How to increase productivity in your workplace with team building activities
Most workplaces consist of several different types of people. Let’s face it, a lot of these people probably wouldn’t socialise if they did not work together.
Team building is essential. Teams that know each other well work together well. Friendships in the office can also make the work environment a much better place and your employees will be more willing to come to work.
Companies that understand the power of teamwork will invest heavily in team building activities and events to help encourage a better relationship between staff members. Here is a list of fun ideas to try with your staff.
Team building activities that make you think
Escape Rooms
There is no better way to get your staff to work together than with lateral thinking puzzles in a race against the clock. It’s worth looking up the best escape rooms in your area to ensure you find one with both good reviews and good group deals.
Trivia Nights
You could hire someone, organise your own, or find a local bar that offers trivia. Depending on your organisation and what you’re trying to achieve, you can split your teams in different ways. Department vs Department will encourage teamwork within existing teams. Alternatively, splitting departments up evenly between teams can be a good way of getting your employees to mix socially outside of their usual groups.
Public Forum
It can be empowering to give everyone the chance to discuss their ideas for improving the company or processes. Ensure everyone gets the opportunity to get up and talk about something for 5-10 minutes each.
Egg Drop
If your office has multiple floors or roof access, you can see which team can make the best protective enclosure for dropping a raw egg from a height without breaking it. This can be a lot of fun, as most staff will have strong opinions on what will work and can discuss out their ideas to plan the best strategy.
Team building activities that involve food
Team lunches at a Restaurant
Perhaps the most natural and easy to organise team event is a group lunch at a nearby restaurant. You’ll find that most staff will be more than happy to get out of the office and get a free meal and won’t even recognise that this is a team-building exercise. Sit-down meals are the perfect environment for starting conversations with those sitting around you. It can also encourage people from different departments to sit near people they don’t regularly work with and learn more about each other.
Takeaway Lunch
If your office is far away from any good restaurants or you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, you can host it in your lunchroom. Pizza is typically the easiest food for sharing in an office environment. Getting a selection of flavours is always a must, but be sure to buy extra of the popular flavours. Try to avoid too many that include seafood or olives as not everyone will eat those.
Office BBQ
If your office has a barbeque or you can easily bring one in, this can be the most economical way of cooking for everyone. Naturally, barbeques are a social event, so it should initiate some social banter between people while they wait in line for food and while they eat. Be sure to remember some vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Cooking Classes
There is a variety of interesting cooking classes available around most major cities. The options are broader than you might imagine. There are even sausage making courses and cocktail classes.
Other team-building ideas
Video Games
A video game console in the lunchroom with a few controllers and multiplayer games is a good way to organically encourage socialising.
Board Games
Buy a collection of popular board games and card games that can be kept in the office. Encourage people to bring their own. Aim to get games that are easy to learn and can be played within the confines of a lunch break, so not Monopoly. Depending on the type of business you run, some games might be more appropriate than others. Some games might be good for teachers, then there are also games for marketing teams.
Table Tennis Table
If you have the room, you could buy a table tennis table, pool table, arcade machine, foosball table or some other kind of multiplayer entertainment to put in your lunch or break room. Get input from your team about what kind of activities they want you to invest in. These things can take up a lot of space so you’ll want to make sure it gets used.
Tree planting days
Find out about any local tree planting days in your area or reach out to your local council to see if there is any public land you could organise a tree planting day. Not only is this great for the environment, but it encourages teamwork and will make everyone feel like they’ve done something beneficial for the planet.
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There’s a lot of fun ways to get your team communicating and working together. To make your next team building event a success, consider asking your team what events interest them to ensure you have feedback from everyone.