Team Building Days: Expensive Corporate Jolly or Essential Staff Investment?
How is your office team working? You may think everyone is getting along fine, but what if some of your staff members are not as motivated to contribute to the success of your company as they could be? Who knows, there could be simmering personality clashes you’re not aware of. In any team, good collaboration and cooperation are the keys to success, so is there anything that can be done to hone the efficiency of your workforce?
The mission of the team building industry is to address just that. What’s on offer is a wide range of activities that take place away from the desk and are aimed at achieving better workplace relationships which, ultimately, will have a positive impact on your company’s processes and goals.
There are many group activities that lend themselves to being team building exercises. They range from short, problem-solving sessions to one-day events and even longer retreats. Choose from Bushcraft Survival Courses, Sushi Masterclasses or Ice Sculpting Workshops, Treasure Hunts, Climbing Wall Sessions or Chocolate Making Classes… the options are truly bewildering and limited only by your budget and imagination.
Are team building outings worth doing? Some people see them as a welcome break from the office routine, which of course they are. But it’s much more than that: their purpose is to provide high impact-learning, improving communications and team skills, while at the same time raising morale and productivity.
Your employees will have gained a real sense of accomplishment through a shared experience with their co-workers. Refreshed and back at the office, new found problem-solving and relationship management skills can be put into practice.
Better communication and trust
One of the key elements of every team building event is the development of communication skills among team members. Fun and enjoyable team activities are a great way for your workforce to get to know each other better, encouraging them to interact in a casual, non-work related environment and focusing their energies on a common goal. This cooperation leads to deeper rapport and understanding, while relationships are enhanced by a greater degree of trust.
Best activities: It’s a Knockout, Climbing & Abseiling, Paintballing,
Collaboration and productivity
The collaborative nature of team building exercises encourages individuals to work together more effectively, making full use of all the knowledge and experience pool within the team. By creating activities for the team to enjoy and experience together, interpersonal relationships are developed, while learning the value of different approaches that people bring to a problem helps to streamline operations. These insights can then be transferred to the office environment.
Best activities: Crystal Maze, Treasure Hunt, Bushcraft Challenge
Creativity and problem solving
Out-of-the-ordinary team tasks are a useful way to develop people’s imagination and creative thinking skills in an effort to find solutions to problems. Creativity and innovation are highly prized business values that drive many organisations. Give your team a chance to bounce ideas of each other, using the teambuilding outing as a less pressured environment in which to move forward towards achieving a common goal, successfully navigating many hurdles along the way.
Best activities: Jewellery Making, Cookery Classes, Raft Building
Motivation and recognition
Sending your workforce on a team building day sends a strong message to your employees that you acknowledge and recognise their input at work. Praise and recognition go a long way towards staff morale – everyone feels good about getting a pat on the back. Motivated employees are will try harder to achieve corporate objectives, and are likely to stay with the company for longer.
Team building exercises can be a valuable tool to create team cohesion and pride. Successfully completing a team task gives everyone a confidence boost. Better and more trusting relationships with colleagues are the result, making coming to the office something to look forward to.
Best activities: Treasure Hunt, Assault & Obstacle Courses, Beer Brewing
Article provided by Mike James, an independent content writer working together with UK experience day provider Into the Blue.
