Forced fun, mandatory merriment — it’s enough to strike fear into the heart of even the most enthusiastic employee. Surely fun can’t be scheduled — that just takes the fun away.
Team-building activities have got to be clever. We all know that having fun can result in big laughs and a warm fuzzy feeling, and that happy colleagues are the most productive and engaged. And we know that team building is carefully designed to get the best out of staff for business success. But how do you combine the two so that your employees feel relaxed and comfortable — while the company sees that all-important ROI?
In addition, today’s work environment is often a hybrid one, with some staff working in the office, and others working remotely — so you need team-building activities to be inclusive.
It’s a tough one, but we think we’ve cracked it. Take a look at the ideas below to see why it’s vital for managers to keep their teams engaged, (now more than ever), and how fun team building for professionals really is possible.
Crafty capers
Your team might be working remotely, in the office, or a mixture of both, so it’s all the more important to encourage them to work cohesively. Employees need to feel that they’re well supported by their other team members, no matter where they are. When your employees get on well together, still having ‘office’ banter despite working in different locations, they will be happier in their job, wanting to work to the best of their abilities.
The Art Heist Escape Room is an ideal choice for teams spread across various locations. Priceless paintings, grand settings, glamorous people, ingenious getaways — the lure of an art heist! In fact, a heist is usually carried out by a team combining their different skills, working as a unit, to ultimately split the prize — or in this case, catch the thief. Managers and junior staff will find themselves on a level playing field, trying to crack codes and find hidden objects using augmented reality. Whether you’re sitting with your colleagues in person, or watching each other's reactions on a screen — this is ideal for combining a bit of fun with employee engagement. It’s an action-packed 90 minutes — you’ll be working as a team to think logically and make quick decisions — while keeping remote teams connected.
A ‘night out’ from your living room
Many people have found it hard to adapt to the ‘new normal’ of working remotely, sometimes going for long periods of time without seeing anyone in person. Some will have had feelings of loneliness or sadness and that can affect their work.
Team-building activities specifically designed for professionals can help your staff to realise that they’re not alone and that they have a whole team behind them! If their work communications are their only contact with people throughout the day, it’s important that they’re positive.
A fun way of combining team building with socialising is to organise a virtual wine and cheese tasting event. Wine and cheese pairings are delivered straight to each team member’s door in preparation for the activity (who wouldn't love receiving a gift box of cheese and wine?!). At your event time, a maestro talks your team through all the varieties using Facebook Live — and you get to tuck in.
Relaxing, sniggering with your colleagues as you guess the floral notes, learning some fun cheese facts and wine lingo — all without missing the last train home! And as an added bonus, one study found that wine and cheese is good for the brain — if you need an excuse...
Team Bond
Fancy yourself as a bit of a 007? Here’s a Bond-styled treasure hunt, in a face-to-face, outdoor setting. Your team will infiltrate the area undercover, working together to track down the culprit by piecing together clues. This is the perfect activity to get some fresh air — and a fresh perspective.
If employees work individually on a shared project, without understanding what other team members are doing, communication can break down, misunderstandings happen, projects go over-time and over-budget. If you’re working as part of a team on one project, coordination is vital.
This in-person team-building activity will help your staff to apply critical thinking to problems as a team, allowing them to see each other's strengths and weaknesses. Next time they work together, they’ll have a better understanding of how to distribute the tasks. The experience will also open up new channels for communication, as staff have got to know each other better in a relaxed and fun environment.
Virtual away day
If you’re proud of your company culture, you’ll want to maintain it while your staff work remotely. Usually after a staff away day, the office will be buzzing as they relive the funny moments. That human connection is important. Virtual away days allow new members of staff to get to know everybody and let established staff members to re-connect. But — how is a virtual away day possible?
The idea is that you still ‘leave’ your office. By calling it an ‘away day', you stress the fact that the staff are taking a break from their workload — a virtual step away to remove themselves from their everyday professional routine. Our virtual away days offer friendly competition and plenty of fun — for up to 250 people!
This type of away day is redefining the traditional office trip. If they were organised badly, away days of the past could all be a bit, well...meh. With a virtual away day, there are no more travel or hotel expenses, no tedious journeys, no basic executive rooms and stale croissants. And employees with children will find it easier to attend.
Innovation is the key to business success. Team building has evolved to combine fun with increased productivity and targeted objectives. After a successful team-building activity, professionals will feel valued and wholly involved in working towards the company’s shared goals.
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