01 May 6 Great Team-Building Activity Ideas
Ready to reap the great benefits of team building? Here are some great ideas to get you started.
- Escape Room – Participants who love high-pressure challenges will get a kick out of escape room challenges. Players are placed into a physical adventure game where they must solve puzzles and riddles by using clues inside the room they are in to “escape” within a certain amount of time. Check Google reviews for the best local escape rooms.
- Scavenger Hunts – This game of finding specific objects challenges teams to find items on a predetermined list. Buying listed items isn’t allowed, making for a fun and challenging game for groups. For example, a list for an outdoor hunt may include nature items like a pinecone, something smooth, a round object, an entertainment poster, etc. It takes creative thinking and lots of conversation to gather every item off the list, which makes this a great icebreaker activity to include new hires in as well.
- Community Service – Do good as a group and give back to your community. Visit a soup kitchen, organize a roadside cleanup, or walk dogs at a pet shelter. Check out VolunteerMatch.Org to find local volunteer opportunities that are the perfect fit for your organization.
- Board Game Nights – Break out competitive games like Monopoly, Jumbo Jenga, Pandemic, and Charades, for team building and good laughs. Save games like Risk for another time unless you have a long time to play.
- Sports Games – The athletic fans in your office will love getting active in these team-building exercises. Flag football, tug-o-war, and human knot are great activities for an outdoor setting of team building. For those who would rather sit out, cheerleading and playing photographer are less-physical options that still get employees involved.
- Office Makeover – Is the office feeling a little stuffy? Hold a team lunch and discuss ways to make it feel more welcoming. A big budget isn’t necessary, either. Adding new art, live plants, and new lighting can quickly make an office feel much warmer. On a quiet day in the office, work together to makeover common areas with newly-purchased items or rearranged furniture.
As long as team building is properly developed and designed, the benefits of doing it regularly can greatly improve work performance. To support the team-building efforts, continue with strength-building activities that offer employees actionable ideas to take with them into their respective roles. After retreats or big events, follow-up workshops are recommended for office staff to continue reaping the benefits. Workshops can be as simple as HR giving a talk on positive communication styles, for example. Continuing education and learning with reinforcements are necessary, according to one study in the International Journal of Marketing and Human Resource Management. Workers tend to fall back into prior old habits once they’re back in the office.
Overall, the goal of team building is to bring staff together to have fun while building relationships for a better work environment. No matter the activity, managers, and team leaders should highlight individual and team efforts, offer constructive feedback, and create an enjoyable atmosphere to learn and grow. At the end of any team building event, ask employees for feedback via a survey. Make it anonymous so they’ll be honest, and take their answers into consideration for your next gathering. Ask what they’d like to see for the next team building activity. Their answers may surprise you.
