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“I did not anticipate the corporate team-building thingbecause I didn’t even know that that was a market,” hesays. “Now, it is a huge part of our business.”I recently spoke with Blake about how escape rooms canhelp teams bond.Why are escape rooms so popular right now?There are several reasons for this. First, it issomething that every person can do. It isn’t scaryor stressful; it is fun. I also think adults are lookingfor another activity outside of eating and drinking.Brunch isn’t an activity. Going to an escape room is.People come here, have a great time and then go toa bar. Their experience here becomes the dominantconversation at the bar.But beyond that, I find that we are a great place forintergenerational families to connect. Everyone getsISTOCKto participate and no one is using a screen, phone,computer, etc. The connection it provides speaks to alot of people.Why do you think Escape the Room iseffective for team-building purposes?What makes a team succeed or fail at anEscape the Room experience?Our success rate across all of our games is only about20 percent, and it all comes down to how the teamworks together in the room. You might think that aA lot of companies have corporate hierarchies wheregroup of, say, engineers would do well, but many times Iyou always know where you fit. Experiences likefind that they all think similarly, which isn’t necessarily aEscape the Room flip that on its head, and I thinkgood thing in these scenarios. Teams that come in withthat is refreshing to a lot of people. We will havea diversity of thought are the ones that break records.everything from startups coming in with their interns,HR managers bringing in teams that aren’t working wellThe teams that do the best are the ones that focus ontogether, and bosses and employees. You name it, aopen communication. You can’t be the guy in the roomvariety of groups come in. We’ve gotten so popular thatthat finds the clue and doesn’t tell anyone about it.several companies have us as a preferred vendor, whichYou can’t do it alone. The teams that win are the onesmeans they can even do team building with their clientsthat listen to each other, regardless of hierarchy at theat one of our locations.office.Team-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees9

The ones that don’t win have members who are afraidI think it’s important to know that team building doesn’tto speak up in front of the big boss. An employee mayonly need to be among internal employees. Considerworry that he or she has an idea but that it is a stupiddoing these types of things with your suppliers, vendorsone, so they stay silent. Chances are, though, whateverand clients—the results can be tremendous.they are thinking isn’t stupid at all, and it would helpthe team if they said something. On the other hand, ifa boss says he or she has the answer and doesn’t wantWhat kind of feedback do you get from yourcorporate clients?to listen to constructive feedback, the team won’t win,either.I get a decent amount of emails saying that comingto Escape the Room was the best thing a person’sHow often do you think companies shouldschedule team-building activities?company has ever done. I think the biggest complimentI ever get is when someone plays with co-workers andhas such a great time that they bring their friends andDepending on your corporate goals, as often asfamily. That happens a lot.possible, really. We have a ton of repeat corporatecustomers who come in every few months. And wehave so many different rooms that they can play adifferent puzzle each time.What advice can you offer about how acompany can maximize their team-buildingexperience?For any type of team building, I think it is most“I think it is most importantto be open to the organicfluidity of the experience.Just because you are theboss at the office, doesn’tmean you should be theboss while team building.”—Victor Blake, founder, Escape the Roomimportant to be open to the organic fluidity of theexperience. Just because you are the boss at theoffice, doesn’t mean you should be the boss whileteam building. Be open to letting people shine indifferent ways. Listen and communicate. Throw awayyour preconceived notions of how a person is becauseusually those notions are just wrong.And get into it. There can be a general sense ofcynicism about team building, but I recommend youreally throw yourself into the experience. You willquickly realize just how much you can get out of it.ABOUT THE AUTHORKatie Morell is a San Francisco-based journalist who specializes in business/Katie Morellentrepreneurship, social justice, travel, health and science topics. Her work has appearedin Bloomberg Businessweek, Fast Company, San Francisco, Hemispheres, BBC Travel, USAToday, mental floss and others. For more information, visit www.katiemorell.com.Team-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees10

ISTOCK6 Things to Consider WhenPlanning a Business RetreatA well-planned business retreat may help you bring your teamcloser together while addressing issues that may be affectingyour company’s growth.By Mike MichalowiczSerial Entrepreneur, Author and SpeakerOne of the businesses I owned did forensic computermassive waste of time and money. These six suggestionswork. It was a crazy, stressful industry, with forensicmay help you make the next company retreat you plan atechs everywhere in the field and frantic requests forsuccessful one.lab analysis. We had a great team, but the dynamics ofmany strong personalities—coupled with the rapid-firepace we had to keep—meant that working together was1 Plan the event outside the office.sometimes difficult. We were the poster company forWe’re creatures of habit, and trying to establishneeding a business retreat.new dynamics in the same old scene may lower thelikelihood of success. Disrupting the company’sBusiness retreats may be able to pull your team togetherordinary routine may help usher in new ways of workinginto a cohesive, productive force, or they might be atogether. You may want to avoid any distractions duringTeam-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees11

your retreat—consider picking someplace where yourour company’s weaknesses and hypothesizing ways toteam can relax and learn new ways of communicatingimprove it was super enlightening. We also navigatedand collaborating.an orienteering course. It got people off their feet andoutdoors. While it didn’t seem like it was business-based,2 Identify the people attending.If you’re unable to shut your business down for thethe skills we learned helped us grow closer as a team.Whether you’re creating imaginary companies or trying tofollow a map using a compass, plan carefully.retreat, you may want to leave some folks behind to keepthe company running. We opted for an annual retreatwhere some key people attended every year, and others4rotated their attendance.Make sure food and drink is handledwell.Folks need to eat—especially if you want them physically3 Have a clear agenda in advance.and mentally active! I wouldn’t advise leaving the foodand drink arrangements as an afterthought. FeedWhen putting your business retreat together, consideryour team properly and consider using meals as anplanning activities with two main goals in mind: gettingopportunity to grow closer.your team to learn and share together, and also gettingthem to let their hair down.5“Think about dolingout accolades wherewarranted, and makingsure you send your teamhome with a sense ofpride.”— Mike Michalowicz,serial entrepreneur, author and speakerHave a clear opening and closingprocess.When you begin your business retreat, consider coveringyour goals and expectations with your team. And whenyou wrap up, you may want to reflect on what you’veaccomplished during the retreat. Think about doling outaccolades where warranted, and making sure you sendyour team home with a sense of pride.6Strive for a balance among allpeople.Some people are naturally more dominant than others.In order to facilitate sharing, learning and growing, itmay be helpful to find a way to put everyone on theI recommend having two distinct kinds of activities: thosesame level. A number of strategies may help to equalizethat are explicitly business-oriented and those that aren’t.your team. We used a speaking stick: The rule was thatOn one retreat, we did a business exercise called Utopiaevery member of the team must hold the stick andCorporation. Teams of two created an imaginary companyspeak with no interruptions for a specified time. It’sthat was better than the one we actually had. Identifyingalso important to structure competitive activities in aTeam-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees12

ISTOCKway that lets various people shine. Consider choosingproductive team. We managed stress better. Weactivities that privilege a range of skill sets so thatdelivered better results more quickly, and we did it alleveryone gets a chance to be the leader and look like awith enthusiasm, knowing that we could do more as arock star. Learning to celebrate the accomplishmentsteam than we ever could alone.of others is key.It got to the point where some employees lookedThe well-planned business retreat can function as aforward to the company retreat more than they didreward, a workout, a challenge and an invigoratingtheir own vacations. But that perfect retreat doesn’tperspective shift—all rolled into one. Our retreatsjust happen on its own. It’s the result of careful planningtransformed our scattered, frantic collection of talentedand creativity. Taking the time to put in work ahead ofindividuals into a cohesive, balanced and amazinglytime may pay massive dividends in the end.ABOUT THE AUTHORMike MichalowiczMike Michalowicz is the entrepreneur behind three multimillion-dollar companies and theauthor of Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Michalowicztravels the world as an entrepreneurial advocate and is globally recognized as the guy who“challenges outdated business beliefs” and teaches entrepreneurs what to do about it.Team-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees13

ISTOCKISTOCKWhat It Takes to Create aLeadership CultureBuilding a culture of strong leadership may be the best way tohappier, more fulfilled employees.By Jane HiscockPresident and CEO, Farland GroupAsk a group of business owners or employees fornight stomach” kicks in, bringing a sense of anxiety abouttheir definition of leadership and you’ll get a rangewhat the coming work week will bring. But fostering aof responses. But they’ll likely all boil down to a fewculture of strong leaders may help put employees at ease.principles: autonomy, collaboration, mentorship,Here are five ways to help put those positive principles inconsensus building, listening and a commitment to theaction and create a culture of leadership.customer experience.We all know what good leadership looks and feels like atwork. Turnover is low, productivity and profitability areUnderstand the need for strong leadersand strong managers.high and there’s a sense of pride among people acrossNot every good manager is a strong leader, but allthe company. Yet too many of us also know what badorganizations need both types of people. Critical toleadership looks and feels like, especially as “Sunday-cultivating an environment that embraces both strongTeam-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees14

leaders and strong managers is to avoid an “up-or-out”culture that’s built around aggressively climbing theBe open to different leadership styles.ladder. Not everyone is going to move up and that’s OK.This isn’t just about nurturing different approaches toStrong managers that embody a very good day-to-daygetting the job done. Sometimes it’s about shaking upacumen of supporting your business needs can be asthe dynamics completely. For example, consider theimportant as having leaders to shape the future.rise of “holacracy,” which eliminates titles and insteadorganizes teams into self-governing circles with explicitKnow when to seek collaboration andwhen to build consensus.responsibilities and expectations that are focused ongetting the work done. This, in theory, heightens thecommitment to improving the customer experience,The nuances between the two are subtle, yet canboosts loyalty by eliminating hierarchies and increaseshave a remarkable difference on a project’s outcome.productivity by giving a voice to everybody in theCollaborative styles are ideal for longer-term initiatives,organization.where decision making is spread across the companyto establish goals and policies for the organization,for example. Consensus building is most successfulTear down traditional corporate walls.when it’s employed by small, agile teams who build fastThere’s often a reluctance to let “outsiders” in to learnsolutions and prototypes to drive productivity. It’s also aabout your company and product direction—and forgreat way to pilot potential leaders as they learn to buildgood reason. But taking an all-or-nothing approachconsensus among smaller teams with less at stake.to including partners and customers as stakeholdersISTOCKTeam-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees15

can limit your organization. It can stunt your abilityto accelerate growth, gain valuable market insightand build trust. Instead, try creating circles of trustedadvisors, including customers and partners that canhelp shape your company’s direction and inform howto lead in your industry. Don’t forget, these so-calledoutsiders also have a stake in your future.“Shift the reward criteriaand watch how quicklymanagers become leaders,companies becomeinfluencers and customersbecome advocates.”—Jane Hiscock, president and CEO, Farland GroupNever compromise the customerexperienceISTOCKThere are few companies on the planet that wouldAll this talk about leadership might beg the questionadvise otherwise, but what does it really mean to “neverabout who follows if everybody’s leading. The realitycompromise the customer experience?” Put anotheris that the lines are now blurred as more voices areway, are your leaders equally rewarded for meetingencouraged to be heard. This doesn’t mean we’llquotas and shaving margins as they are for customernecessarily lose traditional corporate structures, evensatisfaction, retention and growth? Shift the rewardthough some might be completely upended. What itcriteria and watch how quickly managers becomedoes mean, however, is that it may be time for yourleaders, companies become influencers and customersorganization to rethink how it defines, values andbecome advocates.rewards leaders.ABOUT THE AUTHORJane HiscockJane Hiscock is president and CEO of Farland Group, a C-level customer-engagement andmarketing consultancy. Her role in helping companies develop stronger C-suite loyaltyprograms gives her firsthand exposure to the sharing and exchange of innovative ideas andperspectives of hundreds of C-level executives every year.Team-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees16

ISTOCKWhen All the World’s a Stage,Build an EnsembleCathy Salit’s consulting company, Performance of a Lifetime, uses thepower of improv to help teams connect with each other, solve problemsand work better together.By Amy CorteseJournalist and AuthorCathy Salit is an actor, performer and renegade who,might otherwise impede personal and organizationalat age 13, dropped out of school and started hergrowth. The signature exercise from which theown alternative school in a former dry cleaning shop.company takes its name asks people to create a one-It taught her that you can break rules and createminute performance of their lives. Naturally, the worksomething new. “I’ve been improvising ever since,” sheenvironment at New York-based POAL is anything butsays.business as usual. Meetings typically start with animprov exercise—and lots of applause.Today, her consulting company, Performance of aLifetime, or POAL, combines psychology, theaterI recently spoke with Salit about team building—or, asand education to help break down barriers thatshe prefers to call it, ensemble building.Team-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees17

How do you work with organizations onteam building?performances, like a salesperson giving a presentation.But we believe that we’re all in a play of our collectivemaking. And to better navigate and perform in that play,We work with companies on the execution of the humanwe need to tap into this natural ability to imagine, toside of their business—they’ve got some new initiatives,pretend and to play, so that we are both performers andand in order to support that, they’re going to have todirectors.develop and support their people. We have to not justchange behaviors, but have people grow in the waysthey need to grow. People now have to work togetherYour work centers on something you call the“Becoming Principle”. Tell us about that.who might hate each other, for example. That’s verycommon, or some version of that. They don’t get eachThe idea is that we’re not just who are; we’re who we areother’s worlds. And that’s a disabler.and who we are not, and if we are going to tap into ourhumanity, we need to get reconnected with that. ThinkIt’s about helping people cross boundaries. Ourabout what we do with babies: They’re these little cutepreferred way of talking about it is ensemble building,creatures that make these sounds, and us big peoplebecause we believe that all human beings are naturalsay in these little voices, “Ooh, you’re so cute, let meperformers. Sometimes we do things that we know areget you a cookie.” And that’s actually how babies learnISTOCKTeam-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees18

to speak. They’re not speakers, but we relate to themAfter 90 minutes, they came back and they had comeas if they are, and it is that conversation that gives themup with some wonderful solutions. It was by virtue ofthe platform, the stage to speak.the fact that they had both sides working on it that theywere able to come up with solutions that were relevantThere is a field that we’re inspired by, and hopefullyto each side. Afterwards, the inter-department problemsinspire, called performative psychology, led bydiminished. They no longer hung up the phone on eachLev Vygotsky. He talks about a “zone of prox

Team-Building Tactics to Motivate Employees 6 Anita Campbell ABOut the AuthOr Anita Campbell is the founder and CEO of Small Business Trends, a website and magazine providing news, insights and resources to 2 million small-business owners and entrepreneurs eac