The Build and Bond Experiential Exercise: Utilizing Teams and Team Concepts to Create and Execute a Virtual Team Building Activity

Keywords: Virtual team building, online teams, experiential exercise, groupthink, student project teams, friendships, team member bonds, interpersonal relationships, team skills

Abstract: This article shares information about a Build and Bond Exercise, which is designed to foster team member bonds and introduce team members to the concepts of team processes, task interdependence, creativity, groupthink, and nominal group technique. Instructors provide foundational knowledge and warm-up activities, leading into the experiential exercise. Students engage in small-group team discussions to make effective decisions, establish appropriate team processes, and develop detailed implementation plans. In all-class discussions, teams showcase their virtual team building activities and reflect on how learning can be applied in future team experiences within business curriculums or in organization settings. This experiential exercise can be used in any undergraduate or graduate course in a variety of disciplines