Team Building: Why You Need Them and What To Do

I know, I know, hearing the phrase “team building activities” probably makes you and/or your employees roll their eyes. However, they are what help build a strong team that is loyal to one another and your company. According to a survey done by Queens University of Charlotte, 39% of surveyed employees believe that people in their own organization don’t collaborate enough. When people don’t collaborate they get stuck in their own silos, negatively affecting creativity and productivity.

Team building doesn’t have to result in a big company trip that costs a lot of money or a bunch of silly games, although those can be effective and fun if you let them. You can set up team building activities right in your office.

Outside of the Office Activities:

1. Do A Ropes Course

Doing a ropes course challenges people’s confidence, fears, and trust of other team members. This is one of the most impactful and widely used out of the office team building activities. When people get up high and have to rely on their teammates to make it through, you’ll begin to notice who the leaders are and who works well together. You can gain a lot of insight into your work culture and dynamics with this activity.

2. Company Picnic

This doesn’t sound like a “team building” activity, yet it is. “50% of the positive changes in communication patterns within the workplace can be accredited to social interaction outside of the workplace” according to research found by StackHands.com. Think about it, people getting to know each other and their families outside of a stressful work environment builds camaraderie. It gives people an investment into each other beyond the work they do.

3. Take a Day Trip

Reward your teams by taking them on a day trip. Whether it’s to a spa or just to go out to lunch and go bowling, getting out of the office as a team can do wonders for your work environment. Yes, you may have to pay a little extra for this one, but the dividends it will bring back to you is worth it. “Increasing employee engagement investments by 10% can increase profits by $2,400 per employee, per year.”

In-Office Activities

1. Celebrate Employee Milestones such as birthdays, work anniversaries, success on the job, etc.…

Creating a culture of celebration in the workplace not only motivates people to work hard but also allows them to feel recognized for the hard work they’ve done. You don’t have to keep it to just work achievements either. Find out through an anonymous survey what your employees would like to celebrate. This will help you feel in tune with your employees and vice versa. In fact, “Job turnover at an organization with a high focus on company culture is 13%, but 48% in companies with a low focus.”

3. Team Building Games

We couldn’t make it through the entire blog and not talk about actual team building games. While they may be people’s least favorite, they have strong teaching principles tied to them. “People typically only retain 20% of what they hear. However, when involved in active learning such as a training game, they retain 90% of the information presented to them.” Team Building games are easy to find online. Just type in “team building activities” into Google search engine and you’ll get a whole list.

CONCLUSION:

Still rolling your eyes? We hope not! Team building activities are highly effective and help improve your business on many levels. Engage with your employees, celebrate their accomplishments and reward them as a team. You’ll soon find that your turnover has decreased, your profits have increased and your employees are more loyal than ever.

One Way To Building a great team is onboarding your employees well. Get our free 90-Day Onbaoarding Timeline!