Are you looking for project management team building activities?
Having a strong team is important for the success of your projects! Team building exercises help your employees develop their skills and approach every task in a unique style. Moreover, these activities can strengthen the bond between them, leading to better collaboration and productivity.
In this article, let’s see 11 project management games and activities you can try with your teams.
11 Project Management Team Building Activities
Here are some project management activities you can try out:
#1. Project Hunt
This activity encourages teams to work together and be creative in finding items related to the project.
Time: You decide
Materials: A printed list of items related to the project
Participants: Minimum 3 members per group
Instructions
- Give each team a printed list of items that they must find. For example, a copy of the project plan, a specific item related to the goal, etc.
- Within a certain timeframe, they must find all the items on the list.
- The team that finds all the items first will be the winner.
Debrief
At the end of the activity, discuss what strategies worked well for each team. Discuss how teams managed to find items quickly and how they collaborated with each other.
#2. Company Olympics
In this activity, teams compete against each other to complete project-related challenges.
Time: Depends on how many challenges you set up
Materials: Used to create the challenges
Participants: 3-8 members per group
Instructions
- Create a list of project-related challenges that teams need to complete within a certain timeframe. For example, these challenges can be:
Estimating project costs with limited resources
Coming up with an innovative idea for a project
- Different points should be given out for each challenge.
- At the end of the Olympics, total up all the points and declare the winner!
Debrief
Discuss which challenges teams found most difficult and why. Talk about how the teams worked together to complete the tasks and discuss any lessons learned from the activity.
#3. The “Why-What-How” Game
This game helps employees with recognizing the necessary actions they must take to complete a project.
Time: 15-30 minutes
Materials: Flipchart paper and markers
Participants: Teams of two or three
Instructions
- Form teams and give them a project-related task (e.g. launching a new product).
- Now, provide the materials to each team, and ask them to brainstorm “why” they need to do that particular task.
- Then, have the group move on to brainstorming “what” needs to be done in order for it to be successful.
- Finally, ask them to come up with ideas for “how” to successfully complete the project.
Debrief
Figure out what steps are necessary for the successful completion of a project and how to best utilize each team member’s skills and expertise. Also, discuss any hurdles that the teams encountered during brainstorming.
#4. Risk Assessment Game
This team building activity helps to practice risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
Time: You decide
Materials: Flipchart paper and markers
Participants: Teams of three or four people
Instructions
- Assign a scenario with associated risks. For example, launching a new product in an unfamiliar market.
- Have teams brainstorm all of the potential risks associated with the scenario.
- Ask them to identify ways to mitigate or avoid each risk.
- Finally, ask the teams to come up with a strategy to manage any remaining risks.
Debrief
Discuss which strategies are the most effective, how to handle unforeseen risks, and why risk assessment is such an important part of project management. Highlight any insights that teams encountered during the exercise.
#5. Speed Networking
This project management activity helps practice networking and relationship-building skills.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Not required
Participants: Pairs of people
Instructions
- Let the participants form pairs with someone.
- Have the pairs discuss topics such as their job titles, interests, experience, and any other topics relevant to the project.
- Once time is up, have each pair move to a new partner and repeat the conversation.
Debrief
Discuss the value of networking and building relationships for project success. Encourage participants to build connections that could be beneficial in the future.
#6. PM Jeopardy
This activity is a fun way to review project management concepts.
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Not required
Participants: Small teams of 3-8 members
Instructions
- Divide participants into teams.
- Ask each team a multiple-choice question related to the project and have one member answer.
- Award points for correct answers and deduct points for incorrect ones. Continue asking questions for a few minutes.
- In the end, the team with the highest score wins.
Debrief
Evaluate how teams worked together, what topics were the most difficult, and discuss any misunderstandings that arose during the game. Encourage teams to reflect on their performance.
#7. Escape Room Challenge
This exercise is a great way to test problem-solving skills and teamwork in a time-sensitive environment.
Time: You decide
Materials: Not required
Participants: Small teams of 3-8 members
Instructions
- Divide participants into teams.
- Explain that the teams must complete a series of tasks in order to escape the room. The tasks can be solving puzzles or finding clues within a certain time limit.
- Let teams know that they must work together to complete the task.
- The first team to finish wins.
Debrief
Discuss the importance of communication, collaboration, and problem solving in project management. Reflect on what worked well, and encourage teams to identify areas where they could improve.
#8. Resource Allocation Game
This game is a great way to practice resource allocation and decision-making in the context of limited resources.
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Paper and pen
Participants: Less than 10 members per team
Instructions
- Divide participants into small teams.
- Give each team the challenge to come up with a plan for using a limited number of resources within the given time limit. For example, teams can plan a company outing for a set budget by considering the possible expenses, and the number of people.
- Allow teams to brainstorm and come up with solutions in writing.
- The team that comes up with the most efficient plan wins.
Debrief
Discuss the importance of resource allocation and decision-making in project management. Reflect on how teamwork was involved in coming up with the plan, and how each team used their resources optimally.
#9. Mock Trade Game
This team building activity teaches project managers how to maximize profits and minimize losses through trading.
Time: You decide
Materials: Fake money and items to trade like pencils, paper clips, etc.
Participants: At least two different groups
Instructions
- Divide participants into groups of two.
- Provide each group with fake money to trade items. For example, a group can use their fake money to buy pencils from the other group.
- Groups should try to maximize their profits and minimize losses through trading.
- At the end of the game, tally up the money and compare it with other groups. The group that has the most fake money wins.
Debrief
Discuss the importance of trading in project management, and how to maximize profits and minimize losses. Reflect on the different strategies and tactics used by each group, as well as the importance of teamwork. Focus on how efficient trading can help a project manager to manage tasks effectively.
#10. The Marshmallow Challenge
The Marshmallow Challenge is a classic team-building activity that requires creativity and problem-solving skills.
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow
Participants: 4–6 people in a group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into groups.
- Provide each group with 20 sticks of uncooked spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow.
- Teams must construct the tallest free-standing structure using these items with the marshmallow placed on top.
- The team with the tallest structure wins.
Debrief
During the debrief, discuss how each group was able to maximize their success and what strategies they found most effective. Also, review any lessons learned about collaboration during the challenge.
#11. Group Mission Exercise
This activity helps project managers to engage their team in a problem solving exercise, brainstorm solutions, and come up with an action plan.
Time: You decide
Materials: Flipchart paper and markers
Participants: 3–10 people in a group
Instructions
- Divide the participants into small teams.
- Assign a mission and provide the necessary background information about it. For example, the mission could be to create an innovative product that solves a customer problem.
- Have them work together to brainstorm ideas and find a solution. They can use flipchart paper to document the ideas and draw out connections between them.
- Finally, they can set up an action plan to implement their solution.
Debrief
Discuss different strategies used for problem-solving and how teams worked together to achieve a successful outcome. Evaluate which team’s action plan was most effective.
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Final Words
Team building games can help project groups build stronger relationships, improve communication skills, and work together better towards a common goal. This can result in increased productivity and successful completion of projects. Hopefully, the above project management activities can help your teams become more effective.
FAQ: Project Management Team Building Activities
You might have these questions in mind.
How do team building exercises help project teams?
Team building exercises can help project teams strengthen their bonds, and work together better towards a common goal. This will ensure increased productivity and successful completion of projects.
What are some good team building activities for project managers?
Some of the good activities for project managers include group mission exercises, escape rooms, resource allocation games, etc. You can also try other activities that are relevant to your group and purpose.
How to ensure that my employees are engaged during the activity?
Make sure that the activities you choose are enjoyable and relevant to the project. You should also explain the activity clearly to your teams, and answer any questions they may have. This will ensure everyone’s engagement during the activity.
What will be the duration of an activity?
It depends on the activity you choose and your team size. Generally, most activities would take around 10-20 minutes. However, some activities may take a bit longer for large teams.
How to bring some fresh perspectives to the team building sessions?
For this, you can introduce new and unique activities that are enjoyable for the team members. When you invoke curiosity among your employees with a new activity, they are more likely to participate actively.