Whenever you announce the date for your company’s upcoming annual team-building event, you probably sense that it’s often met with both excitement and apprehension by the employees.
There’s excitement because most of them would be genuinely happy to spend one less day working. But there’s also apprehension because some employees may feel shy about mingling with co-workers they don’t know yet. Others may be hesitant to engage in the competition (however friendly) with their higher-ups. Also, some may simply have no idea what spending a day with their colleagues in a more casual setting would be like.
When done right, team building events can become one of the recurring corporate events that everyone will actually look forward to participating in. And it’s always a great idea to ensure that your employees are all in; there are plenty of positive takeaways to be had that can be beneficial for your individual employees and for the organization as a whole.
Why Team Building Activities Are Important
Every company should include team building events into their yearly calendars for the following key reasons:
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Employees get to know their colleagues better
While all organizations typically have their share of social butterflies who are happy to walk up to people from other departments and strike up conversations, there are also a number of employees who are happy to engage only with the people they work closely with.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with staying inside your immediate circle, but you could be missing out on potential friendships or beneficial connections with other people in the company.
Team building events bring together employees who may not have been introduced yet or who do not come into work at the same time. Spending a day with new faces can help everyone become familiar with each other and can promote a friendlier, tighter workplace in the days that follow the event.
● The activities help encourage communication and build trust
The people who have never said “Hi” to each other before or never previously worked on the same projects will now get a chance to bond.
When you find yourself grouped together with people to perform a task and aim for a common goal, everyone is encouraged to share ideas, point out problems, complete specific functions, and coordinate with everyone else’s actions.
This encouraged communication helps everyone learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses keep everyone on the same page and teach them all to trust that each teammate will do their part to achieve the goals they are working towards.
● Taking a break from work can help everyone feel refreshed
Many employees often come into work every day, head straight to their desks, take their lunch break with a few people, get back to work, and clock out at the end of the day, then repeat the same routine tomorrow.
While people work primarily to earn a living, that doesn’t mean that they can’t have a little fun in the company of their colleagues. Knowing that they have team building activities to look forward to can help to uplift their mood and get them excited to do something different for a day (or two).
A team-building event can get employees’ minds off their current projects and correspondences with clients. This welcome break can help them find the rest and recreation that the brain and body need every now and then.
● Employees appreciate the company’s investment in them
When employers plan a team building event to bring their employees together, it’s taken as a good sign that the former has the latter’s best interests at heart. Team building events encourage employees to socialize, get out of their comfort zone, and indulge in a little fun and relaxation, and all of these can do wonders for their morale.
A happy work environment translates to more inspired, engaged and productive teams.
Exciting Ideas for Team Building Events
Companies often stick to programs featuring tried-and-true team building activities, such as trust falls and obstacle races, hoping that everyone will glean lessons on the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and camaraderie.
However, those traditional activities have been done time and again and may no longer work to effectively engage employees. There’s certainly more than one way to truly learn these lessons and build strong teams that work and play well together.
One of the best ways for companies today to ensure that their teams will have lots of fun and cultivate stronger bonds is to pick exciting new venues. Here are excellent ideas you can explore for your next team building activities in Dubai (or anywhere you are based):
1. Spend time in nature indoors
To add a fun twist to the usual team building activities, consider choosing a place that features a wide range of flora and fauna that will have everyone feeling truly immersed in nature.
An indoor rainforest, for instance, would showcase plants and animals that most people may not have encountered before. You could plan games, such as a scavenger hunt that would have teams looking for clues and moving from one section of the indoor park to another, or quizzes revolving around trivia about the different wildlife and vegetation found in this venue.
2. Splash around in a water park
Who wouldn’t enjoy a day spent in the sunshine and frolicking in swimming pools? Holding your team building event at a water park is an easy way to get everyone excited to join in.
Because there are several attractions to be found in water parks, you can choose certain pools to play simple water games in. Alternatively, you can do away with games and competition and simply instruct all teams to give every single water park attraction a try — from riding a floater down a lazy river to trying out the highest water slides.
3. Kick back and catch a flick at a classy cinema
Team building events don’t always have to involve games and friendly competition. They could also be a simple reward for the teams’ hard work. Perhaps you’d like to treat everyone to a movie screening at a luxurious cinema, complete with relaxing recliner seats and gourmet food and beverages served by waitstaff. Your teams could also pick the movie to view.
Of course, if you must have a game or two, consider hiring the cinema for exclusive use and having it set up for some activities after the film screening, such as a film trivia quiz.
4. Get families together in a kid-friendly zone
Finally, it’s a good idea to consider making your team building event all about getting to know your team members and their loved ones. Invite your employees to bring their spouses, kids, significant others or closest friends along in a place where everyone can unleash their inner child.
A theme park with attractions featuring popular characters is sure to be a big hit. Your employees will appreciate the chance to spend a fun day out with their partners, kids, and friends and to have them meet the people they work with.
Team building events can benefit organizations and their employees in more ways than one. Make your event this year the best one yet by thinking out of the box and doing something different that everyone will enjoy.
