Team leaders have a perennial dilemma: How can we educate, engage, and develop our group in a substantial way that helps the team become better? “Team-building” is often seen as the fun add-on to a meeting devoted to science, sales figures, and quarterly goals.

A ropes course, horseback riding, a trip to the desert, or a cooking class are fun, but are these experiences useful in moving the team toward the goal? If the goal is to have fun, be distracted, or enjoy an open afternoon, then these experiences create shared memories and are often a welcome opportunity. But the goal is rarely just to have a fun afternoon. Leaders want teams to trust better, to understand at a deeper level, and certainly to communicate with one another in useful ways beyond one afternoon.

Building a team requires three basic elements, and they are the same perpetual needs that all team leaders have: engagement, education, and development... all with a twist.

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