Escape Your Team Building Rut: How Escape Rooms Can Boost Communication and Teamwork

Are you tired of the same old team-building activities that leave your team feeling uninspired? 

Ready for a fresh and exciting approach to boost communication and teamwork? 

Look no further than escape rooms! 

In this video, we’ll uncover the secrets behind why escape rooms are the ultimate solution to escape your team-building rut.

My name is Celeste and I am the owner operator of Escape from Reality by Golden Key Games and today, we are talking about how escape rooms are good for team building. 

Escape rooms offer a thrilling adventure that goes beyond the typical team-building exercises. 

They provide a unique setting where collaboration, problem-solving, and quick thinking become the keys to success.

Using escape rooms for team building can do three things:  they can break the ice, improve communication, and foster an unbeatable sense of teamwork. 

We’ll dive into the captivating world of escape rooms and reveal why they have become a go-to choice for teams seeking meaningful growth and bonding.

Get ready to unlock the true potential of your team. From boosting morale to strengthening interpersonal connections, escape rooms are a game-changer for team building.

Escape rooms are a fun and engaging way for teams to break the ice and get to know each other in a new and exciting environment. 

When team members are placed in a challenging situation like an escape room, it can help to break down any barriers or initial hesitation, allowing them to form bonds and connect with one another more easily. 

They can bond over the excitement of the experience, work together to solve puzzles, and engage in light-hearted banter as they race against the clock. 

This sense of camaraderie and shared experience can help to create a positive team culture and set the foundation for better collaboration and communication in the future.

I have seen work groups use this in a couple of different ways.

• As part of a job interview – the team leader wanted to test how the team worked when adding a new person. I let him watch with me and listen from the control room and he got a sense of if this person that he was looking to hire would mesh with the others the way he wanted. IDK if she got the job, but it was fun to watch her get to know the other members of the team.
• To mix up departments – I have seen work groups come to my escape room and the leader has pre-selected the teams. I can understand why she would want to mix up the teams so they aren’t so comfortable with each other, but also to break the ice between departments that don’t work with each other on a daily basis but need to know each other for the good of the whole. I love when a group of ‘strangers’ go into the room. And a a group of ‘friends’ come out laughing!

Effective communication is a crucial component of any successful team, and escape rooms can help to improve communication skills in a variety of ways. 

In an escape room, players must communicate clearly and effectively to solve puzzles, identify clues, and work together to achieve their goals. 

This requires active listening, clear and concise language, and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a way that everyone can understand. 

Additionally, team members may be assigned different roles or tasks within the escape room, which requires effective delegation and coordination to be successful. 

Practicing effective communication in a challenging and engaging environment like an escape room can help to strengthen these skills and transfer them to real-world situations.

Of all the groups I have watched play in my escape room, a few stand out when thinking about communication.

• I tell this story when explaining the rules and some tips to players right before going in the room.  It’s a cautionary tale, but highlights just how important communication is.  A group, a family I believe, was in a single room game. In this room, there was a fake tube along the floor in which the players reached in to see what was in there. It was a fuzzy ball with a key attached. In another part of the room, a player found a box with a key lock.  I watched as the two players walked in circles, not speaking, carrying both a key and a box that needs a key for nearly five minutes.
• I have also seen a few teams that were excellent at communicating their finds. They were so good, in fact, that I had to distract them a bit, or let them go down a rabbit hole so they didn’t finish the game too fast. Some have clearly down escape rooms and had developed a routine, others were just good at saying what they had and jumping in with info when needed.

Escape rooms require teams to work together to achieve a common goal – to escape the room within the time limit. 

To accomplish this, team members must work together, rely on each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and collaborate to find the best solutions to the various challenges they face. 

This requires a high level of teamwork and trust, as each member must contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the group effort. 

In addition, the time limit of the escape room adds an extra layer of pressure, which can help to develop the team’s ability to work together under stress and time constraints. 

Overall, escape rooms provide a safe and engaging environment for teams to practice and strengthen their teamwork skills, which can be invaluable in a variety of work settings.

Builders of escape rooms are usually good at including puzzles or tasks that require two or more to complete. Some examples are:

• Sometimes escape rooms will separate groups in two different parts of the game and they have to work together to open a common door or complete a puzzle that moves them forward in the game. It might take a minute for them to realize that they each have something the other needs.
• I have created puzzles that require one player to read from a wall in one room, one player to translate it to something useful, and  a third to punch it into a keypad or something like that. Of course, it can be done solo, but it’s a lot harder that way.
• I have made, and seen in other escape rooms, puzzles that physically require two or more people to do something (turn two keys at once, touch parts on opposite sides of the room at the same time, etc. They must communicate and understand what they are doing for it to work.

As we conclude our exploration of the power of escape rooms for team building, one thing is clear: these captivating challenges offer more than just an exciting adventure. 

Escape rooms have the potential to break down barriers, enhance communication, and foster a strong sense of teamwork like no other activity.

[Cut to shots of team members smiling and high-fiving each other]

So, if you’re looking for a fresh and innovative way to boost your team’s dynamics, consider venturing into the world of escape rooms. Step outside the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary.