So, attending a forklift truck derby with your colleagues or watching your teammates mix cocktails in front of their cameras might help you to forge new connections in the moment – but unless you happen to work on an industrial site or at a bar, these experiences won’t necessarily help you later. Critchley explains that team bonding is inherently tied to the context it occurs in. When you arrive back at your desk the next day, the inherently political and complex nature of the workplace means people “revert to their normal way of behaving”.

Critchley gives the example of a “major retailer” he once worked with. “They had a number of away days and they really improved dramatically,” he says, citing their ability to work together, communicate and address big issues. “I thought we’d done the job. I then went and then attended one of their normal everyday meetings…” In their usual context, they had returned to the dynamic they had before. “They all kind of raised their eyebrows and said, ‘yes, we know, Bill, we’re doing it again.’”

In place of doing activities, Critchley usually works by taking to each member of a team to find out what their issues are and where they came from. Then, he’ll meet them for a day to observe their realities first hand, and develop ways for them to do things differently. Finally, he follows up to make sure everyone is sticking to their promises.

However, the delicate choreography involved in even this brand of team building is – like every other kind – harder to achieve in a virtual environment. “It’s to be avoided,” says Critchley, speaking of all such online activity. “Because human beings resonate with each other physically in the room, that’s how empathy works – at least they can feel how they’re going to impact on each other. That important dimension is missing, virtually.”

A break from trust falls

So, is all online team building pointless?

Bowen argues these activities have their place, as long as businesses feel like they’re fulfilling their goals, and they can find a way to make them genuinely enjoyable. “We know virtual events aren’t quite the same as in-person events, and so do clients,” says Bowen. “I think when the circumstances and restrictions allow, the majority of clients will revert to in-person away days and events.”