities to build trust in a team if you want to grow active listening skills. As the name suggests, this game involves blindfolds, which means you’ll have to rely on your other senses (primarily hearing) to get through the tasks.

The entire office will split into pairs, and one person in each pairing will put on the blindfold. The other person will set up an obstacle course using office furniture or outdoor items like cones or ropes.

When the course is ready, the sighted person will give verbal instructions to guide their blindfolded teammate through. After they’ve successfully completed the course, then they’ll give the blindfold to the other person and switch roles.

What’s great about this challenge is that both people can learn from completing the task. The blindfolded person will learn to trust in their teammates to guide and protect, and they’ll be able to exercise active listening skills too. And the sighted person will have to use clear and concise communication while under pressure.

3. The Silent Trust Walk

“The Silent Trust Walk” is similar to the blindfold challenge, but much easier to set up. For one, you don’t need an obstacle course; just the office or any setting will do.

Also, the key difference is that you aren’t allowed to use words to guide your teammate. Once they’re blindfolded, you’ll have to use only light touches or taps on the shoulder to get them to go where you want.

This activity helps people build trust through surrendering control and making one-on-one connections. Participants will also get the chance to use calming and empathetic communication, which can translate very well in the workplace.

4. Human Knot

For team-building activities that aren’t lame and don’t use materials, turn to “Human Knot.” It’s excellent for when you want to spontaneously get into a game with your workforce to work on communication and trust.

To start, have everyone stand in a circle and reach out to randomly grab two other people’s hands. Once everyone’s linked up, the group has to untangle themselves without letting go of anyone’s hand.

Of course, communication and cooperation are of the utmost importance for this activity. Participants will put on their thinking caps and exercise problem-solving with physical proximity. If they’re successful, they’ll develop a respect for both personal space and teamwork.

5. Back-to-Back Drawing

If you’re looking for trust-building exercises for teams that break off into duos, then try “Back-to-Back Drawing.”

As you might’ve already guessed, the pairs will sit with their backs against each other. One person will have a simple drawing, such as a house, flower, or an emoji. Using only words, they’ll describe this drawing to their partner, who has to replicate it based on this information (they aren’t allowed to ask questions).

Through this game, everyone will learn about patience and active listening, as well as the use of precise language skills. Plus, they’ll understand how essential detail and clarity are.

6. Feedback Circle

Did you know that effective feedback can improve performance at work? All too often, we don’t get to hear about what we’re doing well, so employees may feel undervalued and unappreciated. But with “Feedback Circle,” you can give recognition and genuine appreciation to them.

To play, everyone will get in a circle, sitting or standing. Each person will take a turn telling someone in the group something that they appreciate about them. The focus is on sincerity and specificity, such as, “I appreciate how you always support me during tight deadlines.”

This exercise grows a deeper sense of belonging and team morale. It also helps people work on emotional intelligence and vulnerability, which are extremely valuable in all sorts of relationships.

7. The Minefield

“The Minefield” adds a bit of excitement to your team-building event, as you’ll use your imaginations. You’ll first set up a “minefield” by using things like paper cups, balls, or books in a large open space.

The teams will send one blindfolded person into the “minefield” and they must get across without setting off any “mines.” The participant with the quickest time and fewest “mines” hit wins.

To make the activity more challenging, increase the number of people in the field. WIth the right number of people, you’ll get fun chaos!

This game teaches people to improve their communication since you can only use verbal instructions. They must be clear in their words and non-verbal indicators, such as tone and urgency.

8. Escape Room Challenge

Escape rooms can be done either in-person or virtually, which makes it very versatile if you have remote workers. Whichever you choose, there are fun themes, such as “Who Kidnapped the Boss?“

Ultimately, the goal is to collaborate and share resources to get out of the escape room within the allotted time. It challenges participants to do strategic thinking under pressure and have good real-time communication.

Do These Team-Building Activities for Communication and Trust

These team-building activities for communication and trust are specifically created to be fun and engaging while allowing players to grow their skills and bonds with one another. So not only will they have a great time, but they’ll also carry this growth into the workplace.

As a result, you’ll have stronger team members who gel with one another better. And this can have a fantastic ripple effect that strengthens your workforce, making it worth investing time and money into team-building events.

Get in touch with us now if you’d like someone to put together communication team-building activities for you. Grupo Events can accommodate groups as small as 20 or as large as 500!