Escape Traditional Team Building.

When you say the phrase ‘team building’, what happens next? Eye roll? Sigh? Conjuring excuses to skip work that day and somehow just turn up for the drinking bit at the end? Team-building activities have been a staple in the corporate world for years but many employees and managers now view them as mundane, uninspiring, and, dare we say it, boring.

It’s time to escape the shackles of conventional team-building methods and explore a more engaging and effective alternative – cyber escape rooms. Combining security awareness and education with an immersive escape room experience, cyber escape rooms can breathe new life into team building by fostering genuine collaboration and improving your business’ resilience to cyber attacks at the same time. Winner winner.

the pitfalls of traditional team building.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons traditional team building is a bit, well… naff.

• Lack of Real-World Relevance: Traditional team building activities often feel disconnected from the actual work that employees do. Since when was building towers from pasta, doing a trust fall or, even worse, role-playing games (*shudder*) relevant to literally anyone’s day-to-day job?! This disconnect often leads to skepticism which turns into reluctance to fully engage with the activities.

• Forced Participation: Many employees view traditional team-building activities as obligatory and they often feel forced into participating, which can then lead to feelings of resentment and resistance. When people participate unwillingly, the intended benefits of team building are lost.

• Short-Term Impact: While traditional team-building activities can provide a temporary boost in team morale (if people are engaged in the first place), their effects tend to wear off quickly. Once the team returns to their day job, the lessons and bonds formed during these activities can quickly dissipate.

• Limited Engagement: In many traditional team-building exercises, there isn’t necessarily the need for everyone to be included. The activities often involve standing around while other individuals or teams get involved with the activity. This can leave people feeling excluded, again reducing their engagement and creating divisions rather than fostering unity with an organisation.

cyber escape rooms: the antidote to traditional team building.

So let’s take a look at how a cyber escape room from The Cyber Escape Room Co. could be just the thing you need for your next team-building exercise.

real-life problem solving.

Cyber escape rooms immerse teams in scenarios that require them to work together to solve problems together. In real life. Whether it’s deciphering clues, finding hidden artefacts, or communicating about a problem, they’re things that offer a tangible connection to collaborative problem-solving skills that can be applied directly to the workplace.

And that’s before we look at the benefits of the security awareness training that’s part and parcel of our cyber escape room experiences. Weaving topics such as password security, phishing threats, and social media privacy into the cyber escape room narrative creates an additional layer of relevancy to participants’ real world roles.

voluntary participation.

Unlike traditional team-building activities, cyber escape rooms (well, any escape rooms for that matter) are inherently engaging and enjoyable. Team members voluntarily participate because they want to experience the excitement of solving puzzles and escaping the room. This enthusiasm translates into genuine teamwork and cooperation.

I’m sure if you look back over the last few months, you’ll be hard pushed to find anyone in your team who has voluntarily completed cyber security awareness training outside of their day jobs. You’ll likely find a whole bunch of people who have been to an escape room though. Because they’re fun. And who wouldn’t want positive experiences related to cyber, rather than negative “don’t click that” rhetoric?!

lasting impact.

Cyber escape rooms leave a lasting impression on participants. The sense of accomplishment and camaraderie developed in these scenarios tends to stick with team members long after they’ve left the escape room. This lasting impact can lead to improved teamwork and communication in the workplace.

It’s been scientifically proven (by Harvard so you know it’s good) that interactive learning improves knowledge retention far better than reading or listening alone. Engaging multiple senses during an activity creates more neural connections within your brain, improving your ability to retain and recall information.

inclusive experience.

Our cyber escape rooms are designed for groups, making them inherently inclusive. Everyone has a role to play, and every team member’s contribution matters. This inclusivity promotes a sense of belonging and unity among team members.

Unlike a lot of team-building activities, they’re not only accessible for the able-bodied. They don’t require

how escape rooms build teams more effectively.

communication.

Cyber escape rooms require clear and effective communication. Team members must share their ideas, listen to one another, and collaborate to solve complex puzzles. This helps improve communication skills that are vital in any workplace.

problem-solving.

Cyber escape rooms challenge teams to think critically and solve problems under pressure. This mirrors the real-world challenges that teams face in their daily work, making cyber escape rooms an excellent training ground for problem-solving skills.

team bonding.

The shared experience of working together to complete a cyber escape room creates strong bonds among team members. This improved camaraderie often carries over into the workplace, leading to better collaboration and teamwork.

creativity.

Cyber escape rooms encourage creative thinking, as participants must approach problems from different angles and explore innovative solutions. This can spark creativity in team members, enhancing their ability to find unique solutions to workplace challenges.

security awareness.

Cyber escape rooms are a vehicle for delivering security awareness training in a fun and engaging way that participants actively want to get involved in. Using an activity that’s interactive, exciting, and memorable helps to promote positive associations with cyber security and foster better connections between teams within a business.

to sum up.

Traditional team-building activities may have lost their lustre, but that doesn’t mean team building itself is obsolete. Cyber escape rooms offer a refreshing and effective alternative that engages employees, promotes real-world skills, and leaves a lasting impact.

By embracing this type of interactive activity, organisations can foster true collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and creativity within their teams, ultimately leading to a more cohesive and productive workforce. Escape the traditional team-building rut and unlock the potential of your team through the excitement of cyber escape rooms.