10 Strategic Planning Team Building Activities

Are you looking for some strategic planning team building activities?

In today’s business world, it’s no longer just the leaders who create strategies that their subordinates follow. Businesses now recognize the importance of employees developing effective strategies.

In this article, let’s see 10 team building activities for strategic planning that you can conduct with your employees.

What Should You Consider Before Conducting These Activities?

First off, let’s understand what strategic planning is. In simple terms, strategic planning is the process of setting objectives and developing a plan to achieve them. It helps your employees understand their roles and align their efforts with the organization’s vision.

So, here are the things you should consider before conducting strategic planning activities:

Align with Organizational Goals: Ensure that the activities support the company’s overall vision and objectives.

Team’s Current Challenges: Understand the team’s pain points and tailor activities to address them.

Participants’ Learning Styles: Consider diverse learning preferences to engage all team members.

Timeframe and Deadlines: Plan the exercises according to the team’s schedule and project timelines.

Resources and Budget: Determine the necessary resources and budget for the activities.

Measurable Outcomes: Define clear metrics and conduct a debriefing session to evaluate the effectiveness of the exercises.

10 Strategic Planning Team Building Activities

Here are some amazing activities to develop the strategic planning skills of your employees.

So, let’s go!

#1. Brain Mapping

Brain Mapping is an activity that encourages collaboration between team members while creating effective solutions.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials: Computer, Whiteboard/Paper, and Markers

Participants: 2-10 people in a group

Instructions

• Each group member should come up with ideas on how to solve a problem or reach a goal in the company. For example, how can a company increase customer satisfaction?
• The group should then map out all these ideas and create strategies to make them happen.
• Group members can draw the solutions on paper/ whiteboard, or use computers for more detailed plans.
• Once the mapping is completed, they can discuss their plans with others, and come up with the best solution.

Debrief

During the debrief, you should identify any areas of improvement for the teams and recognize their successes. Encourage creativity to help foster collaboration between team members.

You can also read: The 10 Best Strategic Planning Books for Leaders

#2. Fish Bowl

The objective of this exercise is to encourage open dialogue between team members while creating innovative strategies.

Time: You decide

Materials: Fish Bowl/Container, Paper, and Markers

Participants: Groups of any size

Instructions

• Present a problem or topic, preferably related to strategic planning. For instance, develop a strategy for expanding our product or service offerings.
• After that, each team member should put their ideas into the fish bowl or container.
• Then, team members take turns explaining their ideas, and the facilitator visualizes them on paper or digitally.
• After each idea is discussed, each team should come up with a collective solution that benefits everyone.

Debrief

Identify any areas of improvement and recognize effective collaboration between team members. Encourage feedback to create a safe environment for open dialogue.

You can also read: 10 Business Development Games for Leaders

#3. Collaborative Goal Setting

This activity encourages employees to set goals for the organization and develop plans to achieve them.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials: Post-it notes, Markers, and Whiteboard

Participants: 3-6 people in a group

Instructions

• Divide the participants into smaller teams.
• Give each team a goal or initiative to focus on. For example: “Develop strategies for increasing customer engagement”.
• Each team should brainstorm potential strategies for achieving that goal. Then, they can analyze the merits as well as demerits of each strategy, and decide on the best ones.
• Finally, let them present their strategies to the other groups.

Debrief

Discuss how the team worked together to develop goals as well as strategies, and any new ideas or perspectives that arose during the activity. Celebrate successes and brainstorm solutions for potential challenges encountered.

You can also read: 10 Goal Setting Team Building Activities (With Debrief)

#4. Elimination Match

In this exercise, participants should use their strategic thinking skills to complete some tasks before the opposing team.

Time: You decide

Materials: A set of cards with individual tasks related to strategic planning

Participants: Two teams of any size

Instructions

• Divide the participants into two teams.
• Give each team a set of task cards. For example, the tasks can be creating a budget, developing a marketing plan, identifying potential risks, etc.
• Now, set a time limit for the whole set of tasks and ask the teams to finish them as quickly as possible.
• After completing each task, they must place the respective card on the table. The first team that completes all the tasks will win the game.

Debrief

Discuss how the teams used their strategic thinking skills to identify opportunities, create plans, and manage risks to complete the tasks quickly. Furthermore, participants should evaluate what strategies could have been employed differently in order to improve their performance.

#5. Futures Wheel

The goal of this activity is to help team members explore potential strategies for different scenarios.

Time: You decide

Materials: Large poster board or Whiteboard, and Markers

Participants: 3-10 people in a group

Instructions

• Ask each group to identify a goal they would like to achieve in the future.
• Each group member lists out 3-5 different steps necessary to reach that goal.
• Now, each group can draw a circle in the center of the poster board or whiteboard and label it with their goal. Also, they can draw a series of circles around the first one and label them with each step necessary to reach that goal.
• Then, they can discuss potential strategies that could be implemented at each step to make progress toward the end goal.

Debrief

It is important to ensure everyone understands the goal and the steps necessary to reach it. During the debrief, you should check in with each group member to make sure they understand how their individual strategies contribute to the larger plan.

#6. Lost at Sea Survival Game

This activity encourages employees to strategize and work together to survive in an imaginary “lost at sea” scenario.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials: A list of imaginary items such as a fishing net, a flare gun, a water container, etc.

Participants: Groups of 3-8 members

Instructions

• Divide the participants into teams with an equal number of members in each.
• Ask each team to envision themselves lost at sea and present them with a list of imaginary items. Some examples of items include a fishing net, a flare gun, a water container, etc.
• Give them a few minutes to plan how they would use their resources in order to survive until help arrives.
• After the allotted time, have each team present their strategies to the other teams.

Debrief

During the debrief, it’s important to discuss how the teams collaborated and which strategies worked best. Encourage team members to share their thoughts on what they learned from this activity.

You can also read: 10 Risk Taking Team Building Activities (With Debrief)

#7. Mock Trade Game

In this exercise, employees should participate in a trade to understand the effects of supply and demand on pricing.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials: Fake “money” (Monopoly money), and Items to trade like pencils, paper clips, etc.

Participants: Pairs

Instructions

• Divide the participants into groups of two, and provide each group with some fake money. Ask them to decide on an item that they will trade and set a price for it.
• Have the groups take turns trading items at their agreed-upon prices, allowing them to make profits or losses based on their decisions.
• After trading has finished, have them compare profits and losses.

Debrief

During the debrief, it’s important to discuss how each group was able to maximize their profits or minimize their losses. It is also beneficial to ask the participants what strategies they found most effective in order to gain insights into future trading decisions.

#8. Strategic Terms

The objective of this activity is to help participants understand and apply common terms in strategic planning.

Time: 10-15 minutes

Materials: Index cards with terms related to strategic planning, and Timer

Participants: At least 4 members per group

Instructions

• Divide the participants into groups. Then, split each group into two sub-groups.
• Give each sub-group a set of index cards with terms related to strategic planning such as “Goals”, “Risks”, “Rewards”, etc.
• Each sub-group will then take turns drawing one card at a time and explaining how it relates to strategic planning. For example, when a sub-group draws the “Risks” card, they must explain how taking risks can help an organization succeed but also carries a certain amount of uncertainty.
• At the end of the game, the sub-group with the most creative explanations for each term is declared the winner!

Debrief

Reflect on how the groups worked together to come up with creative explanations for each card and gain new insights into strategic planning. Additionally, discuss the successes and ways to apply what was learned in real-world scenarios.

#9. SWOT Analysis

The objective of this activity is to help employees identify internal strengths and weaknesses. Plus, they can recognize external opportunities and threats.

Time: You decide

Materials: Whiteboard or Paper, and Markers

Participants: Groups of 3-8 members

Instructions

• Ask each group to identify an area in which they need to implement change or improvement.
• Have each group member list out their own strengths and weaknesses related to the topic. Also, they should identify any external opportunities or threats that could impact their success.
• Now, instruct each group to brainstorm potential strategies based on their strengths and weaknesses, as well as any external opportunities or threats.
• Then, they can discuss the risks as well as benefits associated with each strategy, and make an informed decision.

Debrief

During the debrief, it’s important to ensure that everyone understands how their individual insights contributed to the strategic planning process. You should also encourage group members to share any additional ideas or questions they may have.

#10. The Strategy Grid

This activity is to help teams focus on actionable items while creating an effective plan for achieving results.

Time: 10-20 minutes

Materials: Paper or Whiteboard, and Markers

Participants: Groups of 3-8 people

Instructions

• Draw a grid on paper with columns representing the goals, objectives, strategies, tactics, as well as timelines needed to achieve organization’s success.
• Then, the team members should brainstorm and come up with different ideas for each section of the grid.
• After all the sections are filled out on the grid, the teammates should discuss the best strategies and tactics to achieve each goal.
• Once finished, debrief as a team, highlighting successes and areas for improvement from the activity.

Debrief

Remind the teams that communication and collaboration are key to achieving success. Also, encourage them to be open and honest in their feedback on what worked well during the activity as it will help them in future planning sessions.

Want Some Unique Leadership Development Activities?

If you want some unique activities to equip your employees (both in-person and virtual) with leadership skills, qualities, and mindset, you can get my new e-book:

The Empowering Guide of Unique Leadership Development Activities: 100 Fully Customizable Exercises That You Can Conduct with Any Group of Employees, Anywhere

Or Want Some Unique Team Building Activities?

If you want some unique activities for your employees (both in-person and virtual), you can get my new e-book:

The Busy Leader’s Guide of Unique Team Building Activities: 30 Fully Customizable Exercises That You Can Conduct with Any Group of Employees, Anywhere

Final Words

Strategic planning activities help employees to do proper risk assessments and make better decisions. They also help foster collaboration and communication, which are essential for any successful business. So, try out some of these activities today and watch your teams blossom!

FAQ: Strategic Planning Team Building Activities

You might have these questions in mind.

How do team building games support strategic planning?

Team building games can help employees develop essential skills for strategic planning, such as collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. These activities foster a shared understanding of goals and objectives. By working together, teams can create effective strategies.

How often should we conduct these activities?

The frequency of these activities depends on your team’s needs and goals. Regular activities, such as weekly or monthly, can help maintain team cohesion and momentum. Adjust the frequency based on group feedback and performance.

Are these exercises suitable for all industries?

Yes, these exercises can be adapted to suit various industries and teams. The key is to tailor the activities to the team’s specific needs and goals. This ensures relevance and applicability to the team’s work.

Can these activities be done virtually?

Yes, many of these activities can be done virtually with the right tools and platforms. Virtual activities can facilitate collaboration and idea-sharing just like in-person activities. Technology enables teams to work together remotely.

How do I measure the effectiveness of these exercises?

The effectiveness of these exercises can be measured through feedback, surveys, and observing changes in team performance. Set clear objectives and evaluate the activities’ impact on strategic thinking processes. Adjust future exercises based on lessons learned.

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