Murder Mystery Or Hackathon

When choosing a team-building activity, companies often look at different ways to get staff working together better. Hackathons and murder mystery games are two popular options. While both can be a lot of fun, hackathons offer some clear advantages, especially in a work environment, by focusing on real problems, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and encouraging innovation, hackathons not only strengthen teams but also contribute to the company’s strategic goals. This makes them a preferable choice for organisations looking to invest in meaningful and impactful team-building activities.

Practicality

Hackathons are all about tackling real problems in a short amount of time. This could be a day or even a week, where teams brainstorm, build, and present solutions to actual issues they might face at work and this direct focus on problem-solving is super relevant in most jobs where thinking on your feet is a must. On the other hand, murder mystery games are more about having fun and playing roles to solve a fictional crime, which, while entertaining, doesn’t help much with work-related skills.

Departments Coming Together

In a hackathon, you get people from all over the company working together, marketers, you name it. Everyone brings something different to the table, and that mix can lead to some great ideas that no one could’ve thought up alone. Murder mystery games don’t usually need such a varied set of skills; they’re more about chatting and figuring things out as a group, which is fun but not as enriching.

Real Solutions

The big win with hackathons is that you can see the fruit of your labour, teams are supposed to come up with a new app, a better way to handle customer service, or a fresh marketing plan, stuff that can be used in the business. After a murder mystery game, the only result is finding out who the fictional killer is, which is a laugh but doesn’t offer much else.

Skillset

Joining a hackathon will sharpen skills that are gold dust in the workplace, like coding, project management, and critical thinking. There’s also the race against the clock, which is great for learning to manage your time and handle stress. These are all useful things that can help you in your job. Murder mystery games might boost your problem-solving skills a bit, but they don’t usually stretch you much beyond that.

Engagement

People tend to get really into hackathons, there’s a vibrant energy from working together on something that will make a difference, which can be way more satisfying than cracking a made-up case. The competitive edge and freedom to be creative also add to the excitement and can make everyone feel more involved and happy at work. Whether it’s coming up with tech solutions or new ways to please your customers, you can steer the hackathon in any direction. Murder mystery games are less flexible, you’re pretty much stuck with the plot you’ve got.

Evolving

These events promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement within organisations. They are about to learn new technologies, techniques, and ways of thinking. This culture of learning is infectious and can spread throughout the organisation, leading to ongoing improvements in processes and products. Murder mystery activities, while enjoyable, do not typically offer the same opportunity for professional development or organisational growth.

Conclusion

In summary, hackathons provide a great platform for team building, offering far more than just entertainment. They encourage practical problem-solving with real-life relevance, pushing teams to devise tangible solutions that can be implemented within their organisations. The collaborative nature of hackathons brings together diverse skills from various departments, fostering an environment of mutual learning and innovation. This cross-functional interaction not only enhances teamwork but also broadens the perspectives of participants. They also nurture a culture of continuous learning and improvement, crucial for both personal development and organisational growth. Overall, the dynamic and productive environment of a hackathon significantly outweighs the more recreational focus of activities like murder mystery games, making it a superior choice for effective team building.