If you’re looking for a virtual team building exercise that will help coworkers practice presentation skills and flex their creative muscles, a “Pitch” or “Shark Tank” type activity might be perfect for you!
This fun event can be hosted on your video conferencing software of choice and can accommodate both large teams and small group sizes.
What Is A Shark Tank Activity?
Like the tv show Shark Tank, groups invent a product to sell and pitch it to a panel of judges, aka The Sharks. The Sharks then decide who’s product they like the best and would like to invest in!
What Is “The Pitch”?
Unlike Shark Tank, in The Pitch team members are assigned a specific issue to come up with a product or solution for. This could be helpful for groups who need a bit more direction or are struggling with ideation. Giving teams a specific prompt is also a good idea if you only have a limited amount of time for your team building activity.
How To Organize Your Activity
- Divide up your group into smaller teams. Depending how large your group is, teams can rotate through being the judges, being the presenters, or being the audience.
- Allow teams time to think of a product. This section is ideal if you have a generous amount of time for your virtual team building activity. Otherwise, we recommend giving teams a specific prompt to make things go faster. Teams can also use breakout rooms in Zoom to talk through their ideas without other groups hearing!
- Time to present! Now the presenters pitch their ideas to the judges and audience. The judges then debate aloud whether they would like to invest in the idea. Don’t forget that this is supposed to be a fun activity centered on team collaboration, so it’s okay if your idea doesn’t get chosen.
Idea Prompts
Giving teams prompts can help your virtual team building event run more smoothly, be time efficient, and have more direction. You can keep things lighthearted with healthy competition by having groups pitch funny products, or use the activity as an opportunity to brainstorm on solutions for your company!
Work-Related Prompts
- How can we best maximize the space in the office?
- Solutions to keep desks de-cluttered
- A way for the coffee pot to clean itself
- A new marketing strategy for the latest product release
- An invention to auto-reply to inbox messages
Light-Hearted Prompts
- A food product for even the pickiest eaters
- A solution to a runny nose
- A phone better than an iPhone or an Android
- A solution to cope when the wifi is down
- A solution that takes care of remembering passwords for you
Spice Up Your Next Team Meeting
Working remotely can be a challenge but pitch activities can make it better. Best of luck as your team flexes their problem solving skills and ideates innovative solutions together!
Need more virtual team building activities? Take a look at this list of fantastic options!
