Well, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Not taking a break from work can lead to burnout, increase boredom, and easily ruin our well-being. Team building activities especially in new organizations can help break the ice and cultivate a good team spirit essential for collaboration, communication, and productivity within the team. Not to mention, a dysfunctional team can not only make the manager’s job hard but also put the team’s day-to-day functioning in vain. While recruiting new members in the team, corporate leaders especially look for individuals who are capable of being team players and love to work in a tight-knit team culture. Team building activities at work intend to beat employee blues and bring together a group of like-minded individuals. Explore these fun team-building activity ideas and tips for arranging them.
Psychologists who studied how to find meaning at work and job satisfaction found that kinship was among the top factors to add meaning to work, next to craftsmanship. Team-building activities increase kinship and improve communication among peers, directly impacting productivity.
In the same survey, it was found that only 30% of employees stay committed to their organization and feel passionate about their job. Nearly 93% of employees who reported feeling appreciated in a team claimed that they are driven to achieve their best at work. Team building activities when done right can be the perfect way to balance work and fun by sustainably avoiding burnout.
PPPC – The 4 Team Building Fundamentals
Consider these four essentials for forming and developing work teams:
- Purpose
- People
- Practices
- Connections
Together they make up the fundamentals of team building. They also focus on the essence and objectives behind the activity itself. Team building is a type of psychological training that uses games and activities to form an integrated team with a similar drive and desire for growth. The concept of a unique team spirit first appeared in sports administration in the 1970s and 1980s.
Managers do need to realize that team’s unity and solidarity, rigorous adherence to all assigned responsibilities, and mutual respect among colleagues are vital prerequisites for the organization’s success- all of which can be formed by team activities.
When organizing any team building activities at the workplace, keep in mind the following primary purposes:
- To build trust among coworkers
- Create a welcoming and psychologically safe workplace
Positive Effects Of Team Building Activities For The Company &Â Its Employees
- Employee stress reduction
- Boost the team’s trustworthiness
- People’s psychological relaxation
- A fun way to introduce new members to the team
- Avoids conflicts
- Cultivates the desire to work together
- Training on successful collaborative methods and tactics, as well as corporate culture
- Internal staff motivation
- Employees can rest, relax, and rejuvenate their minds
33 Virtual Team Building Activities & Friday Fun Ideas For After-Work
A casual environment helps unfold the identity of each team member. Here are some fun ways to hang out with your coworkers to build, bond, and connect well with them. Based on the season, location, and audience; team-building ideas can be categorized as the following.
1. Summer Team Building Games & Activities
- Golf
- Treasure hunt/Scavenger hunt
- Paintball
- Speed boat
- Canoeing
- Tug of war
- Paintball
- Team Football or Volleyball
- Music festival
- Team picnic with BBQs
- Attend/watch a local football match together with your team
2. Indoor Team Building Fun Ideas & Games
Indoor team building activities assist team members to know each other better, develop a strong bond for group interaction, form a winning strategy, and learn from each other.
- Laser tag
- Indoor Go-kart racing
- Shuffleboard
- Bowling
- Escape room
- Pictionary
- Indoor rock climbing
- Cocktail competition
- Foosball competition
- Karaoke night
- Trivia night
- Dance competition
- Wine tasting
- 5 Things in common
T play ‘5 Things in common’ – Divide participants into smaller groups and ask them to list five things they have in common.
It can be as simple as “I am a morning person” or as specific as “I like to have my coffee with milk & sugar.” The game creates a bond between the participants, encourages discussion, laughter, and contributes to the group’s sharing of personal stories.
3. Winter Team Building Activities
- Hit the slopes and organize a skiing competition
- Ice skating
- Ice hockey
4. Virtual Team Building Games
There are several challenges of running a virtual team, and having fun team-building games can be an effective way to combat this issue. Several online tools can be used to play team activities, for example, some online games have already integrated Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, and other communication channels.
- Virtual murder mystery
- Online Pictionary
- Solve a virtual escape room as a team
- Guess who’s childhood picture is this! – The game is to guess who is in the childhood picture. Team members anonymously share their pictures and the rest of the team has to guess it correctly.
- Virtual team travel – To play ‘Virtual team travel’ team members share the main sights of their city, local highlights, culinary specialties, etc, in a casual manner or as a brief presentation. This is especially suitable for global teams with diverse people to increase empathy and provide contexts to help colleagues better understand each other.
Team Building Situations And Types For Managers
A good manager understands the importance to organize fun team-building activities at work.
Good team-building tactics attempt to unite individuals toward a common objective, contribute to employee convergence, and enhance overall productivity. Team-building is a fantastic way to take a break from the monotony of the job, alter the mood, relax, have fun, and feel belonged to a group.
Choosing the right forms of team-building available is essential, as each group may enjoy different options.
- Creative
- Fun
- Extreme sports
- Team-building quest
- Culinary
- Intellectual
Concluding Thoughts
Team building activities are designed to encourage your employees to work together, enhance their strengths, and resolve any flaws. As a result, any team-building activity should emphasize collaboration over rivalry.
How do you have fun work? What are your favorite team-building activities so far?
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Key Takeaways On Team Building Activities At Work
Different Types Of Team Building Activities
Virtual Team Building
What Are Some Of The Advantages Of Corporate Team Building?
Team building activities have a better impact compared to employee bonuses and incentives to foster meaning, purpose, and kinship at work. Beyond just the team, its impacts enhance the company’s image in the market and welcome highly skilled individuals.
What Are Some Team Building Activities To Do At Work?
Some team-building activities that can be done at work are:
Ideas For Some Fun Team Building Games And Exercises To Follow At Work?
Some fun team-building games and exercises that you can follow at work are:
