The way in which your team members communicate and interact is what determines their team dynamics—and team building activities for small groups are the key to unlocking their potential.
At the heart of team dynamics is what many people refer to as “team mojo.” And when your team has mojo, they have positive momentum with a collective energy and enthusiasm that keeps morale and performance high.
In an episode of the Team Building Saves the World podcast, Diane Egbers, founder & CEO of Leadership Excelleration, Inc., shared some enlightening insights on mojo in the workplace:
“What we’ve learned is that we really need to nurture both relationships and results to have sustainable performance—people really have to be able to bring their whole authentic selves to the work. So then you focus on strengths and on people’s geniuses as it relates to their work. What we find is that people are more connected. When that connection nurtures relationships, when we understand how each of us nurtures results, we tend to have that magic that we call mojo.”
How Do You Get Team Mojo?
Unfortunately, team mojo isn’t something you can invest in once and keep in your organization indefinitely. It’s not software, an office upgrade, or a benefits package that you can set and forget about. Mojo is something that demands regular connection between team members to help build a shared sense of purpose.
It’s about getting your teams working well together, engaging them, and capturing that positive energy. “We get and keep mojo by not only having people feel connected but also by having them feel valued for who they are and what they bring [to an organization],” explained Egbers.
That’s not to say that you can’t invest in team mojo, though. By getting your groups involved in things like a Team and Leadership DNA program on a regular basis, you can build higher-performing teams, maximize potential, and boost morale.
“Organizations are really wanting to recover this level of productivity and get into this new space of mojo. But along with that comes attention to and investment in the team,” continued Egbers. “So what we want leaders to think about is, ‘Am I investing in my team for the long run to get sustainable mojo over time?’ It requires an investment and that looks like a lot of different things. Sometimes it looks like the help of experts, and other times you might have that internal that can help you.”
About Small-Group Team Building Activities
While it’s often assumed that team building works best with bigger groups, many would argue that it’s actually more effective in smaller groups. In fact, many large organizations with bigger groups still emphasize things like team building activities for small groups at workplace and corporate events.
Why Small-Group Team Building Activities Work
So, why is small-group team building so effective at building the fabled mojo? For one, each employee gets to enjoy connected experiences when taking part in small-group team building activities. And many people believe those experiences are more impactful.
For example, a 2024 study showed that small-group activities improve achievement, learning, engagement, and attitudes in college students. Likewise, consider a college class with 20 students and one with 200. Even though you’re getting the same information in both, the 20-student class is likely to be a better educational experience.
In the 200-seat class, there will be more people vying for attention. You won’t have as close a relationship with the professor, and you likely won’t even know most of your classmates. Though it’s still an education, it’s a much less connected and personal experience.
But in the 20-seat class, there aren’t nearly as many people. You can form a closer relationship with the professor, and you can get a more personalized education. You’ll also likely know most of your classmates, which will encourage communication and the formation of bonds.
The same applies to team building. Large-group team building is great and can offer its own benefits. But small-group team building is often more intimate and impactful. You get a more unique and grounded experience, and you’ll be working in small groups that force you to develop connections with your teammates.
Why Employees Need Activities for Small Groups
There are many reasons your employees need team building. It fosters relationships, improves communication, develops skills, boosts morale, and strengthens company culture. The collective power of these benefits—the mojo you’re creating—will be a huge benefit to your business.
Improved communication and teamwork lead to more innovation. This, in turn, helps boost efficiency and morale so your organization can stay competitive. Higher morale means lower turnover rates, which allows you to build more experienced teams. And more experienced teams directly translate to your bottom line. It’s a cascading effect.
Best Team Building Activities for Small Groups
Now for the fun part—it’s time to look at some fun team building activities for small groups at workplaces of all sizes. Remember, just because it’s a small-group activity doesn’t mean that it’s not suitable for large teams.
At TeamBonding, for example, we often divide teams up into smaller ones. This makes it more enjoyable to participate in a team building exercise for small groups.
You can choose from a wide range of small-group team building activities for adults, so knowing what’s out there is essential. Here are some of the best team building activities for small groups.
In-Person Small-Group Activities
Magic happens when team building moves beyond the conference room. These are some of our favorite in-person small-group team building activities:
- Domino Effect: Ever wanted to build a Rube Goldberg machine? Then this is the event for you. With this activity, you and your team get hands-on while building your own take on Rube Goldberg creations. This event focuses on creativity and team collaboration.
- IBuild: This is a fun and impactful event for small teams. You’ll be tasked with recreating a model as quickly as possible. It sounds simple, but this event forces your team to communicate effectively, work together, make decisions, and be a team player.
- Ice Sculpting: Ice sculpting, really? It may sound silly, but this one has become a hit with teams everywhere. It requires creativity, teamwork, determination, planning, and a cool composure (pun intended—sorry). You and your team will have fun and make art while bettering your skills and forming new bonds.
- Mission ImPAWssible: Coming together for a good cause is one of the best ways to unify your team, and this event lets you do exactly that. You and your team will build wheelchairs for pets with disabilities, which will be donated to pets in need. This event emphasizes the importance of social responsibility, empathy, and compassion.
- Animate: Stop-motion effects are timeless, and so is this event. Work together with your team to unleash your creativity through the power of stop-motion animation. You and your teams will rely on your planning, communication, coordination, and creativity. This is one of our favorite small-group team building activities.
Virtual Small-Group Activities
Distance doesn’t need to be a barrier to connection! A virtual small-group activity can break down digital barriers and bring your team together. Here are some of our favorite team building activities for small groups and remote teams:
- Virtual Race Around the World: Scavenger hunts are one of the most popular small-group team building activities for work, and now you can do them virtually. With this event, your team will need to communicate, plan, and collaborate to win a digital race around the world.
- Virtual Mixology: Who says work can’t be fun? Learn tips, tricks, and recipes from a professional mixologist at this event. Though it may sound like pure fun and games, this event encourages creativity, comradery, and communication.
- Virtual Escape Rooms: Escape rooms are one of the classic virtual team building activities for small groups, and this one is sure to help your team improve their problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. Will you and your team be able to escape? Give it a shot and find out!
- Sight Unseen Empathy Training: Empathy is essential for any cohesive team, and this event helps encourage and develop it. Participants will be blindfolded and forced to rely on their team member’s guidance as they perform tasks and challenges. This event also raises awareness about empathy, inclusion, and diversity.
- Virtual Laughter Yoga: Laughter is the best medicine. Let loose and laugh with virtual laughter yoga. You and your team will be guided through laughter yoga, helping enhance health, encourage relaxation, and promote wellness.
How To Choose the Right Team Building Activity for Small Group
It’s crucial that the activity you choose aligns with your team, their group dynamics, and your goals and objectives. Here’s a quick breakdown.
Step 1: Focus On Your Goals
The first step will be to find an event that fits your goals. Do you want to improve your team’s leadership skills? Then you need an event that prioritizes the skills it takes to lead. Or maybe you’re looking for your team members to have better communication in the workplace. In this case, you’ll want to pick programs that emphasize communication.
Team building activities for small groups come in all shapes and sizes. All you need to do is look for one that perfectly fits your goals.
Step 2: Think About Group Composition
We recommend that you also keep your group size and composition in mind. Is your group 5 people? 15? 50? Are they virtual? In-person? Both? These are essential questions to ask yourself. If you choose an event that doesn’t fit your group, it could get in the way of everyone having fun and benefiting from it.
For example, let’s say you have a 15-person team. Everyone works in person except three of them. If you choose an in-person event, you’ll be excluding those three. That can create conflicts in the workplace as those employees might feel like they are being ignored and not cared about.
Step 3: Consider Team Preferences
It’s also helpful to remember that your team has preferences. Some people don’t like competitions and prefer something that’s more collaborative. Others love races, challenges, and any sort of friendly competition.
Try to choose events that your employees will enjoy. If you have an office full of people who don’t drink, team mixology might not be the best choice. If that same team loves exercise and wellness, laughter yoga might be a much better fit.
Step 4: Do Your Best
At the end of the day, it’s your decision. Just do your best to factor in your team, its size, its composition, and their personalities and preferences. Remember, choosing the right event for your team can make it much more impactful!
Small-Group Team Building Activities with TeamBonding
Remember, engaging your employees with team building activities for small groups is the key to unlocking their mojo—that potent blend of connection, enthusiasm, and energy that we discussed earlier.
These programs are suitable for groups and organizations of all sizes, so don’t rule it out for your teams. Instead, give it a shot and watch your team’s mojo work its magic!
We’re here to help when you’re ready to get started. At TeamBonding, we have over 25 years of experience with team building programs. We have a wide variety of events that work wonders for small teams. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.
