How can you ensure that your team building efforts are sustainable in a sports management internship?

2 Choose relevant and engaging activities

Based on your team's needs assessment, you can select the most appropriate and effective team building activities for your situation. You should consider the following factors when choosing your activities: the purpose and objectives of the activity, the time and resources available, the size and diversity of your team, the level of difficulty and challenge, and the potential benefits and risks. You should also aim to choose activities that are engaging, fun, and meaningful for your team, and that align with your team's values and culture.

3 Facilitate and debrief the activities

As a sports management intern, you may not be the leader or the facilitator of the team building activities, but you can still play an important role in ensuring their success. You can help by preparing the materials and logistics, setting the expectations and rules, encouraging participation and feedback, and resolving any conflicts or issues that may arise. You can also help by facilitating or participating in the debriefing process, where you and your team reflect on the experience, share your insights and learnings, and identify the action steps and follow-ups.

4 Evaluate and monitor the outcomes

One of the key aspects of sustainable team building is to measure and monitor the outcomes and impacts of your activities. You can use various indicators and methods to evaluate your team building efforts, such as performance metrics, satisfaction ratings, feedback forms, or observation. The purpose of this step is to determine whether your activities achieved your objectives, improved your team's performance and relationships, and addressed your team's needs and challenges. You can also use this step to identify any gaps or areas for improvement, and to adjust your plans accordingly.

5 Communicate and celebrate the results

Another key aspect of sustainable team building is to communicate and celebrate the results and achievements of your activities. You can use various channels and formats to communicate your results, such as reports, presentations, newsletters, or social media. The purpose of this step is to share your learnings and best practices, to acknowledge and appreciate your team's efforts and contributions, and to reinforce your team's values and culture. You can also use this step to celebrate your team's successes, to reward and recognize your team's achievements, and to boost your team's morale and motivation.

6 Repeat and innovate the process

The final step of sustainable team building is to repeat and innovate the process, based on your evaluation and communication results. You can use the feedback and data you collected to plan and implement new or improved team building activities, to address new or emerging needs and challenges, and to pursue new or higher goals. You can also use the results to innovate and experiment with new or different team building methods, tools, or formats, to keep your team engaged, challenged, and inspired.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?