For instance, proper teamwork is a foundation of any successful business. With the right team mentality, an organization can effectively manage conflicts which may arise while at the same time fostering a collaborative work environment. It is only through team building that a cooperative atmosphere is established to allow employees to work and connect for improved performance. In fact, research has found that happy employees are highly motivated and are also more productive. As a manager or executive, it is best for you to ensure that your employees are not only happy but productive as well. This can be helped by encouraging team effort and togetherness since getting teamwork right makes your business more attractive to customers.
Just like any other activity, team building for many is easier said than done as many ends up getting the entire thing wrong. To help your organization get it right, here are 5 team building ideas that can help you get started.
- Community service
Community service is a great way for you to encourage bonding among the employees while giving back to society. You can do this in different ways such as park cleanup exercises, volunteering, donating items to local communities and children’s homes or organizing local food cooking and sharing events. Simple as it may seem, it spreads goodwill while also allowing employees to understand one another outside work.
2. Board Game Tournament
If you are looking for an inexpensive option for team building, a board game tournament is the right option for you. This is one of the ways in which you can elicit the competitive sides of the team members without necessarily getting them outside the office. Simply organize a team-based board game tournament such as chess, darts, Boggle and have them compete. You can include incentives or prizes to make it interesting. The results of bonding will be amazing.
- Office Trivia
Although bonding is the main intention of team building, it is not a crime to keep your employees informed about what is happening in the organization while ensuring that they bond. Office trivia is the best candidate to achieve this. You can create a trivia game based on almost any topic. Some might include company’s rules, testing interpersonal knowledge, protocol among other areas. Come up with prizes for winners to help create a competitive environment.
- Scavenger hunt
While indoor team building activities are good, nothing beats outdoor activities. Scavenger hunting is one of the activities which your employees can’t resist. Simply find a beautiful day, arrange people into groups and have them scavenger hunt around town. You can use apps like Stray Boots to organize this activity or do it manually. Scavenger Hunt not only enhances team building but makes team members feel rejuvenated and experience a new environment altogether. Team members can take pictures which you can share in the end to make it enjoyable.
- Improv Workshop
Just like comedy, improv events are not only full of fun but interactive as well. Such activities will have your employees laughing while at the same time learning useful soft skills such as focus and trust as well as communication skills. Depending on how much you want to spend on a team building event, you can play improv games either with your employees or bring professionals to run these activities.
Although some people may not value team building activities, it has been proven to be a critical tool for building not only a quality department but also an effective organization which is friendly to employees and to the customers. Encouraging your staff to get along is always a good idea.
