After two years of being in and out of lockdown, many workplaces are back in the office full time. As a result of time apart, growing teams and a new ‘normal’, team bonding is an important way to ensure your team is thriving and constantly improving. Many perceive team bonding activities as unnecessary – especially when workloads are full. However, today we will unpack the benefits of team bonding and why it should be high on your list of priorities.
Teamwork makes the dream work, right? Teamwork is essential no matter your industry. Having a strong team allows for staff members to support one another, regardless of the task at hand. Learning how to work together effectively will create efficiency for future tasks. Let’s dive into some values that will thrive with adequate team bonding.
Communication
A significant part of effective teamwork is communication. Through team activities, your goal should be to increase the ease of team communication. A successful team consists of team members who can comfortably communicate clearly with each other. A popular team bonding activity is completing a blindfolded obstacle course.
Although, at first this activity may seem silly and obscure, the notion behind it allows for team members to fully rely on each other’s communication skills throughout the challenge. Not only this, but team members also must listen carefully to each other. The success (or failure!) of this activity should give you a pretty good indicator of whether your team’s communication is optimised.
Confidence
Another important benefit of team bonding is the confidence that stems from a well-working team. Confidence comes into play with every task that each staff member undertakes, big or small. Team bonding activities create an opportunity for team members to develop confidence in themselves and their team members. Reminder, keep the environment comfortable and natural to build organic confidence, don’t force it!
Trust
A successful team has a solid foundation of trust. Through team bonding exercises, participants will learn more about each other naturally. These learnings can be applied to future tasks and real-world challenges. Trust-building activities can reveal team strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and fears. These attributes typically would not be unveiled in day-to-day work. A deeper upstanding of fellow teammates contribute to a stronger relationship and trust overall.
Creativity
Team bonding activities do not have to be unproductive workwise. Gathering the team to work collaboratively provides an excellent opportunity to let creative juices flow. Team brainstorming sessions, regardless of the topic, can allow the team to share ideas and work together. Group sessions like brainstorming and meetings can even solve problems and areas of concern more effectively!
Motivation
Completing team-building activities can support a positive work environment that encourages teams to work more diligently. Motivating your team with fun, inclusive activities can lead your team to seek success at work as these activities are perceived as a reward! In addition, these sessions provide a sense of recognition and employee appreciation and encourage the team’s individual commitment to the business.
Staff Wellbeing
Often, team bonding can be an opportunity to take your team away from the desk (or the office) to have some fun, unwind and relax. A simple team lunch can give your team a moment of calm whilst still bonding with their colleagues. Team bonding can also involve games, creative challenges or even a chance to explore your local area. Here at Oraco, we value team bonding and make a conscious effort to block out time to bond!
Some examples of team bonding sessions we have had include;
- Team Quiz – who knows who the best. This was a great way to learn more about each other and have a laugh.
- Team scavenger hunt. This activity allowed us to be away from the office, work in teams and develop creative solutions to the task at hand.
- Team creativity session – Building terrariums whilst chatting and learning more about each other.
- Team walks – a great opportunity to get out in the fresh air, share stories and brainstorm. Team walks also create a source of inspiration, and who doesn’t love an endorphin rush!
All of the above activities were fun, exciting and rewarding, and although they were short sessions, they made a big difference on our team.
As we can see, there are many benefits to team bonding, so here are some tips and ideas on how you can implement team bonding into your office culture.
Head to our blog to read more on why your people are part of your brand.
Investment
It’s important to remind yourself that spending money on team bonding is not splurging or an unnecessary business expense. Instead, it is an investment you are making for your team. Sometimes, the successes of one session may appear unmeasurable. However, the benefits will arise over time and will continue to increase the more time your team spends with each other in an informal setting.
Make the time
With busy schedules and tight deadlines, it can be hard to find the time to step away from the desk collectively. Blocking out time every quarter well in advance not only gives your team enough notice but also gives them something to look forward to. Setting a time in your team’s calendar can be done in less than two minutes – what are you waiting for?!
Team bonding is a team effort
Organising a team bonding day does not have to fall on someone with a managerial role. Taking turns to organise a session not only ensures every team member is involved but allows everyone to share their ideas and give the manager a break. If you have a large team, picking a name out of a hat or assigning teams or pairs to organise the session is simple and effective.
Team bonding is not only fun and exciting but has so many opportunities for individual growth and overall team development. Head to our Instagram page to keep up with our team bonding activities, and let us know if you give them a try!
