Want to build a stronger, more effective team? Maybe it’s time to plan a team outing or office-wide activity. Used to help team members bond, blow off some steam and even improve their communication skills, these events could go a long way in boosting company morale. Of course, it can be challenging to come up with an idea to suit everyone and stay on budget. To help, here are a few examples of team-building activities and company outings to consider for your workplace.
The first step in determining which activity to organize is to establish the goals of the event. Is it simply to have fun? Should there be an element meant to increase specific skills? Having these points laid out beforehand helps to define your priorities, ensure the budget is realistic and delegate planning responsibilities. Whichever goal you choose, make sure to tailor the event to successfully hit the target.
Speaking of hitting the target, certain activities can be more effective than others when it comes to entertaining. For instance, axe throwing can get team members to work together to achieve the same goal or outscore other groups. There’s also karaoke, an escape room, scavenger hunts or putting together teams for a sporting competition. As team members have fun working together in a relaxed environment, it encourages them to effectively communicate and collaborate on the challenging and exciting activity laid before them. What’s more, these types of gatherings get everyone together outside of the office for a positive change of scenery.
Want to stay in the office? Engaging activities to host at work or virtually could be a murder mystery dinner, office trivia, catch phrase or an improv workshop. If you want to put more of an emphasis on education, consider enrolling willing participants in a masterclass cooking course, art class or professional development workshop. These shared learning opportunities work to facilitate personal growth and possibly career growth depending on the skills gained.
By joining forces with one another in the right team-building activity, coworkers from all sorts of backgrounds may be molded into a strongly connected and trusting team. The result of such an amalgamation of diverse backgrounds — such as different ages, ethnicities and personalities — can be very beneficial to the entire organization. In fact, bringing a mix of perspectives and experiences to the table has been linked to a 35% improvement in creativity and performance.
If your organization wants to create an inspiring company culture and drive productivity, don’t overlook the value these activities can bring to the team. For additional team building and company outing ideas to consider for your place of work, please see the accompanying resource.
