Team building is the act of strengthening social relations to encourage success as a group and make it easier to work together more efficiently. Team building is a vital and functional part of a successful business, organization, sports team, or anything that requires a group effort – even your family can benefit from team building.
Team building requires work on both the organization’s leadership and its workers, stakeholders, or partners. The process allows everyone to get to know each other and facilitates working together successfully.
Team Building Activities
There are so many activities you can do with your team to encourage them to work together successfully. The trick, though, is to ensure that these activities are not work-related.
This way, they can leave the stress behind and truly focus on successful teamwork. One idea is to set up a scavenger hunt that allows your employees to move around and collaborate. Avoid activates that keep them separate as this defeats the purpose unless there is communication between each other.
Go to and Host Events Together
Do events together both inside and outside of work, such as hosting virtual happy hours or throwing a monthly group birthday party for co-workers born in that month.
Events allow people to relax and learn about their coworkers as who they are personally instead of as only a coworker. A favorite activity outside the office might be completing a virtual escape room or taking a fitness class together. Working together and reading through clues to escape the room as fast as possible and before time runs out will be fun and educational. The same can be said about working out together, with your boss.
Create Fun Icebreakers
Before you start your meetings, try to include some fun icebreaker activities. You can go around asking everyone the same question or even play a fun game where it involves everyone moving around and asking questions or pulling them from a jar.
NOTE: When running meetings, I LOVE having my whole team go around and share their mood rating and positive focus.
An example of this might be writing down a bunch of items or people that usually come in a pair like salt and pepper or SpongeBob and Patrick. Then take each of these pairs, separate them, and assign them to each employee.
Have the tape it to their back and have each employee find their pair. This will force them to walk around and ask questions. Eventually, you will see how fast everyone will come together to find each other's partners. Even if it may sound simple, it can be quite rewarding in the end to be able to communicate quickly that will encourage them more for future tasks.
Establish Team Rules and Goals
Rules exist to keep everyone on the same page. Rules provide a clear vision of what is expected. Avoid strict over the top rules that only lead to discouragement. Establishing clear goals and guidelines also allow your staff to know precisely what they need to do to be successful as a group.
Acknowledge and Reward
It is essential to encourage your team by recognizing them and offering rewards. Rewards do not always need to monetary. A good reward can be as simple as a morning coffee or a more extended lunch break. For your household, you can give people a break on chores or let them sleep in an hour.
Noticing and rewarding team members will make them feel more valuable and due that they’ll want to keep going and do better.
Implement these teambuilding strategies into your workplace, home, or anywhere that requires a group effort. Being able to bring a team together effectively takes time and work but will lead to prosperity and happiness.
