Team-building activities are often seen by companies as a splurge because its effects are not measurable. However, team-building activities can actually boost productivity in the long run! It is important to note that not all team-building activities will be successful. Some can be a waste of money, but well-run activities can leave employees motivated to work harder. A successful team building is tricky to conduct since employees often shy away from and dread them.
So, here are some tips to conduct a meaningful, valuable, and fun team-building activity!
Schedule activity during work hours
No one likes coming back down to work on a weekend. Team-building activities honestly do not sound very fun either. What’s worse is the combination of both - coming back down on a weekend for a supposedly fun team-building activity. Scheduling the activity during working hours make things much better; this way employees don’t have to dread the idea of missing a weekend with their loved ones.
Team-building should actually be fun
A very common mistake made when conducting team-building is that the takeaways are shoved in your employees’ faces. A team-building activity that is supposed to be fun turns into what feels like a dry lecture - to learn about leadership skills or effective communication in a group. Effective team-building doesn’t have to feel like work. As Scudamore writes:
People bond through common experiences. Find an activity that allows your employees to communicate and work together. Give them the opportunity to realise how important each and every one of them is in a team, instead of lecturing them on how it’s important they work together as a team.
Rewards
You can also get customisable Culturally workshop discount vouchers as a reward after your activity! *hint*
An activity without incentives is how you get a group of bored, unresponsive employees standing around. Cheesy ice breaker games and trust falls between employees is a definite no-no. Help your team members see why they should participate, get them excited over a unique activity with attractive rewards - winning team gets free drinks after work!
Winning
The feeling of failure isn’t motivating at all. It is important to ensure that your employees are able win their rewards by the end of the fun team-building activity. This will empower them to work harder when they get back to work after the activity.
Achieving success as a team
The primary goal of having a team-building activity is to encourage teamwork among the group. It is crucial that your employees realise success can only be achieved when they work together as a team through the activity.
It doesn't just end after the activity
Team building doesn’t just occur during the activity itself, it goes way beyond the session. It is very important to keep your employees inspired. Provide opportunities for your employees to be able to connect and catch up with one another. An activity with a follow-up - such as pottery - is an example of a good team-building activity. You spend a few hours making your very own ceramic together with your team, and get it back two weeks later! This prolongs the excitement of the team-building activity. This way, the cost of the team building session is spread over a longer time and thus more worthwhile!
• • •
Ready to plan your team building event? Culturally makes the complex end-to-end process fuss-free so you don't have to worry! Find out more.