A Recovering Applied Mathematician’s Guide to Team Building

Many people don’t know this about me, but I am a recovering applied mathematician who spent time working in both glass research and banking. While working in those fields, one thing became abundantly clear: many people in technical roles struggle in group environments. Yet corporations need these employees to collaborate effectively, ensuring that their individual contributions support the broader goals of the organization.

For people in sales and marketing, interacting with others often comes naturally. For engineers, statisticians, programmers, and other technical professionals, that isn’t always the case.

I remember when I worked for Corning. The engineering group removed the walls, eliminated private offices, and reorganized us into open pods. Initially, many of the veteran employees were less than thrilled about losing their offices. What happened next, however, was magical.

I shared a workspace with several engineers who designed glass-melting equipment and a material scientist. As a statistician, I knew very little about glass or how it was made. I took the opportunity to learn everything I could from my new pod mates. Understanding their work allowed me to become more effective in supporting both glass production and research. I carried that lesson with me into every role that followed.

Of course, not everyone works in a pod.

Many of the organizations that book our team-building events don’t even operate in the same city. Others may be located in the same city but rarely work in the same building. Technology has made remote work possible in ways we couldn’t have imagined a generation ago. But all of these changes may come at a cost: the kind of synergy that helps teams produce their very best work.

Relationships are the foundation of high-performing teams. Distance, whether physical or virtual, can make relationship-building more difficult.

One offsite experience where team members laugh together, discover shared interests, and learn something new about one another can be worth its weight in gold. Those moments of connection often translate into greater trust, better communication, and stronger collaboration back at work.

I also believe that work teams need opportunities for non-competitive fun. Some highly competitive team-building exercises can actually strain relationships rather than strengthen them.

Why not just have fun?

Rolling through the city on Rydables, watching your teammates smile, laugh, and embrace their inner child may be exactly what the HR director ordered.

Our team-building experiences can be tailored to meet your organization’s needs. Want to add food and beverages? We can accommodate that. Need an event at a non-traditional time? We can do that, too.

Get your team together and give us a call today. We’d love to be part of the solution.

Dianna Ward

Owner Charlotte NC Tours, LLC DBA Charlotte Rydables, Chattanooga Rydables, Raleigh Rydables