At Social Cooking, we know better than most the benefits of successful team building activities. How do you guarantee that your team building event will be the best it can be? That it will actually achieve the outcomes you need?
From US News:
“The truth is, while results vary, team-building events can help co-workers better understand one another and learn to be more effective at working together. Team-building exercises allow management and staff to forget about deadlines and corporate structure and focus on socializing informally. These exercises can also help employees work on more serious issues, such as learning problem-solving techniques and improving communication skills. This all helps them to build trust, which goes a long way toward achieving better communication.”
We’ve combed the internet for you to pull together our list of which factors build successful team building activities.
Learn more about how our team building activities work, and contact us to see what Social Cooking can do for your team.
1. Get organized.
Ensure that team building events are well attended to be deemed successful. Nothing works out well without a good plan. Realistically; team building activities should take place within the official working hours for convenience. Plan well in advance and organize everything accordingly to avoid last-minute disappointments. Consider delegating responsibilities early, inform the team in advance, organize transport, venue, snacks and day's program proactively e.t.c.
(Source: Global Investment Strategies)
2. Set clear goals.
What's the purpose of team building activities? Do you intend to encourage teamwork, collaboration, team cooperation, boost morale, improve communication, and solve a problem or just give your team a break from work? Have a clear picture of what you are wanting to achieve.
(Source: Global Investment Strategies)
3. Set a budget
It's important to think about the budget before moving on with the organisational details because it will serve as a guide for what you can afford and how extensive your team building event can be.
With a budget, you can be certain that the price of the event will not skyrocket.
(Source: Eventsforce)
4. Team building activities during work hours
No matter how much they may love their job, nobody wants to put in extra time on evenings or weekends to attend a mandatory work event. If you can, schedule the activity during the workday - even an hour or two on a Friday is better than spending the weekend at the office. If you must, host the activity over lunch or breakfast, but be sure to provide food! Check vacation schedules, too. You won't want your big team activity to happen on a day when half the office is on vacation
(Source: Bizjournals.com)
5. Go offsite
Sometimes, just getting outside of the four walls of an office helps people interact with one another more freely. Even if you're doing a team-building session that could easily take place in your company boardroom, book a meeting space offsite anyway to give the impression that this is not "regular" work.
(Source: Bizjournals.com)
6. Make it fun
Not only is team building in itself essential to bringing members together, but there needs to be a sense of fun, too. If people aren't enjoying themselves, the team will not bond and grow. Choose an activity that will bring fun for all members, and remember to bring joy to the activity.
(Source: Forbes)
7. Be a team player
An expression one of my military friends used was that the best discussions come from putting your rank on the table. In other words, lower your ego, forget your titles and be a team player during a team-building situation. Forget your superior role if you are a leader, and be ready to do the dirty work and serve others. Above all, let others see you have some fun with them.
(Source: Forbes)
8. T.E.A.M.
T – Trust: They trust each other or see the activity as a way to build respectful relationships.
E – Engagement: They enthusiastically contribute their unique talents to the activity.
A – Aspiration: They have a shared, purposeful goal, even if it’s frivolous.
M – Mentoring: They embrace the opportunity to learn from and teach each other.
(Source: Forbes)
Bonus! Gather feedback
Within a couple of days of the event, reach out to all participants to thank them for their time and ask them to provide constructive feedback about the event. This feedback can be really useful when it's time to plan your next group event.
(Source: Bizjournal.com)
