by Dr Rahim Said
In 1970s when I first started my organisational consulting services, team building was about building teams.
Today, it’s about building bank accounts—for the so-called “experts” running these overpriced corporate vacations.
What was once an effort to strengthen communication and trust has devolved into a thriving industry of meaningless outdoor activities, where companies pour cash into activities that do absolutely nothing except give executives a free weekend getaway.
Welcome to the Corporate Playground
Let’s be real. Most of today’s team-building exercises have nothing to do with actual teamwork.
Instead of addressing real workplace issues—like poor leadership, lack of accountability, or toxic office politics—executives are sent off to zip-line through the jungle, paddle down a river, or perform trust falls with people they actively avoid at work.
Because nothing says strategic alignment like watching your CFO get stuck in a tree.
The worst part? These activities are usually led by self-proclaimed “team-building gurus” whose main qualification is their ability to charge absurd fees while throwing around words like synergy, collaboration, and breaking barriers.
Their secret formula? A PowerPoint deck filled with recycled corporate jargon, a few icebreaker games, and an invoice large enough to make your finance department cry.
The Psychology of Expensive Nonsense
Yes, these events can be fun. Employees laugh, take selfies, and return with exaggerated stories about how Miss Tan from Accounting nearly drowned during the whitewater rafting challenge.
But does that translate into a more effective, high-performing team? Of course not.
By Monday, everyone’s back at their desks, just as dysfunctional as before—except now they’ve got sunburns and mosquito bites.
If these so-called “team-building experiences” actually worked, companies wouldn’t have to keep doing them.
But the truth is, they’re not about improving teamwork. They’re about making people feel like something is changing—without actually changing anything. And as long as clueless HR departments keep throwing money at the problem, these team-building charlatans will keep cashing in.
Where’s the ROI? (Spoiler: There Isn’t One)
Think about it: Companies pour thousands, sometimes millions, into these retreats, yet the same internal conflicts persist. Employees still hate their bosses, departments still refuse to collaborate, and office politics remain as toxic as ever. But hey, at least everyone got a free T-shirt and some Instagram-worthy photos, right?
Real Team Building Requires Real Work
If companies actually want to build strong teams, they need to stop funding glorified company picnics and start addressing the real problems—like poor leadership, lack of accountability, and broken communication.
That means investing in real development programmes, fostering honest conversations, and creating a workplace where people don’t need to be forced to work together.
So, the next time a consultant tries to sell you a jungle trek as the key to corporate success, ask yourself: Are you building a team, or just paying for another expensive excuse to avoid dealing with reality?
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