Your business may employ talented workers who are productive and efficient within their individual roles. But inevitably, a time comes when employees must go beyond their specific duties and come together as a team. This is often the case when starting a new corporate initiative, or in response to a company crisis, or the launch of a new product or service.
Why are teams and team-building efforts so important to company culture?
According to Outback Team Building, team-building helps “foster trust throughout the entire business,” promotes more effective “communication and problem-solving skills,” enhances a company’s engagement and retention efforts, and promotes “agility, innovation, and creative thinking that help small businesses thrive.”
Here are five creative strategies to boost team efforts within your organization:
In this exercise, team members compile images from prior team-building activities “and pin them on a wall in the workplace where people commonly gather and socialize,” according to TriNet. Employees can also share “what they are most looking forward to in this upcoming year.” This is a great way for team members to get to know each other better.
Volunteering as a group in the community where a business is based is another tried-and-true team-building activity. You may already be affiliated with a local charity or volunteer group, but to help ensure employee participation, ask them about “causes that are meaningful to them,” notes JSG & Associates. After all, the “more engaged and emotionally invested your team members are, the more likely they will sign up to volunteer.”
Another fun activity is engaging in an escape room activity. This is “a themed challenge event where players collaborate to find clues, complete tasks, and solve a variety of puzzles,” notes Mind Tools. The theme or scenario may vary, but in general, team members participating in this exercise must decipher clues and act on them within 45-60 minutes. Imaginary scenarios can range from “solving a crime, rescuing a hostage, finding treasure, or stopping an imaginary threat.”
Banding together to address a fictional situation is a great way to expand a team’s ability to work together in a time-limited fashion.
A virtual trivia contest is another way for individuals (especially remote workers) to bond. This approach encourages working together to answer a trivia challenge, as well as supporting analytic reasoning and the ability to solve problems.
When planning this event, put together a wide range of topics for the competition. “A mix of pop culture, history, science, company facts, and general knowledge will keep participants engaged and prevent the trivia from becoming monotonous,” notes Team Games. It’s also helpful to adjust the level of difficulty so participants can address both easy-to-answer and more complex trivia questions.
The great thing about a company scavenger hunt is that, at one time or another in their lives, most employees have taken part in this form of fun activity. A well-planned and executed scavenger hunt is an enjoyable way to “engage employees, engender team spirit, competitiveness, and a desire to attain goals, complete tasks, solve problems, and overcome challenges,” notes StrayBoots, “just like every day at the office.”
Whether it’s a hunt for objects around the office, an online search-and-identify exercise, or a hunt involving local businesses and/or museums, bookstores, and other venues, this is an effective way to encourage people to work together. Careful planning around team-building activities centers on making sure everyone is included in the efforts.
“It is essential to do a variety of activities so that everyone has a chance to join in comfortably at some point or another,” notes Team Building Hub. When crafting a team-building activity, be sure to consider any physical limitations individuals might have, or, if considering wine tasting or happy hours “may cause some team members to feel left out.” Avoid strategies that fail to engage employees throughout the company.
Want to learn more about getting the most from your workforce? Register for our free TAB white paper, “9 Tips for Motivating Your Best Employees.”