Collaborative. That’s the business adjective of the moment.
And why not? Having a collaborative working environment leads to teams that can really trust and depend on each other—a serious benefit to any organization. It improves communications—ever-critical in our modern, fast-paced world—lessens the potential for conflict, and even bolsters skillsets in ways not thought possible. And if your team is energized, well, that’s just a group of engaged employees which we all know is killer for a bottom line. Creating and fostering a collaborative working environment, however, is easier said than done. While many organizations like to toot their own horn about how agile and kinetic they are, isolated and distant teams are still very much the norm. There is a solution and man, you’re not going to like hearing it: Team building exercises.
Ah man, team building exercises? Did you really just say that?
Yes, we did. Yes, we know that the phrase “team building exercise” can make workers cringe and wince with memories of trust falls, truths and lies, and bumbling outdoor activities. However, believe us when we tell you it’s a new day for these kinds of experiences. (No, really! We at Aliat ourselves participated in a Play.Fit.Fun corporate team building event and we’re all the better for it.) So, if you’re looking to skip the company picnic, we have a few ideas up our sleeves to build a more cohesive team.
Fantasy Football
Leagues are already starting now, but this cheap, low-stakes, and easy-to-implement activity is a beloved team-building exercise for a reason.
Office Trivia
A great team building exercise when dealing with a wave of new hires. Engage veteran staff by making them come up with practical and not-so-practical questions. Inform your new staff in an engaging fashion.
Marshmallow Spaghetti Tower
20 sticks of spaghetti. A bag of marshmallows. Masking tape. String. Sounds straight out of a daycare activity playbook, right? Just ask “Who can build the tallest tower?” and watch everyone go nuts. Even if the results aren’t pretty, they’ll at least be funny.
High-End Imbibing
Happy hour and karaoke will always have their place, but booming craft beer, wine, and liquor scenes allow for workday drinking with more of a fun, educational focus. A team that learns and drinks together, performs better.
Team Lunches
It doesn’t need to be a huge event and it doesn’t need to be every week, but getting people out of the office for an hour and interacting like people instead of mere colleagues is an ideal first step for forging bonds.
Video Games
You don’t need to go all Call of Duty like the characters of The Office, but slap a Nintendo Switch (a system known for its lightly-competitive, easy-to-pick-up games) into a conference room and watch those collaborative sparks fly.
Lunch and Learns
Are some people not sure of what other teams do all day? Let the experts in their field lead a little lecture over lunch and come out of it with a lot more understanding.
Mani & Pedis For All
Cuticles can be a personal thing, but this relaxing activity—a favorite of the forward-thinking business person—is great for bringing walls down.
Escape Rooms
Not for your more claustrophobic workers, but definitely for when you need to take a firm hand with team building exercises.
State Fairs
The window is short, but rides, games, exercise, food, and an option to bring family? There’s a reason why some companies make this an annual thing.
We’ll leave you with an action packed collage of our team building event with Play.Fit.Fun. We wish you luck on your own team building endeavors!
What is Play.Fit.Fun Team Building? IT’S FUN! It’s engaging! It’s powerful! Basically, this adult field day, crashing into P.E. and then bumping into corporate team building! Your employees will team up, compete, communicate, problem solve, decompress, and have an amazing time being in the moment together! Learn more about their corporate team building events.
