Which of the following topics is best suited for a short team-building message?

where ever your teams are based, keeping them connected is key

Here are the benefits team building activities can bring...

As we move into a future where many companies are embracing hybrid working, team building activities will be more important to help keep your people connected where ever they're based. 

These activities can range from a short problem to solve which can be done online to face to face games like a scavenger hunt. And whilst some people see team building as a ‘nice break’ from regular work, they do have a purpose. This is to develop the skills and knowledge of your staff as well as help build rapport between your teams.

If you can organise team building activities that have a purpose and objectives behind the planning, then your organisation can reap a range of benefits. Here's just a few benefits of team building activities:

connect remote teams

Remote team building has the power to build stronger relationships which will in turn improve productivity, retention, engagement and morale, and shouldn’t be overlooked. Team building is a great excuse to pull members of teams together who may not always work closely during their day-to-day responsibilities. 

If you have a number of employees split across multiple locations, or a team of remote workers, taking the time to allow them to build their relationships within the team and outside of the project deliverables can have a huge impact on how well they work together going forward. This also allows for team members who may be quite isolated to feel closer to the wider team and help improve their connection to the business and their peers.

Increase motivation:

Team building can help increase employee motivation and nurture a successful company culture in a number of ways. When a group of employees successfully complete a team building activity it creates momentum and makes them feel good about themselves - it increases employees’ confidence in their, and their team’s, ability and it also shows employees that the organisation is willing to invest in them.

IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY:

Improving productivity is one of the most common goals of team building activities. Take the opportunity to identify ways to improve the 'three Ps' that can affect productivity:

• Policies
• Processes
• Procedures

By encouraging employees to learn to work together more effectively and reduce duplication of effort, your employees can work more efficiently.

Increased collaboration

One of the most important benefits of a properly planned team building activity is greater collaboration between employees. Collaboration is about knowing who has what knowledge (or can answer to a question), trusting them and their experience and being able to get access to that person when you need it. By creating activities that people enjoy and can experience as a group, employees can build relationships and develop networks of contacts outside their day-to-day role that will help them in the future.

Encourage creativity

To have a successful business based on creativity and innovation you need to employ different people with diverse perspectives and expertise in order to “cross-pollinate” the organisation with fresh ideas. Out-of-the-ordinary team building tasks give employees permission to use their imagination to come up with creative solutions, and they send the message that creativity in the workplace, and bouncing ideas off each other, is encouraged.

Positive reinforcement

Team building can also be used to provide recognition to employees by highlighting the work specific employees are doing and the behaviours that have lead to the recipient receiving the recognition. By incorporating recognition into the team building you can send a strong message to every attendee about your company values and what that means to the success of the organisation.

Improved communication

Perhaps the key benefit of a properly planned team building activity is improved communication between employees. Enjoyable, fun activities enable employees to get to know each other, create a better understanding of each other and break down walls of mistrust by encouraging people to focus on what they have in common rather than their differences.

Team building activities can be a powerful way to develop collaboration and trust, improve motivation, nurture strengths, and address weaknesses. However, they need to be have a real purpose and be properly planned in order to make a genuine impact.

do you know the types of behaviours you should be promoting?

Team building activities can help you to build both a positive company culture and the types of behaviours that make businesses thrive - but what are these exactly? Download our free cheat sheet to find out!