Building a strong culture in the workplace was once reserved for tech startups, artsy collectives and small cafes. Now, however, we live in a very different world, where things feel somewhat less formal, and employees are demanding that employers take their wellbeing and work/ life balance much more seriously. We’re no longer people who live to work; instead, we work to live. So much so that companies are realising a solid workplace culture is not simply a nice bonus, but a strategic priority.
Teams that are connected, feel supported, and are motivated outperform peers, innovate faster and create strong bonds and friendships, so now’s the time to help your team build the foundations that will take you all to new heights.
However, with so many options out there for team building activities, choosing the best way to inspire a bountiful workplace culture can quickly become a challenge.
Whether you’re a startup, a freelance collective or a corporate business, these five ideas will inspire a positive team culture, give your employees confidence in you, and allow them to form bonds that will boost your business like never before. Let’s take a look.
1. Adventure-Based Challenges
Team building does not always have to happen onsite; in fact, it’s probably better to remove everyone from a work environment to allow maximum enjoyment. And where better to turn into a playground than our finest cities?
The Race Across the World Experience is the ultimate, fully immersive team building experience, and you’ll soon understand why.
It is based on the hit TV show and essentially sees teams working together to complete a city wide adventure that includes puzzles, challenges and competition with other players.
It’s a high energy activity that requires teamwork, communication, and no small amount of common sense. Encouraging teams to collaborate, strategise and think creatively under pressure; you’re probably starting to see the connection to business.
Teamwork in this format will naturally highlight communication gaps, help to identify leadership strengths, and give a clear picture of your team’s problem solving abilities.
Not only is this incredibly positive team building, but it can also be treated as an extremely revealing and beneficial learning exercise; it’s also an awful lot of fun, so really it’s a win-win.
2. Creative Workshops That Spark Innovation
Creativity is one of the key avenues for innovation, so naturally art workshops, pottery classes, cooking classes and even new age things like ‘paint and sip’ classes can be a superb way to bring a team together like never before.
If you’ve been thinking about how to improve team culture, then you could do a lot worse than encouraging your team to be creative, think outside the box and create something with their own hands.
The real bonus of these kinds of team building exercises is that many of these workshops can be aligned with your workspace or workday.
The new age of experiential culture has led to plenty of locations where your team can meet after work, enjoy a drink or some dinner, and get creative in a cool and trendy place.
Alternatively, there are coworking spaces all around the country that will incorporate flexible creative zones that allow teams to be immersed in creativity within your office buildings.
There are an awful lot of options out there, from cocktail making and cooking, to pottery, painting and building; all you have to do is choose the right one for your team and let the creativity flow.
3. Volunteer Days With Purpose
One huge part of working as a team that is the most often overlooked is empathy.
Being empathetic in a team setting means a group of people can make decisions, communicate and be effective without being demanding, impatient or aggressive.
All great leaders understand empathy and the role it plays in leading people, just as all great teams understand and care for their members equally.
Volunteering or giving back collectively builds bonds in a different way, and places empathy at the fore. Whether it’s local food banks, urban gardening projects or mentoring programmes, allowing your team to give back to a community can help to strengthen theirs.
These kinds of activities cultivate a shared sense of purpose which is central to a positive team culture, plus you can align them with your company’s values.
Team building does not have to be ‘gimmicks and games’ in order to be rewarding; instead you can strengthen bonds, build relationships, encourage empathy and inspire communities in one swoop.
4. Micro-Challenges in the Office
It may seem at this point that the only option available to you is leaving the office and heading out on a grand adventure, something that is not possible for everyone.
Luckily there are plenty of options available to those who don’t yet have the time or money, that are just as effective as the previously mentioned team building exercises.
Introducing micro-challenges.
This idea may sound a bit like a gimmick, but it really can help with energy levels, morale and team efficacy. The idea is to break the everyday mold enough to allow people to flourish, without fully removing a team from the work environment; it’s perfect for small start ups, busy operations with small teams and companies that are already strapped for time.
You can initiate things like mini-escape rooms using ‘at home’ kits, hold coding sprint races if you’re in a tech office, or start fun competitions to encourage innovation and teamwork.
These quick, structured exercises improve collaboration despite the time spent not working, and productivity has been proven to increase post mini-break.
These micro-challenges are excellent ways to allow team bonding on a cheap, repeatable scale. You can measure progress in-house and maintain engagement, all while highlighting individual contributions and monitoring members of the team.
5. Wellness-Focused Team Days
Mental wellbeing and physical wellness are extraordinarily present in the minds of today’s workforce; in fact, more than 60% of employees state that wellbeing benefits are a major factor in where they choose to work, and companies with happy, healthy staff members can see an increase of up to 20% in productivity.
As humans, we crave the company of others, we need meaningful interactions and fulfilling relationships, so in these terms it’s easy to understand why an effective, tight-knit team is far more effective.
Organising sessions like yoga, meditation, and wellness walks can help people to break up the stress of their day and stay on top of their mental wellbeing. Heading to local parks for meetings is a great way to improve communication and overall happiness, and ensuring the office space has plenty of fruit, healthy snacks and areas to unwind in.
Wellness initiatives do not just reduce stress, they reinforce positive team building moments by proving to employees that their wellbeing is valued. A team that is cared for and listened to will collaborate more effectively, enjoy higher morale and get better results.
Building Culture That Sticks
Innovative team building activities are not simply tools to break the ice, or make people feel a little better in a new work environment; they reinforce core values, inspire collaboration, create an environment of contribution and build the foundations for a truly exceptional team.
Whether you and your team want to enjoy immersive adventures together, solve escape room puzzles, get artsy and creative, or break up the daily routine with in-office antics, these strategies offer actionable ways to cultivate an incredible team culture that is supportive, exciting, collaborative and has awesome retention.
If you’re looking to boost morale both inside and outside the office then thoughtful team bonding isn’t just a bit of fun; it’s an investment in the future of your people, your team and your long term success.
Photo credits: eOffice