By Luke Phang
Published
Beginner-friendly is a starting point, not the whole design
Teaching the basics helps people enter an activity. But if the format immediately switches to an intense competition dominated by experienced players, a beginner may still struggle to contribute. Ask what happens after the explanation, not just whether an instructor is present.
Some employees may hesitate because they do not consider themselves sporty. Others may be concerned about unfamiliar rules, physical demands, close contact or making mistakes in front of colleagues. Activity choice matters, but so do the conditions under which people are invited to participate.
In my original LinkedIn post on inclusive participation, I outlined three practical levers. The useful question is not whether every employee will enjoy the same sport. It is how to provide more appropriate ways to take part.
1. Adjust the activity, not just the invitation
Review the rules, pace, contact, competitive pressure, equipment and scoring against the participant profile. A sport’s familiar format does not have to be the format used at a corporate event. Shorter rounds, a smaller playing area, guided practice or a shared team objective may change the demands, depending on the activity.
One example I discuss with clients is a paired, three-legged version of football. It changes the emphasis from individual speed towards moving and coordinating with a colleague. It also illustrates an important limit: changing a format does not automatically make it safer or suitable for everyone. A paired format can introduce balance and movement challenges, so suitability and risk need checking before use.
Where that adaptation is unsuitable, consider a different rule change or another activity entirely. The principle is to design around the people, rather than make people fit an entertaining modification. Include recovery time and an appropriate lower-pressure option where the brief calls for it.
The corporate sports activities directory is a starting point for selection. The final format needs to account for the venue, equipment, delivery team and participant requirements.
2. Make leadership participation visible
An opening speech can endorse an event. Leaders joining an unfamiliar activity can send a different message: they are willing to learn, contribute and make mistakes alongside colleagues.
Brief leaders on the tone you want to set. Encourage them to join mixed groups, support people trying something new and avoid making the day a demonstration of rank or sporting ability. A director learning alongside a new colleague can provide a natural starting point for conversation.
Participation should remain an invitation, not a loyalty test. Leaders can also help by protecting time, respecting access needs and making it acceptable to pause or choose an alternative. Their participation does not, by itself, establish psychological or physical safety for everyone.
3. Make variety meaningful
Five activities with similar physical and social demands may offer less genuine choice than three well-selected alternatives. Compare what each activity asks of the participant: sustained movement, precision, strategy, close contact, public performance or frequent team interaction.
Precision or strategy-led activities may appeal to someone who is less comfortable with close-contact team sport. Others may prefer a cooperative group challenge to an individual attempt watched by everyone. These are preferences to explore, not labels to assign based on age, personality or job title.
For a Corporate Sports Carnival, variety also needs a workable route. Participants need enough time and capacity to try the alternatives. Our Singapore carnival planning guide covers rotations, station throughput and the supporting arrangements.
Set a participation target, then learn from the result
An ambition to include 80% or more of a group can be a useful design challenge. It is not a universal result or a guarantee. LyfeGo’s Team Bonding Experience uses an 80% active-participation target, with the programme designed around the group and agreed brief.
Decide beforehand who is counted and what active participation means. Report total attendance separately. Ask people what helped them join, what prevented participation and what they would change. Do not treat choosing a rest break as a failure of commitment.
Use those findings to improve the next experience. For an ongoing Employee Wellness Programme, participation patterns across several sessions can be more useful than attendance at one launch event.
What can an internal organiser do without a bigger budget?
Start by changing the brief: ask about preferences, review the intensity, plan mixed groups and explain what participation will involve. Check whether the existing budget could support fewer, better-designed activities rather than adding more stations.
An external partner becomes useful when activity adaptation, staffing, rotations and event coordination exceed the internal team’s time or capability. The value should be a coherent programme with clear responsibilities, not simply a longer list of sports.
A LyfeGo viewpoint informed by programme design and delivery experience.