Team building is the most important investment you’ll make for your business. This is because it plays a key role in employee motivation and productivity. Keeping employees motivated is a great part of running a successful organization.
What better way is there to boost the morale of your workers than to plan a team-building getaway? Well, before you plan that trip, here are 4 tips to guide you:
Don’t Focus on Work Stuff during Team Building Activities
Team-building events that don’t feel like a day at the office are the most effective and engaging. On the other hand, activities that are ostensibly designed to teach leadership principles or provide practical takeaways are less effective. This is because bonding occurs more naturally and efficiently when people spend time together, share an experience, or work together as a team. However, during the Covid 19 pandemic, a lot of people have started online team building due to not being about to meet in person.
Do Not Settle For a Regular Picnic
Learning and being happy, it turns out, are inextricably linked. As such, trying new things with your employees can boost employee morale, which benefits the company as a whole. Choosing an activity that is distinctive and somewhat outside of your worker’s comfort bubble can push them to interact in new ways.
For example, we once took our entire crew to the nation’s longest zipline. This was after I discovered a member of one of our groups was frightened of heights and had always wanted to overcome that phobia. At the end of the day, we felt united after being thrown into a fantastic adventure 600 feet over Whistler.
Remember, it’s an Investment and Not a Waste of Money
When we took our top-performing franchise partners to NASCAR racing a few years ago, we paid $350 per worker. Well, this wasn’t a huge sum, but it was nevertheless a significant sum for a growing business. Fortunately, at the end of the day, it was a completely rewarding investment because the entire crew felt valued. In addition, the sensation of screaming around a track at almost 145 miles per hour was amazing, and we all felt like champions.
What’s my point? This isn’t nonsense. You don’t have to spend a fortune on extravagant excursions or experiences. However, you shouldn’t skimp either. Instead, you must be ready to make a significant investment.
Carry the Positive Energy back to The Office.
Normally, a majority of team-building exercises fail because they are one-time events that are completed and then forgotten. Therefore, finding strategies to keep the excitement continuing is crucial. Always find ways for individuals to engage and interact outside of regular meetings or presentations.
For example, our daily office gathering is one way we do this. Every day at the same time, the entire company gathers for a quick stand-up discussion to check in on big projects and celebrate accomplishments. Our employees are also invited to share their list of life goals with one another. What’s more, we even made an app to make it easier.
Wind Up
Successful team building activities can be anything from visiting the Great Wall of China or learning a new language together. The goal is to bring people together and let them bond as a team.
That said, how can you tell whether you’ve done a good job in team building? Well, you’re on the right path if there was laughing, a sense of exhilaration and success, and maybe a few Instagram shots!