Team building events are created for a purpose. Local businesses might not have any experience with these activities, but they are designed to build chemistry, establish connections and ensure that company time is not all about professional targets and strict objectives. This is a chance to explore these options in more depth and why every brand should be using them to deliver better outcomes.
Empower Staff to Take Ownership
It is not enough for staff to just have input with team building events. They should be the ones who are managing and controlling proceedings in order for them to get the most value out of the time. If they feel as though they have a stake in the program and have the capacity to shape what occurs, then the outcomes are always improved. It is when they feel imposed that the results become underwhelming in these settings.
Review Case Studies & Examples
One of the most effective ways that domestic companies can take advantage of team building events is for people to review past case studies and take note of examples that have worked for other groups. They can be incredibly casual in nature, including general chats, lunches and virtual tours. They can be slightly more structured with board games, trivia and puzzles. Then there can be brainstorming sessions to trust exercises. Take note of what others have done and see how successful they are depending on team sizes and dynamics.
Target Events Around Desired Outcomes
Local enterprises that want to build a team spirit and rapport amongst department groups do not have to be random in their approach. In many examples, they will design the events around team and individual objectives that they want to achieve. From building leadership skills to creative thinking, problem-solving, breaking down barriers, enhancing communication and beyond, organisations have the ability to tie the team activity to the desired goal, ensuring that there is a real objective behind the program.
Consider Unique Engagement Methods
Team building events are ideally held on site with everyone available and present. However, due to various workplace demands and challenges that emerge, that is not always possible to achieve. This is where unique engagement methods are needed for operators to get involved and to feel as though they have a stake in the process. This might include online team building sessions as it encourages an ongoing dialogue and progress, even when there are staff members situated in remote locations.
Encourage Diverse Participation
If the idea around team building events is just for friendship groups and people who are already familiar with each other to remain in their own circles, very little will be achieved. Local businesses can take advantage of these opportunities by encouraging diverse participation. This might be split across department levels as it facilitates a cross-pollination of interaction to forge new relationships.
Make Sure Everyone is Having Fun
Team building events become wasteful exercises when they feel like an obligation and there is no real enjoyment to the activity. While this is hard to realise for everyone involved, fun should be the aim of the game as it encourages elements like creative thinking and communication amongst other features. There is a fine line between something that comes across as an obligation and a scheduled time to connect and have fun, but this is the balance that local companies will try and achieve.
Summary
For local businesses that want to get the most out of team building events, it is beneficial to follow this structure and ensure that the key points are front of mind. Have involvement and interaction to build connections and encourage fun, because company time can be incredibly stressful for professionals over the course of a year, month, week and day.
