Any business, whether you’re a tiny start-up or an established multi-national, can benefit from team building. Having a strong and cohesive team is vital to every company’s success, and team building and bonding can have positive effects on employees that are completely unrelated to company morale and culture. In other words, focusing on building a strong team will have many positive effects on the short- and long-term goals of your company.
So, what are some of the major benefits of team building activities?
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1. Fostering strong communication skills
What it comes down to is this: how well does your team communicate? If you had to play a 50-person game of telephone or navigate your blindfolded coworkers with voice directions, how would you do? A team that can communicate well in a team building activity is more likely to translate that skill set into the workplace.
Strong communication skills can help your team to accomplish work, delegate tasks, provide feedback, handle their own workplace concerns and issues, or even start planning their own social events outside of work. Learning productive communication skills in a team building setting can have positive effects on many other work-related projects outside of the activity itself. Accounting firms may not seem like they need to communicate, but at Genesa, we understand the importance of a team that communicates well.
2. Find and Keep Talent
A team that plays, learns and wins together, stays together. Team building can help to foster stronger bonds amongst coworkers and increase overall company morale. When people enjoy the work they do, as well as the people they work with, they’re more likely to stay with a company long-term. Retention of quality employees helps to cut down on the costs associated with hiring.
Companies that understand the importance of team building often focus on making sure their company culture is positive and engaging. Showing off a company with an amazing culture and a team that’s excited to come to work is the best way to find new talent. When a team seems genuinely happy to work together, it’s easy to find quality talent to bring on board.
3. Humanizing all levels of the team
Imagine seeing your manager singing karaoke, paddleboarding, or racing through an obstacle course. Seeing all levels of a team, from new hires to upper management, competing in a fun environment humanizes people who were previously just a job title. When employees are given the opportunity to get to know each other in an informal environment, where the focus is on having fun, it can make all members of the team seem more approachable.
4. Increased productivity
A happy team is a collaborative team. Team building activities aren’t just about learning how to communicate among coworkers. It’s also a great place to learn everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. This kind of knowledge and skill can help to increase productivity for individual projects as well as group projects. When a deadline is looming and you need help on one specific aspect, you know who would be best to ask.
Team building activities are about having your employees work together, and work together well. And when they do, they get to experience a win together. This creates the drive to win together again and again. But next time, the finish line will be a project at work rather than an escape room challenge or a timed puzzle.
5. Collaboration and creativity go hand-in-hand
Working together involves a lot of patience, communication and creativity. Working in a group towards a common goal is one of the best environments for masterminding new and creative solutions and ideas. When faced with a problem, a team must collaborate. This kind of group collaboration often means rapidly firing out ideas for a solution — much like a marketing mastermind or a team strategy session. When the problem is something fun, such as a riddle or a scavenger hunt clue, it can be a lot easier to offer up ideas without fear. Getting the creative juices flowing in these environments can get the ball rolling in the boardroom.
Team building is a vital initiative that every company needs to factor into their annual plan. Creating a cohesive team and a positive company culture can have long-lasting benefits on numerous aspects of any company. Planning a team building or bonding activity can seem daunting when you’re a part of it. Having outside help can mean a more inclusive, enjoyable team building experience. When no one at your company is in charge of the plan, everyone can be a part of the fun on the same level.
If you’re ready to bring some fun team building activities to your team, get in touch today. Your company deserves the kind of collaboration and communication that team building activities can bring.