Team building activities have been common place at corporate companies for decades now. Whether it be paintballing in the woods, problem solving in a field or going on a corporate cookery day, team building is more popular than ever before. But how come they are so important? And what would make a company want to invest time and money sending their staff on them?

Camaraderie - people are usually pushed together and given tasks to complete by working together as team during these team building days. However, because these events are usually conducted in a fun and lighthearted environment, people will not object being forced together and their bonding will happen naturally, without the pressures and barriers of the working environment to hold them back.

Leadership team building events often allow people who are not usually in charge at work to take the reins and direct their teams. This not only helps them work on their leadership skills but also gives them a better understanding of what it means to be a leader. The result of this is that they can better empathise their superiors working situations but also aids communication channels within the workforce

Humour - They days are frequently enjoyable and very funny. Getting away from the work environment and getting to know your colleges on a more personal level can be a lot of fun and usually leads to some funny situations. People start to learn more about each other and can give each other some informal banter. The stories about the day will remain talking points around the office for a good time afterwards and can really help to lift the workplace mood

Its worth remembering that all the good work not only happens on the team building day but the relationships they strengthen continue to develop when everyone is back at work. It will give the workers something to get excited about, providing you only give little clues at to what they are going to do.