Team Fun on the Cheap

Is your team suffering from infighting or poor morale?
Do you need a different way to celebrate a milestone on the cheap?

Consider the potluck. Dictionary.com defines the potluck as: A meal at which each guest brings food that is then shared by all.




Although it might be a bit of work for the project management team, organizing a potluck is a cheap way to get the team together. It is especially fun when there are international team members who can showcase food from their respective cultures.

Some tips for organizing your potluck include:

• Schedule it for a Monday. This gives people time to cook over the weekend.
• Create a sign-up spreadsheet with categories like appetizers, entrees, etc., so people can attempt to even the spread.
• For those folks who don't like to cook or don't have time, offer the "bring a staple" option. Every potluck needs plates, utensils, napkins, drinks, table cloths, a clean-up crew, etc. I usually use the "fastest timestamp wins" method for these.
• Book a large enough conference room for several hours around lunch time OR
• If you have a huge team, consider also having people bring in breakfast items (then extend that conference room booking)
• Consider creating a "party favor" for all project team members. We had mugs made with our project name and then filled them with an assortment of goodies in nice party plastic bags (pretzels, candies, nuts, etc.). This was also a team building opportunity because people shared well after the event.

What other ideas do you have for team building events? Let us know!