Many companies look at team building as an afterthought to spend whatever money they have left at the end of the year mainly because they think of a team building event being recreational. Granted many team building companies offer Go Kart adventures, cooking events, and alike which are fine to get your personnel to be able to connect and experience fun through recreational activities outside the workplace. These types of recreational events have shrouded the true purpose of team building which is designed to reestablish or mend communication and cooperation that has either broken down in your workplace.
Many companies look for ways to increase efficiency within their personnel that will have residual or long lasting impressions. The companies that have used highly effective well thought out team building activities do see carryovers from the events in their workforce long after the team building events are over. Team building events that do have lasting effects on your personnel should include components such that will reveal or resolve any type to conflict or communication issues that may have been building up or inhibiting progress among teams, fellow employees or between management. I had the experience of doing a series of team building exercises for a large national organization that resolved an ongoing conflict with a manager /subordinate for many months and it only took a half of a day to for the breakthrough. During another team building event in which the employees were tasked to work together with employees that they may not to have chose to team up with. One of the participants approached me after the event was over and explained that the team building exercise broke down barrier that she had with another employee and was grateful for the experience!
Properly organized team building events that include problem solving activities, and Training Games with well thought out activities can result in tremendous results for productivity. Most companies feature a corporate workforce of people that do not know each other well outside of the workplace and therefore are not entirely at ease with each other. A natural amount of camaraderie will most likely develop between people who interact with each other on a daily basis, particularly those who sit next to or near each other. Team Building Exercises are therefore primarily designed to allow people to get to know each other in a relaxed and informal environment who otherwise would not be given the opportunity to meet each other outside of a professional situation
When in search for a team building event that will have a long lasting effect on your personnel after the event is over you will want to examine and come up with a list of objectives that you will want to accomplish with a particular team building event. Most team building companies will be glad to help you assess and offer a team building event or exercise that will help you address any issues that may be affecting your productivity.

Author's Bio: 

Steven Stasczak is a motivational speaker who facilitates professional speaking training and team building events/workshops. He spent his earlier career as a top business to business sales manager before beginning coaching and training around the U.S. professionally. His areas of expertise includes developing effective public speaking workshops and helping individuals overcome fear of public speaking. He also performs and facilitates leadership training , time management workshops and fun team building activities to align your team in the workplace