People love to receive thoughtful gifts this time of year and we thought it the perfect time to talk about Team Building Prizes!
Many team building events include some competitive element and with that comes the opportunity to award prizes to the winning teams. So when you’re making arrangements for your event, think about these five key ideas when planning Team Building Prizes:
1.Don’t over-do it
Generally speaking, one of the purposes of hosting a team building is to create camaraderie and boost morale. Whatever you do, don’t make your team building prizes too valuable; you’ll only leave those not on the winning team resentful and disappointed. Case in point, we once had a client give away free round trip plane tickets to everyone on the winning team. Instead of high-fiving and congratulations being passed around, people were jealous and mad! Epic fail.
2. Silly works
While you want to project a professional image and create a really superb event, when it comes to the team building prizes, it’s okay to loosen up a bit. One of our favorites we recommend frequently is awarding 100 Grand candy bars to the winning team, Butterfingers to second place and Three Musketeers to third. Another idea is to award bubbles to last place – they are shiny and fun, but no one is sure where they’re headed. Which brings us to. . .
3. Spread the love
Awarding more than just first place allows more people to feel celebrated. Don’t have losers, have 6th place with only 6 teams! While participation awards for kids in sports is a hot topic these days, there’s nothing wrong with finding creative ways to recognize your teams. Perhaps there were a variety of elements or contests that went into the overall standings. Even if there are no prizes, it might be worth mentioning who captured honors in each of the components.
4. Give ‘em what they want
When it comes to team building prizes, people LOVE getting gift cards – Starbucks, Target or Visa cards are all great options that work fairly universally, at least in North America. Even if the recipient wouldn’t use it themselves, they likely have a family member who would. You can purchase them in a variety of denominations, so your budget doesn’t have to be huge. Another possibility for saving dollars is using company swag. Often there’s a closet somewhere in the office full of smaller quantity items left from a trade show. Believe it or not, people are often wishing they had these types of items rather than always giving them away to others.
5. Honor, Glory and Bragging Rights
While prizes add a fun element to your event, there’s nothing wrong with skipping them altogether. You can absolutely let it be enough for teams to enjoy the thrill of victory in and of its own right. Certainly you can go the route of medals or trophies, but there’s something to be said for allowing the competition to stand alone and be enough. Trust us, the winning group will find an opportunity to brag!
We told you we had 5 things to keep in mind when planning your team building prizes, but we’ve got a prize for you. So here’s your bonus thought:
When it comes to CSR (corporate social responsibility) team building events; we’ve seen something interesting happen when there are prizes awarded. When there’s a charity involved, we’ve often seen the winning team donate their gift cards back to the charity. What a lovely gesture to observe. We’ve even had one client group spontaneously reach into their pockets and do a mini fundraiser. But a heads up in both directions: first, you can’t expect or manipulate this kind of moment. And second, you need to be prepared and okay if happens. Whether you give prizes or not, the real winner of course, is the charity.
To discuss how you can build your team, call 855-TEAM BLD or contact your representative today.