5 Team Building Activities Your Employees Actually Want to Do
There is a difference between a group of coworkers and a team. Coworkers are just that – workers who happen to have the same workplace. A team, however, is a cohesive group that collaborates and supports each other. When your employees work together as a team, the whole company is more productive and successful.
Unfortunately, team building has a poor reputation. The expectation for team building is usually silly games and awkward bonding exercises. But when done right, team building can strengthen collaboration and improve morale. Here are some ideas for team building exercises and activities that will actually boost your workforce instead of leave them scratching their heads.
Take a Field Trip
One of the best ways to build camaraderie in your workforce is to create an opportunity for them to interact freely, without the pressures of work around. This can be anything from a group lunch or picnic to a bowling night or holiday party. The key is to encourage your employees to get to know each other outside of the office. By building personal relationships, you’ll find that they work better together and trust each other more while at work.
Volunteer as a Group
Another great team building exercise is group volunteer work. Allow your employees to pick a charity to support as a group, then develop a plan for how you can assist them. Some common ideas are group fundraising efforts, out-of-office volunteer work, or a corporate sponsorship and events. Along with supporting a good cause, volunteer work can help your employees find meaning in their professions and make an impact on their community.
Develop Skills and Knowledge
One way to ensure your employees stay fulfilled at work is to offer opportunities for professional development, especially when those opportunities line up with the employee’s talents or interests. For instance, if you have employees with strong leadership qualities, place them in management or team leadership workshops. Allow your marketing team to attend industry conferences or events. Give your legal assistants hands-on training with new software and tools. Educational opportunities and challenges can boost productivity and inspire your employees to perform better.
Find Shared Goals
Work might be what your employees all have in common, but goals are what they’re all striving for. By finding – or creating – shared goals, you give your employees a reason to work together and a target to work towards. A goal can be anything, from increasing revenues to earn a bonus to winning an industry award. The key is to make sure all your employees can contribute to the goal, and that they all know how their contribution affects overall progress.
Mix Up Teams
It’s easy for workplaces with different teams to become secluded or cliquey, and it can be tough for new employees to find their place in stratified businesses. That’s why you should make sure your teams interact and work together regularly, and give employees the chance to work with colleagues they might not get to otherwise. Aside from breaking up barriers between teams, this collaboration can also lead to sharing and insights your teams might not get any other way.
At Neese Personnel, we can help you come up with stimulating workplace and staffing strategies no matter what your business or industry you’re in. Call our staffing agency today at 405-942-8551 to learn more about how we can help you, or visit our Facebook or LinkedIn pages to get more updates about our company and work.