My experince of these absurd events is that they serve only to reinforce the hatred and loathing already felt towards the managemet by the unwilling particpants who would much prefer to be allowed to get on with their work.

David, oxford,

Why aren't you showing any comments opposing the article? I went on one of these outward bound style courses as a manager at BR years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a great time, careering around the lake district in canoes and landrovers, yomping over mountains, abseiling and pot holing. We developed friendships that endure to this day and worked better as team afterwards. Too many cynical, indolent manager types can't be motivated to get off their butts for a week. A sad reflection on British industry.

Andrew , Leominster, UK

It's easy to knock team building but there are some very good and very enjoyable events available. Like anything it looks ridiculous when extreme cases are analysed.

James, London, UK

This is a great article. The comments that have come in are fascinating and I hope that we get a lot more - hopefully this article will get on to the Most Commented List.
Reading this article and the comments is one of those moments when you suddenly realise that something which you have thought privately for a long time is actually a view shared by many people.
Companies keep scratching their heads as to why employees are often so unhappy at work - well one reason is courses and events like the ones described! It's no longer enough to work all hours, they want your soul as well. George Monbiot did an excellent piece on how companies try to turn employees into corporate zombies.
I agree with several of the posters that these events are all about humiliation - to break your will not to conform. Also, so many insult your intelligence.
Can a company legitimately sack you though for refusing to go on these courses?

Charles, Bath, UK

Interesting stuff.

The purpose of the exercise in truth is to enable people to be led by the nose and humiliated in a manner that is less likely to incur the wrath of an employment tribunal. That humiliation leads in turn to subtle subjugation of those most affected.

It is simply a well disguised form of bullying.

Les Gradwell, Lancashire, England

Companies know what they want, but they daren't use the word. That taboo word is "obedience".

"Good team player" is the acceptable substitute. By slightly humiliating staff - for instance by organising trampolining sessions, it is possible to find the obedient ones and weed out the disruptive element, also to reinforce obedience.

Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK

You have to see fifteen adult, very sad call-centre workers, working for a well-known ethical high street bank having to act as a combined harvester and travel fifteen feet along the floor to see the sheer ludicrousness of what is known as team building. Such things are labelled as team building but on a bank holiday when the workers had to work, you rarely, if ever, saw a senior manager on the premises. Although, at said bank, I was once taken to one side by a Team Leader and asked, ‘how dare I ask a senior manager a difficult question’?

John Nanchang China, Nanchang, China

Haha - just turned one down this weekend. Everybody and their uncle is going including the drivers so I looked stuck in my apartment here in China until a good friend of ours then asked if I wanted to play golf out of the blue - too right I do!

I really WANT to do that. My colleague at work IS going & is green now. I told him to call in sick and come with us.

Too right Martin - they are a total waste of decent time off.

Mark Duffin, Warwickshire/Shanghai, GB/China

Spot on. I too have attended many management courses within a corporate environment none of which has benefited me as a person or my career. Now nearing the end of my working life I can honestly say that working with intelligent and professional people who communicate well has done far more for my satisfaction and enthusiasm than courses. Mostly, it seems to me, management is trying to assess people's worth falsely rather than actually looking at the evidence and acting on it. One or 2 might win but many will consider themselves unjust and undeserved losers, this might actually be their eventual experience also.

Mike , Hadleigh, Suffolk

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/jra0025l.jpg

Ben, Reading,

It's about time someone put their heads up over the parapet - the enforced attendance at office Xmas parties, the relentless
'we're one big happy family here' which usually means we treat people like dirt behind the scenes. I used to sit next to a dull woman who was obsessed with my not 'joining in' when it was common knowledge that I had avery good social life outside work andw as planning on this continuing. The office Xmas party starts late, finishes late, you've got a wasted weekend with ahangover and then the 2 day post-mortem on Monday who needs it? You are spot on Jonathan
with your comments - I work in a company where certain dysfunctional workmates try to force themselves on you as 'frends' merely to extend their control outside work. The Dore case was appalling and I hope she takes them to the cleaners.

carole, London, UK

Do people still do this? I thought it had died out in the 90's.

No doubt we all have our war-stories. I remember when BT insisted on sending all its staff (whom it was trying to sack) on these, and forcing them to spend days in a hotel making a video. Another time a woman who was an eco-freak had all her department out building a cycle path.

Roger Pearse, Ipswich,

If only more people would stand up to these idiots. I refuse to attend such events, and when questioned explained that within the team there must surely be room for original thought and deed, and I ain't one of your sheep. While Martin makes some excellent points in this article, there is a more extensive skewering of the whole nonsense in Philip Bryer's novel "None of your Business". No axe to grind, nothing to do with me, it just made me laugh, that's all.

Mark Brown, Bath,

Spot on Martin - I used to refuse to go to the ones our company held when they were taken over by American business loonies. I'd been working with a team of pretty much the same people for over 20 years, and needed no advise or rah-rahing on the matter of team building.

And what did they do? Go to Alton Towers for the day ...

Jeremy Poynton, Fromeville, 51st State

Being branded as "Not A Team Player" is the modern equivalent of being pointed out by the Whitchfinder General. Companies have become so obsesed with the concept that it has lost all meaning. The anaology is taken from sport, but could a sports team work on the corporate model? Not scoring enough goals? Quick, form a focus group! Write a Misson Statement! re-examine our core values! Could Beckham et all play football if every time they got the ball, they had to fill out for E118b, and then get told they can't score untill the second half because the team is over budget?

John, Borehamwood,

Well, you've illustrated perfectly what hellish places workplaces are. I have advised my two student sons never to go near one. Make your own living independently or go on the dole. This idea will spread, I'm afraid. What's the point in working in a noddy job when you can't afford anywhere to live in any case?

Tim, Lancaster, UK

I've been there several times.

As a former Royal Naval Commando, I went through the whole team-spirit thing for many years. But it served its purpose.

Life since retirement from the military has been, at times, ludicrous.

I was asked to go to one 'team building' course which enable us to 'bond' and also develop our hidden depths and enable us to overcome fears.

When I pointed out that I'd been there and done that, and for many years, and that as a consequence I had no need or desire to try it all again, I was threatened with dismissal.

I too have seen the results from taking middle-aged managers out into the wild world. Broken bones, bruises, and all too often ridicule and humiliation.

Christmas 'parties' were a compulsory event. However, I used to turn up, ensure that my own team had been given whatever gifts I'd allocated for their efforts, and then went home. After all, you choose your friends but not your workmates.

All it takes to stop this nonsense is the word 'NO'.

Captain Grumpy, Winchester, England

Totaly agree -- the practise should be outlawed . Brain dead people or even smart people forcing a group of employee's to pretend play with each other is about as helpful to moral as having Hitler as your boss. Sadly it is more about control and comformity , sometimes coupled with some backwards idea of somehow rewarding employee's with an opportunity to get out of the work place and have some fun jumping up and down , figuring out problems and nursery school bonding . I suspect the lead up stress for most people forced into these situations < (not to mention partners , families etc), probably outways any benifits that could have been gained . Basic healthy bonding , team building , good co opperation and respect of fellow employees in any business are excellent goals and if correctly persued will serve the interest of companies in terms of good productivety and profits .

You can lead a horse to water but you can't force it to drink .

ferenc , Beijing , China

Absolutely right, and very refreshing to read.
Most of the jovial CEO's behind these bonding schemes actually have no friends at all other than 'business friends'. They have no social life and no social skills, once stripped of their workplace authority, and they like to bring that workplace authority into their staff's private lives where possible.
The Dore example is an extreme one but perfectly symptomatic of the sickness.

Jonathan Wilton, Singapore,

I attended several such management courses when working for a household name multi national. All were as described and, frankly, an insult to one's intelligence. A complete waste of time. It was amusing to observe how desperate my colleagues were to grab poll position as the "Leader" by acting in ways they would never dare to in the real world.

Christopher Larmer, Sai Kung, Hong Kong