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Teambuilding trips turn out trumps
 Teambuilding on a treasure hunt could be a good way to bond. QUICKVOTEBUSINESS TRAVELLER
RESOURCES
OTHER NEWSYOUR SAY
YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSLONDON, England (CNN) -- Business travel is not only about meeting clients, partners or visiting local offices, it also involves taking a team trip away from the workplace with your colleagues. Firms spend millions of dollars investing in team-building exercises that can take you anywhere from river rafting to mountain climbing. As long as it is not just about escaping the office, it can prove to be a worthwhile investment. While some firms opt for clay pigeon shooting as they float down London's River Thames, others sign up to modern day treasure hunts. This involves recreating your own version of the movie the "Italian Job," where you drive around the UK's West Country in a Mini automobile in search of prizes. One UK-based telecommunications firm, Intergage, signed up for this kind of treasure hunt, and were convinced it was worth the expense. "We work in a fairly high pressure environment and most of the time we are sat facing TV screens," the firm's director, Peter Clapperton, told CNN. "You get to see a completely different side of your colleagues and just have a bit more of a laugh with each other in an environment that is outside the office." "I think it is very easy to forget that business is meant to be fun as well. If there is no fun involved it is just a chore," says sales director, Paul Tansey. Business day-trippers may be bonding, but psychologists are unsure whether companies even know what constitutes a team. "The real meaning of a team is much more specific than it is often used and that is really about a group of people who are working together to achieve a mutually achievable goal," says business psychologist, Felicity Lee. She believes that it is essential people connect during team building, and that a common purpose and set of objectives is needed to achieve this. "Team building has become more popular because big companies have become focused on the work-life balance and stresses at work," explains Lee. "It shows that a company is investing in their employees and also that they care about them and want them to get out of the office." Whether you regard a day out of the office as a well-deserved break or as a valuable business tool, the reoccurring theme seems to be one of having fun. "The critical thing is to look objectively at your time and ask what you want from your team. If you just want to have a fun day out, then just have a fun day out," says Lee. 
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