14 Best Team Building PDFs

Here is our list of the best team building PDFs.

Team building PDFs are printable documents that discuss the function of team building or give instructions on playing team building games. Examples include Handbook on Team Building and Ice Breakers & Team Builders. These PDFs help workplace leaders educate their staff about the benefits of team building and help them run fun exercises. In addition, both PDF styles contribute to colleagues bonding, communicating, and collaborating.

These PDFs are similar to other articles with printables, such as virtual icebreaker questions, DIY escape room puzzles, and team building worksheets.

This list includes:

• team building activities for teachers PDF
• team building training PDF
• team building activities PDF
• team building exercises free PDF

Let’s get started!

Informative team building PDFs

Team building printables can help team leaders and teams learn more about the process and purpose of team building. Here are some of the best educational PDFs on team building.

1. Team Building

The World Health Organization developed this PDF to assist medical teams in creating a cohesive treatment plan. However, the organization wrote this platform to be generic, so you can adapt it to any program where teams play a key role.

This PDF covers:

• What is a team?
• When to use teams
• How can you select the right team for a project?
• What are the usual phases of a team’s development?
• How to begin team building?
• Responsibilities of team leader
• Norms of a team
• Team charter: A useful document for team building
• How to sustain team effectiveness?
• Why teams fail
• Resources about teaming

You can use this printout to educate team leaders and members alike about teams and their goals.

Check out this PDF on Team Building from Berkeley.

2. Steps in Successful Team Building

This checklist from the Chartered Management Institute aims to help leaders create the perfect team for a project.

This PDF covers:

• Consider whether a team is the best option
• Define objectives and the skills needed to reach them
• Consider the makeup of the team
• Plan your team building strategy
• Get the team together
• Explore and establish operating ground rules
• Identify individuals’ strengths and motivations
• See yourself as a team member
• Check progress toward objectives
• Time meetings with care
• Dissolve the team
• Potential pitfalls

This actionable list is a great place for project managers to start when assembling a group.

Check out manger.org’s Steps in Successful Team Building.

3. Teamwork and Team Building

From the Atlantic Speakers Bureau and Human Skills Development, this PDF defines teams and the four-stage team development model in-depth.

This PDF covers:

• Defining Success
• Types of Teams
• The First Stage of Team Development–Forming
• The Second Stage of Team Development–Storming
• The Third Stage of Team Development–Norming
• The Fourth Stage of Team Development–Performing
• Team Building Activities
• Making the Most of Team Meetings
• Solving Problems as a Team
• Encouraging Teamwork

Leaders who are new to team building and want to dive into detailed descriptions of its elements should read this team building training PDF.

Check out Atlantic Speakers Bureau’s Teamwork and Team Building PDF.

4. Team Building Techniques

Combining the power of education and activities, this handout introduces readers to effective team building techniques and exercises.

This PDF covers:

• Definition of Teams
• Experiences of Team Working
• What Makes Teams Effective?
• Task Achievement in Teams
• Distinguishing Between Task, People, and Process Interaction
• Giving and Receiving Feedback
• Team Roles
• Stages of Team Development
• Personal Development Goals
• PR2 Team Review Process

Throughout this workshop, participants will learn the importance of teams and put that knowledge into practice.

Check out Youth & Environment Europe’s Team Building Techniques PDF.

5. Handbook on Team Building

Written by the Centre for Good Governance, this PDF provides an overview of team building through a governmental lens.

This PDF covers:

• Introduction
• Importance of Teamwork
• Stages of Team Development
• Team Structure
• Team Norms
• Team Leadership
• Assessing Team Effectiveness

Leaders in governmental spaces can use this PDF to guide their team building practices.

Check out the Centre for Good Governance’s Handbook on Team Building.

6. Building a Team Identity Using the 4 C’s: Clarity, Commitment, Contribution, and Concerns

This short PDF from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette breaks down actionable steps on how to craft a team identity. Doing so helps reinforce team goals and improve team culture.

This PDF covers:

• Clarity
• Commitment
• Contribution
• Concerns

These steps address missions, goals, commitment, strengths and weaknesses, and open communication. Teams can use this information to guide their team building efforts.

Check out this PDF about Building a Team Identity Using the 4 C’s from the University of Louisiana.

7. Team Building and Leadership

The authors of this publication understand that building strong teams starts with building strong leaders. Readers can learn how to improve their own skills and use them to affect larger change in the workplace.

This PDF contains:

• Concept of Team
• Types of Team
• Team Development
• Team Building
• Team Effectiveness
• Concept of Leadership
• Importance of Leadership
• Theories of Leadership
• Leadership Styles
• Functions of Leadership
• Leadership Effectiveness
• Qualities of an Effective Leader

Overall, team building and leadership go hand in hand, and great leaders know the importance of building strong teams. Thus, leaders looking for information on the intersection of leadership and strong teams should read this PDF.

Check out Team Building and Leadership.

Game, activity, and icebreaker PDFs

Some team building files are printouts you can use during your next team building session. These printables feature games, activities, icebreakers, and worksheets that can help guide your exercises. Here are some of the best fun team building ideas.

1. Virtual Happy Hour Trivia

At teambuilding.com, we love a great trivia game. Teams looking for a fun way to unwind after a long workweek can add an interactive element to their happy hour party with these trivia questions.

This PDF contains:

• What does the company name IBM stand for?
• Which animal has ten hearts?
• The forget-me-not is the official flower of which US State?
• A dodecahedron has how many sides?

This PDF can help facilitators easily plan a fun virtual get-together to help teams unwind. Plus, players get to learn some new facts along the way!

Check out Virtual Happy Hour Trivia.

2. Get to Know You Questions

Team building activities are a great way to introduce new team members. Get to know you questions aim to encourage colleagues to share information about themselves. We have curated this list to make breaking the ice simple.

This PDF contains:

• What are you passionate about?
• What is your most prized possession?
• Where is the coolest place you traveled?
• What does your average weekend look like?
• Who is your hero?
• What is one thing that instantly makes your day better?
• When did you first feel like an adult?

You can ask icebreakers when meeting folks for the first time, before meetings, or even in emails. When seeking inspiration for icebreaker questions, be sure to check out this list.

Check out Get to Know You Questions.

3. Icebreakers, Team Building Activities, and Energizers

Featuring 12 pages of activity ideas, this UC San Diego handout outlines many activities in four categories.

This PDF contains:

• Activities to Facilitate Introductions
• Activities to Introduce a Topic
• Activities for Reviewing and Applying Learning Concepts
• Activities to Energize Your Group

This team building activities for teachers PDF makes a great addition to any classroom.

Check out Icebreakers, Team Building Activities, and Energizers.

4. Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success

This PDF from the US Department of Labor outlines 21 pages of games and activities for teams. Each activity contains information about the purpose, the time and materials needed, the directions, a conclusion, a journaling activity, and an extension activity.

This PDF contains:

• Teamwork
• There Is No “I” in Team
• Teamwork Quotes
• Elements of Teamwork – An Inventory of Skills
• Which Shape are You?
• Teamwork on the Job

With so many options for each exercise, teams are sure to benefit from these activities. Facilitators looking for in-depth activities will benefit from this read.

Check out Skills to Pay the Bills.

5. Ice Breakers & Team Builders

This team building exercises free PDF outline from Maryville University offers 14 pages of ideas you can utilize for your next team building session.

This PDF contains:

• Team building activities
• Icebreaker exercises
• Icebreaker questions
• Improv games
• Icebreaker facilitation tips

Facilitators looking to break the ice with new teams can pull out this list before any meeting, conference, or retreat.

Check out Ice Breakers & Team Builders.

6. Team Building Activities Guide

Fraternity chapter Pi Lambda Phi assembled these exercises to help initiate new members and build relationships with existing ones. This in-depth list contains detailed info about each game, including a game description, purpose, materials, instructions, follow-up questions, and tips for success.

This PDF contains:

• Shared Values
• Washing Machines
• Human Billboards
• One-Worded Stories
• Blame Game
• First Impressions
• Rainbow of Diversity
• Egg Drop
• Blocks of Success

With so much detail included, this outline is a great launching point for folks who are new to running team building events.

Check out Team Building Activities Guide.

7. Team Building Activities

The University of Toldeo assembled this list of team building activities for any occasion. These entries include information on the number of participants, duration, objective, and how to play.

This PDF contains:

• Back-to-Back Drawing
• Blind Draw
• Memory Wall
• Odd Couples
• Truth and Lies
• Shipwrecked
• Share Your Bucket List

Since this team building activities PDF is shorter, you could play each game on this list to run a great team building day.

Check out Team Building Activities.

Conclusion

Team building PDFs offer a wide variety of benefits. These PDFs are especially helpful for folks who have never run team building exercises. Through these documents, facilitators can learn what team building is, why teams should seek it out, and how to run these games. Readers can use these printables to teach leaders about the benefits of team building, lead teams in fun exercises, and add team building to any meeting. To incorporate team building into your event, be sure to check out these documents.

For more printables, check out these articles on office scavenger hunts and morning meeting games.