We all know that team-building events can help boost productivity and employee morale. But it’s difficult to see how this translates into a company’s return on investment.
Discover five benefits of team-building events as well as a few tips that can help you create a special event day.
5 Benefits of Team-Building Events
Some of the most common benefits of team-building events include training employees, introducing remote workers, encouraging creativity, and more.
Train Your Employees
One of the main reasons most companies organize team-building events is to train their employees. Yes, it’s probably not the main reason why you’d invest in a team-building event, but it can be an added benefit to planning a day of morale-boosting fun.
Consider your team’s needs before planning the big event day. What types of challenges do they often face? Do they need training on communication, organization, or empathy? How does each team member handle conflict? Are there company policy updates they’ll need to learn?
All of these challenges are commonly tackled during team-building events.
Introduce Remote Workers
Welcome to the new normal. Nowadays, it’s common for some employees to work in the office, some to work at home, and others to work halfway across the country (or around the world).
And while there’s nothing wrong with this new norm (in fact, we kind of love it!), it is incredibly important to gather your team together monthly, quarterly, or annually, to get some in-person face-to-face interaction.
Save yourself some time and effort by scheduling a team-building event instead of sitting around conjuring up dull icebreakers.
Get Creative Juices Flowing
We get a lot of requests for team-building events to help coworkers break through creative blocks.
Just about every team can get into a creative rut from time to time. And there’s not much you can do to prevent this. Just as creative flow is a part of life, so are creative ruts.
What you do have control over is how you respond to these challenges. Team-building events challenge participants to think creatively, get outside their boxes, and work together to use their critical thinking skills.
The key is to NOT center the activity around a work issue or work content. Let them participate in a creativity-inducing activity that has nothing to do with the typical work day. This will give them an opportunity to really explore an idea or concept. Otherwise you’ll be right back “at work!”
Improve Morale
Sometimes we all need a break from our regularly scheduled programs.
Low morale isn’t necessarily a sign that something is “wrong” in an office environment. Sometimes it’s just an indicator that we need to shake things up a little — outside of the office.
When we’re constantly working hard, we can suffer from burnout, stress, and anxiety. All of this can lead to poor morale.
Getting your team out of the office (and giving them a break from the same-old, same-old) can help boost morale and prevent the negative effects of languishing. In short? It can be just the refresher they need to improve their productivity and be their best selves in the office.
Enhance Soft Skills
Soft skills are becoming more and more important — both in and outside the office.
Employers no longer want workers to just complete their small piece of the puzzle and clock out for the day. They want employees who are engaged and excited to excel at their jobs.
Soft skills, such as communication, empathy, organization, and more, can all be improved by team-building events and activities.
It’s these skills that team-building events are especially good at honing. When employees work together to solve challenges, attack problems from new angles, and learn about themselves and their peers, they are developing these all-important soft skills.
Team-Building Event Tips
Ready to create an unforgettable team-building event day? We’ve got a few tips that will help you plan a successful event to inspire your team and boost morale.
Consider Your Team’s Needs
Every team has its own unique team-building needs, and just about every team could benefit from team-building activities.
Before scheduling an event, ask yourself (and your team) what skills need improving — or what your team needs to be successful. Scheduling one of these events isn’t just about bonding or learning basic skills; it’s about supporting your team’s needs and overcoming challenges.
No two team-building events look the same. While team-building event companies, such as Feet First, create events that can help many teams, each team has its own specific needs.
Create an Event for the Whole Team
It’s important to find out what everyone on the team needs to be supported and wants to spend an entire day focused on.
Find out what types of team-building events are appealing to your team, and make sure to ask everyone on the team. Sure, you won’t get everyone to agree, but you will be able to rule out some event options.
Some members of your team might have special needs. You don’t want to spend time and money planning your big day — only to discover that one of your teammates can’t participate and you’ve inadvertently excluded them.
Connect Team Building to Work
Make sure you know your “why” for scheduling a team-building event. That way, you can connect the event to your team’s needs.
Again, most team-building events aren’t breaking any molds. They’re often variations of scavenger hunts, cooperation activities, and bonding rituals. Figure out what your group needs and find the most creative and “different” way to achieve those goals.
Don’t forget to make it clear why you’re scheduling a specific event. And after the event? Schedule some time to discuss the activity and keep the creativity and good vibes flowing by making it even clearer how the skills gleaned on the event day translate back into office life.
Hire a Professional
Creating a team building event isn’t an easy feat. In fact, it can be downright challenging to plan an entire event — all while running a business. And even if you WANT to do it yourself, be aware that these types of activities are received better by your people if they are presented by someone from outside of your organization. This way there are no preconceived ideas at the start of the event.
One of the best ways to ensure success on the day of your event is to hire a professional.
At Feet First Events, we have decades of cumulative experience creating and organizing team-building events.
Not only can we take care of the nitty-gritty nuts and bolts of scheduling an entire day of learning and bonding, but we have several tried-and-true events that we can tailor to any organization’s needs.
