Companies turn to escape rooms to build bonds among their employees and boost critical thinking. Work teams need to get in sync to confidently and securely face any obstacle. They have to think and act fast, just like the gears of a clock where every piece matters.
THE BENEFITS OF TEAM BUILDING IN ESCAPE ROOMS
You could take your team out to dinner, have someone give a speech for an hour, and then head out for drinks until the night winds down—or you could throw them into a new situation where they really have to rack their brains and grow as a team.
Let’s set the scene: there are sixty minutes before a new world war breaks out, threatening planet-wide destruction—unless your team can march into battle and fight side by side to obtain the nuclear missile deactivation codes. In a situation that’s, let’s say, highly unusual and wild, imagination soars and ideas start flowing.
Escape rooms have become the trendy activity companies choose for team building events. They’ve proven to be an original and fun way to boost team performance.
To activate critical thinking and bring out problem-solving skills, intriguing themes and stories are created to motivate players to get fully engaged to escape or complete their assigned mission.
The different games and scenarios offer varied chances for players to develop leadership skills, make action plans, and organize effective task delegation that must occur simultaneously, according to each person’s strengths and weaknesses. However, striking the perfect balance between leading and following orders is crucial. Too many leaders will clash for control and make decision-making impossible. On the other hand, if everyone waits to be told what to do, tasks may not be distributed effectively, morale can drop, and obstacles will become harder to overcome.
Being trapped inside a game forces players to work as a team and, above all, communicate. Since players must split into groups, it’s essential everyone shares information and findings. Everyone should be fully aware of the discoveries made by others because you never know who will solve the puzzle. Everyone’s ideas deserve attention and listening, some may need to speak up more, others to listen more closely.
Besides needing to think logically and use critical thinking under pressure, escape rooms often require creative, unconventional thinking.
HOW ESCAPE ROOMS PROMOTE TEAMWORK
Whether they’re synthesizing a cure for a zombie epidemic, robbing the Banco Central de Madrid, escaping from prison, fleeing the Zodiac Killer, or avoiding a nuclear war, the fast pace of escape rooms not only drives the team to solve challenges but also offers them a chance to get to know each other and forge friendships in a fun environment. Plus, achieving a common goal builds trust and leaves everyone feeling accomplished.
If they meet their objectives, the experience ends in victory — that winning thrill and a fresh sense of camaraderie among team members. But remember: “Winning isn’t the point, having fun is.”
So, if you want your coworkers and team to share a fun, effective team building experience that improves performance and workplace relationships, make sure to take them to an escape room.
