Choosing the Activity

Team leaders or HR discusses potential team building activities, considering budget, team size, and goals. This involves presenting options and getting feedback.

Dialogue

Listen and follow along with the conversation

Sarah (Female)

Hi everyone. So, let's talk team building. I've narrowed down a few options based on our budget and the goal of fostering better collaboration. First up, we have an escape room challenge followed by dinner.

John (Male)

An escape room sounds pretty fun, Sarah. How large of a team can that accommodate? We have about 30 people now.

Sarah (Female)

Good question, John. Most escape rooms can split us into groups of 6-8, so it would work well for 30. The second option is an outdoor ropes course, which is great for pushing comfort zones and building trust.

Lisa (Female)

A ropes course sounds intense, but potentially very rewarding. What about a third, perhaps slightly less physically demanding option?

Sarah (Female)

Absolutely, Lisa. My third suggestion is a corporate cooking class. It's hands-on, encourages teamwork, and everyone gets to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

David (Male)

A cooking class is a nice change of pace. What are the cost implications for each of these options? And how much time would each activity roughly take?

Sarah (Female)

The escape room and cooking class are quite comparable in cost and would each take about 3-4 hours including travel and dinner. The ropes course is slightly more expensive and an all-day commitment. I'm open to feedback on which direction feels right for the team.

John (Male)

I like the idea of something everyone can participate in comfortably, so the cooking class or escape room might be better fits, especially if we're aiming for broad participation. And the shorter time commitment is a plus.

Lisa (Female)

I agree with John. The cooking class sounds inclusive and fun without being too physically challenging. We should think about sending out a quick poll to the team to get their preference too.

Sarah (Female)

That's a great idea, Lisa. I'll put together a short survey with these three options and send it out by the end of today. Thanks for your input, everyone!

Vocabulary

Essential words and phrases from the dialogue

narrowed down

Means to reduce a list of choices to a smaller number, often after considering factors like budget. Useful when presenting limited options in meetings.

fostering

Means encouraging or promoting something, like better teamwork. Common in business to talk about developing skills or relationships.

collaboration

Working together with others to achieve a goal. Key in team building to describe group efforts in workplaces.

accommodate

To provide space or fit a certain number of people or things. Often used when planning events for groups of different sizes.

pushing comfort zones

Challenging people to try new things outside their usual limits to build confidence. Popular in team activities for personal growth.

hands-on

Involving direct practical experience, like doing an activity yourself. Describes interactive learning or team exercises.

inclusive

Including everyone without excluding anyone, making sure all can participate. Important in team building to ensure fairness.

poll

A quick survey or vote to gather opinions from a group. Useful for decision-making in teams without long discussions.

Key Sentences

Important phrases to remember and practice

I've narrowed down a few options based on our budget and the goal of fostering better collaboration.

This sentence introduces limited choices after considering limits like money and aims like improving teamwork. Useful for starting discussions on plans; note the gerund 'fostering' after 'of' to show purpose.

How large of a team can that accommodate?

Asks about the capacity or size limit for an activity. Practical for event planning; uses 'how large of a' to inquire about quantity in a group context.

Good question, John.

Acknowledges a helpful or relevant question politely. Common in meetings to show appreciation and keep conversation flowing; simple structure with adjective + noun.

Absolutely, Lisa.

Strongly agrees or confirms something. Use this to respond positively in discussions; 'absolutely' adds emphasis without needing a full sentence.

I'm open to feedback on which direction feels right for the team.

Invites opinions and suggestions from others. Key for collaborative decisions; 'open to' means willing to consider, and 'feels right' is informal for suitability.

I agree with John.

Expresses agreement with someone else's view. Simple and direct for group talks; follow with reasons to explain why, as in the dialogue.

That's a great idea, Lisa.

Praises a suggestion positively. Useful to encourage input in meetings; structure is 'That is/That's + adjective + noun' for quick compliments.

We should think about sending out a quick poll to the team to get their preference too.

Suggests an action like a survey to gather more input. Modal 'should' for recommendations; 'think about + gerund' shows considering an idea, helpful for problem-solving.