The Hidden Secrets of Teamwork: Insights from Watching 237 Escape Games in Action
I never thought I’d uncover the most important secrets to successful teamwork from hosting escape games
For nine months, I’ve watched 237 teams trying to escape a room full of puzzles and obstacles, and here is the most striking thing I’ve seen: their success doesn’t have much to do with being an expert at mystery solving.
Read on to discover the two ingredients winning teams focus on, so that you can apply them during your team projects, or even in your relationships.
Successful Teams Do That Very Well
To succeed as a team, you need to communicate effectively.
To do that, first, you need to listen carefully.
When teams start the game, they observe their surroundings, to see if anything in the room could be of help. Most importantly they listen to each other as every input could be useful in their quest. If a message isn’t clear, they ask each other to repeat or to explain. Participants may even use follow-up questions, to make sure they understand what other players mean.
When working as a team, or handling a challenge in a relationship, you must be able to shift your perspective to consider the situation from the point of view of your partners. All of this starts with listening actively and carefully.
Teams who work well together are made of members who listen to each other, and who also make sure their ideas come across as clearly as possible. They speak their mind, without neglecting any detail.
When I see a team where everyone shares what they see and think, I know they’re on the right track. Voicing their ideas first helps them realize how relevant those are, and allows them to see if other members came up with similar insights.
Sharing every idea equals brainstorming all the time. It keeps the team engaged and stimulated. A group that keeps on communicating is a group that connects the dots quickly.
The same way, in your relationships or team projects, you need to tell your partners what’s on your mind; as unfortunately, they can’t read it. Repeat, rephrase, and bring more details if needed.
Good communication allows a team to access the bigger picture, to draw a more developed mindmap, and to work with all the knowledge, skills, and ideas, of all their team members put together. This is the key to successful collaboration, to make sure all members are on the same page, and headed in the same direction.
Successful Teams Create Magic
Outstanding teams don’t limit themselves to what is considered normal.
To work efficiently and reach a goal you haven’t reached before, you must act in ways you haven’t before and believe it will lead you somewhere beautiful — or, at least, somewhere you’ll learn something new.
A team that does well is a team that always tries new things, and that goes with a positive mindset.
Players who make it out of the room on time are players who see an opportunity in everything. The possibility of a hidden room behind a concrete wall, or the belief all their efforts put together will create magic.
They rely on their intuition and their imagination, and they follow it. They connect dots where others would see no link.
Successful teams understand that every environment comes with a different set of rules — or with no rules at all. They can switch to a different perspective, and approach things from a different angle.
They can imagine things they can’t see yet.
Applying this principle to your group dynamics will allow you, for example, to turn a disagreement into an opportunity to learn, open your mind, and expand your knowledge. You’ll learn to shift your perspective, to be able to meet others in the middle, and go further together.
The Takeaway
Playing an escape game is a team challenge like no other. Players tap into their natural instincts, and they have no choice but to collaborate efficiently to make it out of the room. It’s a situation that gives no time or space to arguments, and that urges players to give the best they can to the team.
Watching hundreds of teams play has shown me what matters for successful partnerships. Good communication always must come first, and, together with a curious and adventurous mindset it works wonders.
Next time you face a challenging situation in a duo or group setting, I invite you to ask yourself these questions:
- Are we communicating openly and efficiently?
- Are we seeing obstacles where we could see opportunities?
It takes the work of every member to be a successful team, and it starts with yourself. Who knows the great accomplishments it could lead you to?
