What are team-building activities?
Team building activities are those activities or processes that are organized in an organization or workplace to foster team collaboration, create bonds between team members, and adopt best working practices. These activities might include organizing team activities, sports events, games, and spending quality time with teammates. The major purpose of organizing team building activities is to bring the teammates together in a fun and engaging way.
Why are team-building activities important in an organization?
There are several reasons why it becomes necessary to organize team-building activities in the organization.
Here are certain reasons why it is necessary to organize team-building activities in an organization or workplace:
1. To foster team collaboration
Majority of the times there’s a lack in the team collaboration between the team members in the workplace. To foster teamwork and strengthen interpersonal relationships between team members, organizations started organizing team-building activities which proved to be a game changer for organizations to foster teamwork in the workplace.
2. Boost employee morale
Team building activities plays an important role in boosting employee morale. When the accomplishments and achievements of employees beyond work are considered, they feel valued and motivated. These activities prove to boost self-confidence among employees.
3. Encourage creativity
These activities encourage creativity among employees by fostering an environment where everyone is encouraged to perform at their best. To outperform their teammates, everyone has to think and perform outside of the box. These activities not only promote creativity but also instill innovation among employees.
4. Improves communication
Every employee in the organization should have good communication skills. These skills play a core role in the success of an organization. Team building activities promote communication skills among employees. Team building activities involve group discussions, team discussions, problem-solving tasks, etc. These skills play a crucial role in enhancing both verbal and non-verbal communication in the employees.
5. Bridges gap between various departments
Team building not only promotes team collaboration within the team but also promotes team communication between various departments. Team doesn’t mean only a particular team such as sales or marketing, but it includes every team in the organization. It brings departments together and promotes cross-functional collaboration that will benefit the organization as a whole.
6. Enhance company culture
Team building activities enhance the culture of the company as a whole. Company culture includes norms, goals, and attitudes that prevail in the organization. Organizing team activities regularly enhances the overall culture of the organization and provides a space for every employee to understand each other.
7. Inculcate team spirit among employees
Team building activities inculcate team spirit among employees. These activities create a space for individuals to collaborate and communicate with each other, thus promoting a sense of team spirit. Moreover, these activities involve friendly competitions and achievements among team members.
List of team-building activities for a collaborative workplace
Here are various team-building activities for a collaborative workplace:
1. The Office Trivia
Office Trivia is a quiz competition or a game based on the popular TV show “The Office.” This competition usually involves asking several questions from the participants based on various events, plotlines, memorable events, etc. This competition also serves as a testament to check the observing power of the participants. This game can be played online and through various social media platforms. The questions in the game can vary according to your creativity level.
For example, questions might include:
“How many desks are there in our office?”
“What brand of microwave do we use in our office?”
2. Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower
It is a simple team exercise that is not only enjoyable but also helps people to think creatively, practice teamwork, and enhance team building skills. It is an inexpensive activity and a way to take a break from your hectic workday. This exercise is great for promoting team collaboration and testing a person’s skills.
For this activity, participants are required to use 18-20 spaghetti sticks, one-meter tape, one-meter string, and a marshmallow. The challenge is to build a structure with the marshmallow on top. After a certain time, the height of each structure is measured, and the team with the tallest and most stable tower wins the competition.
3. Salt and pepper
This game is very exciting to play as a team. Simply, you have to come up with a certain pair of things, such as sun and moon, salt and pepper, etc. Separate the parts of pairs on different paper cuttings. Then, pick one of the papers and paste it on the back of any person using tape. That person should roam around the office asking yes or no questions to guess the word on their back. The next step is to find the matching pair and learn three facts about the person with whom their pair matches.
4. Memory Wall
A memory wall is one of the great exercises as a team-building activity. This exercise provides a better understanding of the organization’s culture and helps to strengthen relationships among team members. To perform this activity, provide participants with a few sheets of paper. They are required to write down some of their good memories at the workplace. Then, stick all of their responses on a wall, which can be referred to as the “Wall of Memory.” Finally, engage with all the participants and ask them why this memory became their favorite.
5. Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a great team-building activity where all the participants are given a list of items they need to obtain to win the competition. The participants are required to solve riddles that provide clues to the items’ locations in the office itself. Some people confuse it with treasure hunting, but there is no treasure as such to be found; the items discovered are funny and undesirable. It’s a great way to build team collaboration and engagement.
6. Spider Web
The spider web is a great activity for employee engagement and team building. This game is ideal for a group of 6 to 15 members. You are required to collect a large ball of string, tape, and a pair of scissors. A web-like structure or hole is created, and everyone has to pass through it without touching the web. Ensure the hole is large enough for everyone to pass. If someone touches the web, they are out of the game.
7. Football /Cricket Match
Organizing football or cricket matches among various teams in the organization is a great way to foster collaboration. This is an ideal sports event for a team of 15 to 25 members. Organizations can use these sports events to promote inter-team collaboration. These matches not only enhance engagement but also allow everyone to showcase their skills.
8. Coffee Break
Coffee breaks are one of the great activities to promote team collaboration and engagement. Sometimes, great ideas come out of such short coffee breaks. These breaks provide a good opportunity for team members to socialize and improve their communication skills. According to research, one of the major causes of depression nowadays is the lack of social relationships with others. So, it’s necessary to take such coffee breaks once in a while.
9. Lego Challenge
The Lego challenge is one of the most common team-building activities to promote teamwork and collaboration. In the Lego challenge, you are required to build a diagram with exciting twists that only one team member is allowed to view. This activity helps people bring their creativity to the table and use it in various scenarios. With the right follow-up, this activity can contribute to better communication and engagement.
10. Blind Drawing Challenge
This activity is ideal for a small group to develop better communication skills and team collaboration. You need a sheet of paper and pens or markers. Pair people into groups of two. One person holds the image of a drawing, while the other has to draw the same. However, it’s not as simple as it seems. The eyes of the person drawing the image are blindfolded. The person holding the image has to describe it without stating what the image represents.
Conclusion
In conclusion, team-building activities are a great way to enhance employee engagement and team collaboration. An engaged team is more likely to perform better in the long run. The activities discussed above not only promote teamwork but also foster trust and creativity among team members.
By investing time and effort in organizing these activities, organizations can build stronger and motivated teams. It provides the best return on investment as organizations gain a team that is loyal to the organization. By nurturing a strong team spirit, organizations can create a positive and healthy workplace.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Team building activities helps to foster team collaboration, employee engagement and employee retention in an organization.
Various team building activities to foster team collaboration and employee engagement at workplace includes marshmallow challenge, lego challenge, football matches etc.
To host fun activities in the office, one can set up a gaming room where employees can relax from their hectic schedule.
