A team in a relaxed workshop setting reflecting with discussion cards and prompts — showing practical, strengths-based development in action.

2 Sep 20254 min read

When Team Building Backfires: What Not to Do

When “Team Building” Misses the Mark

Let’s face it — not all team building activities build anything meaningful.
Many public sector teams have experienced away days that were high on novelty but low on impact.

That’s where team development makes a difference.

While team building often focuses on one-off activities and temporary bonding, team development is about strengthening how people work together over time, through trust, clarity, and shared momentum.

Here’s how they’re different.

But even team development can go wrong if it’s not well designed. Here’s what not to do if you want your next session to drive real progress.

Common Formats That Fall Flat

Here are four common approaches that we’ve seen fall short — and why they don’t create lasting change:

1. The “Let’s All Solve This Puzzle” Game

Escape rooms and obstacle courses can be fun. But if your real challenge is navigating restructures, digital backlogs or resourcing gaps, solving a fictional problem won’t strengthen how your team works in the real world.

2. The “Let’s Define Our Values (Again)” Workshop

Sticky notes, bold headings and big intentions can be engaging. But if nobody references the values after the session, they won’t shape behaviour — they’ll just decorate the wall.

3. The “Let’s Get Vulnerable” Circle — With No Structure

Reflection is important, but vulnerability without purpose or follow-up can leave people feeling exposed, not empowered. Safe space is built through clarity, not pressure.

4. The “We Did That Profile Once” Approach

You’ve seen it — a personality or colour profile, a few laughs, and then… nothing. These tools can be helpful if they’re embedded into how the team works. Without follow-up, the insight fades fast.

“We did that thing once. I think I was green? Or blue? It never came up again.”

Insight without integration is just a workshop souvenir.

Read: How to Make Employees Feel Heard and Valued at Work

Why Reflection Matters More Than Raft Building

Effective team development doesn’t rely on novelty — it relies on relevance and reflection.

What creates momentum isn’t adrenaline, it’s conversation.
And not just any conversation — the kind that surfaces:

What energises or drains your team
How people prefer to collaborate
Where strengths are underused or misunderstood
What patterns help or hinder trust, clarity and care

In positive psychology, meaningful performance and engagement grow from connection, self-awareness and shared purpose — not from escaping a room or building towers out of marshmallows.

Read: How to Make Feedback Work: Turning Team Reflection Into Real Change

What Actually Works

Team development works best when it:

Feels practical and connected to the team’s real work
Helps people better understand themselves and each other
Creates shared language and safer space
Leads to visible shifts in how the team functions

Here are three formats that consistently help our clients create momentum:

1. Energy Mapping

Each person reflects on what gives them energy vs. what drains them — then the team uses those insights to rebalance roles, meetings or priorities.

Try asking: “What’s helping you show up at your best — and what’s quietly wearing you down?”

Try this: 7 Ways Managers Can Develop to Prevent Disengagement and Burnout

2. Strengths Conversations

Colleagues explore what they’re great at, how they prefer to work, and how to complement each other, rather than duplicating effort or assuming.

This builds confidence, mutual understanding and better collaboration.

3. The Culture Reset Dialogue

A simple, structured conversation where the team reflects on:

What’s working in how we operate?
What do we want to keep, shift or test?
What small habit would make things easier, not heavier?

Read: Workshops That Stick: Building a Strengths-Based Culture

Final Thought: Make the Day Count — or Don’t Call It Team Building

If a team session isn’t revisited, doesn’t shift how the team functions, or avoids the real conversations, it’s not development. It’s a detour.

People don’t need more bonding activities. They need clarity, connection, and confidence.

The best team development sessions aren’t one-offs. They’re turning points.

How Strengthify Helps Team Development Stick

We help public sector teams move from activity to impact through sessions that:

Surface energy, strengths and team dynamics
Build trust and psychological safety without awkward games
Give leaders practical tools they can use next week, not just on the day
Support momentum with realistic follow-up strategies

Explore our Discovery Workshops or get in touch to design a team development experience that fits your challenges and helps your team thrive, long after the flipcharts are packed away.