Team building ensures productivity, success and most importantly job satisfaction. It motivates and encourages employees which in turn develops spirit of positivity and team work. These values of team building are imperative for your business development. Team building is not as easy as it sounds because there are always leg pullers and office politicians, thus ensuring smooth team building can be challenging.
Don’t worry though because we have some amazing ideas to ensure exceptional team building. We have compiled a great list of tried and tested team building activities equally valid for all sizes organizations. These activities are interesting and aren’t much time consuming so you can perform these in your working hours. There are both indoor and outdoor activities, choose the ones most suitable for your organization as they are equally interesting.
Let’s start with indoor activities first.
Indoor team building activities
Indoor team building activities are most appropriate when you need to give that quick dose of motivation. Indoor activities are also quite useful when you have to charge your employees for the daylong conference or just really important office meeting.
1) Keep balloon in the air
Very simple, fast and best way to motivate your team to work together. Pair up your employees, give each pair a balloon, and ask them to keep it in the air for as long as they can. If you want to wind up quickly then give one balloon to each and the last one to keep the balloon in the air will win. Otherwise, you can do it turn by turn while recording time. It is a great lesson about teamwork and will definitely teach the participants its importance.
2) Do some photography
This is a great and yet easy to execute game. Now that everyone has mobile phones, it becomes even more interesting. You can define scenarios and ask your employees to take pictures of each other in those scenarios. It fosters innovations and encourages employees to think out of a box.
3) Recall and replay
Gather all your team in a circle. Ask them to recall the best happening in their life and share it with rest of people. Ask each of them to take one minute, close their eyes and think of the best thing they have ever experienced. This opens up the employees while making them feel very comfortable about the situation since everyone has to do the same. It also helps making team members comfortable with each other so they can solve problems in a better way. It also strengthens your team.
4) Watch a movie/Make a movie
Again a great way to build your team without spending a lot of time and resources. A simple and a movie with lesson will help your employees in getting to know each other better. A movie for you while and opportunity for your team to open up to each other. This also opens new channels for them to initiate discussion, which is beneficial for team building in a long run.
5) Cooking competition
There can be two options, you can either make your employees cook for a cause or just make them cook lunch for themselves in office. To add a little fun, make up teams and set time. Give same dishes and equal time to both teams. The one to finish first and make delicious meal will obviously win. You can then make all your employees sit together and eat lunch cooked by both teams. This fosters not only team building but also helps your employees understand time management, collaboration and ability to respect your competitors.
6) Find hidden items
One of the interesting team building activities. It is usually executed for team coordination and to develop trust among team members. The game consists of pairs and each pair is given few items to find around in the room. One member is blindfolded while the other guides the blindfolded person to find the scattered and hidden items by just dictating.
7) Arrange a colour day
Yes, like the ones we used to have in school. We aren’t asking you to give the entire day off to employees. Just tell them that once in a month everyone will be wearing same colours. As an extra favour, you can give an hour off in the day or may do some photography. This helps in team bonding, planning and of course is great for team building.
Outdoor team building activities
If you can go out, it becomes much more fun. Going out with your employees itself is amazing. However, when it is filled by interesting team building activities, the fun doubles up.
1) Go paintballing
Yes, sounds fun. It is actually fun; you get to enjoy the lighter side. There is equal participation by everyone. It is a great chance for all of your employees to get along. There is no hierarchy and everybody gets a chance to open up with each other. You can even make teams there.
2) Trampoline games
Well if you haven’t really noticed, trampoline isn’t only for kids. It is a great outdoor team building activity. It gives your employees the chance to bond while having a great time. It doesn’t have to be a long day. Just take 2-3 hours out of your day for this activity.
3) Get past obstacles
This can be done in ropes course. It is a great way to deal with challenges. It is meant for people to understand each other weaknesses and strengths. You can also divide up teams, it will help the ones that aren’t very good at getting past obstacles. The ones good at it will help their weak team members and definitely your team is built strongly in the process.
Make your own group activity
There’s a lot you can do with just your office space and stationery. Just figure out small games to keep your staff engaged in healthy environment. Team building is highly important for productivity and growth. Focus on building your team and the results will definitely satisfy you.
