Team-building activities give your team a chance to connect, learn, and grow. However, not all team-building activities are created equally equal. Read on to learn why some team-building activities fail, and which ones you can use to thrive.
Why Engage in Team-Building?
Why bother with team-building activities Are team-building activities worth the effort? There are plenty of other ways to ensure that your team is effective, from focusing on their connectivity and communication skills to giving them frequent praise. So why bother with team-building then?
Team-building activities are a purposeful and effective way to build trust, decrease conflict, and make your team more cohesive, according to Forbes. Teams that participate in frequent team-building activities are more communicative, trusting, supportive, cohesive and united.
When Team-Building Fails
Team-building that feels like work isn’t fun, according to Forbes. No one wants to take time out of a busy workday to spend it on an activity that feels like more work. Team-building that is dull and boring creates dissatisfaction within your team. SHRM says that team building activities often fail because team members feel like the activities are a waste of their time.
The frequency of your team-building matters. Because team-building is often a one time; or infrequent event, the team doesn’t feel connected and valued on an ongoing basis. Activities to boost your team need to occur regularly, instead of just once. While you may see a quick improvement in team morale from one team-building event, which will quickly dissipate. Your team needs to connect regularly to keep morale high.
Team-Building and Thriving
Now that we know what not to do, how do we get team-building right?
SHRM suggests creating frequent team-building activities and linking those activities to a clear goal. For example, create a schedule for how frequently you would like your team to engage in activities dedicated to team-building, and create a measurable goal for each activity. Talk with your employees and see what type of activities they would be most interested in, and take into account any activities that are physical or time-consuming. Remote teams have to participate in activities suitable to a virtual environment so that all members are welcome and included.
The right team-building creates trust and collaboration within your team, says Forbes. One of the best ways to build morale within your team by taking our unbiased assessment and getting to know yourself, and your team. Your team members will get to know the inner workings of their own minds, and then learn how they relate to each other as a team. You’ll be able to assess team weaknesses and strengths and learn ways to grow together as a cohesive unit.
