Strengthen your team bond at work
More work always gets accomplished when a team is working closely in harmony. This can sometimes be easier said than done. There are personality conflicts to deal with, introverted staff members and people who simply work better alone than on a team. Plus, times have changed since the pandemic. Companies are on flexible schedules, with employees often working from home or coming in on opposite days.
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Scott Kress, President of Summit Team Building, says, “Our work environment is constantly changing and Covid produced some of the most dramatic and time-compressed changes we have ever experienced. With so many teams working in remote or hybrid environments we have noticed several negative impacts on teams including decreased collaboration, increased silos, decreased creativity and decreased communication just to name a few. In-person meetings and conferences are critical to build relationships and connections that will combat some of these negative elements. Team building can accelerate relationship development making these in-person events more productive and valuable and enhancing communication and collaboration.”
Forced interactions between employees can be awkward, but to achieve a harmonious environment, sometimes team building exercises are necessary. These activities sure have come a long way over the years.
Dave Green is the “Chief Mysterious Officer” at Mystery Trip, a team bonding event company that creates unique experiences for corporations, conferences, incentive trips and more. He says, “Team bonding is important for a company because it takes co-workers out of their usual situation and helps people to see the human side of each other through fun. This helps them be more empathetic when they're back in the office, working in sometimes stressful situations.”
Mystery Trip truly makes colleagues come together in a bonding experience. “The ‘mystery’ is that none of the guests know what they'll be doing until they experience it,” says Green. “This unique twist is not just a gimmick, but an effective tool that promotes unity among participants. By keeping everyone in the dark, we are creating a shared experience that organically breaks down barriers and fosters genuine connections as guests are having a shared visceral experience. We believe in the philosophy of ‘true fun,’ which is where playfulness, connection and flow merge to create authentic, organic interpersonal interactions.”
Jumping into an adventure with people you’re not so familiar with, or even having up-close-and-personal interactions, can be daunting for some people. “At Summit we believe that relationship is the foundation of all high-performance teams,” says Kress. “As an introvert myself, we need to build relationships and comfort before we are comfortable interacting actively with the group. This development will generally occur over time, but team building can accelerate this process significantly.”
To create a bond amongst your staff, try a few of these ideas:
Ask hybrid staff members to come into the office on the same days, to get some face-to face time.
Plan in-office meetings with your full staff when they are on-site versus remote meetings when staff is at home.
Host a lunch-and-learn. Bring in an expert to discuss topics like communication, building trust or being a team player. Make sure your staff feels engaged, rather than being lectured as punishment. A guest speaker could run activities or games to encourage your staff to get to know one another.
Create short in-office bonding activities, like a scavenger hunt, a cookie exchange or Bingo over lunch. Keep activities during work hours rather than asking staff to give up their personal time. This can become a nuisance and then no one will be in the mood to put on a happy face.
Create after-hours bonding opportunities like sports teams, volunteering or doing some community service, taking a cooking class or starting a book club.
Be sure to find the right fit for your staff and clearly define your goals before you dive deep into a bonding experience. Kress says, “Each group is different and has different needs, so there is not a one-solution-fits-all approach.”