Activities That Can Help Your Team Grow Together
It’s easy to spot a well-functioning team. Not only do they work well together, but they know why they work well together. Instead of worrying that one team member isn’t doing enough, they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and support each other in them. Strong teams are important because they mean better performance, sales and outputs. Here are ways that you can help your team grow together.
Spend Time Learning Each Other
There are many ways teams can learn about each other. A great one is through quizzes related to work style and personality style. Even if you don’t take much stock in the results, just the experience of going through the test together can help your team grow together.
Have your team take a quiz, while all in the same meeting or before a meeting. Then, have your team talk about the results, Simply getting team mates to talk through why they scored a certain way can help them understand each other a little better. Because team members having a better understanding of each other, they can be more empathetic towards each other. Empathy is significantly important to a well-functioning team.
Play Games Together
Similar to quizzes, but even less formal, are games. Have team members play games together. Whether you’re in person or virtual, there are many great game options.
Escape rooms are a great option because they require strategy and team work. They can help team members work on communication and better understand each other’s communication styles. A Virtual escape room team building is also an option if your team is working remotely.
There are other games that teams can play together too. Whether they’re of a trivia nature or word games, teams can informally have fun and learn each others workstyles. This is especially important if your team is working remotely, because remote teams don’t get as much informal time together.
Spend Time Chatting
Many of the best work alliances happen outside of formal settings. Team members spend time chatting at each other’s desks, in the cafeteria or over coffee. These informal chats often lead to great ideas. In fact, some of the biggest companies in the world provide spaces specifically to encourage these chats, because they’re where creativity happens.
Allow your team room to breathe and chat. Don’t discourage informal activities. Instead, join them and steer conversations towards work projects. Laughter is key in these situations. If you can get your team joking and laughing, creativity will flow.
If your team is virtual, make the time to have these type of conversations online. Have informal team time or places where teammates can chat outside the meeting. Allowing and encouraging chat outside meeting chat, that often doesn’t involve the boss, can lead to alliances and team building without having to meet in person.
Retreat Together
If you’ve got the time and space for in-depth team building, consider a retreat. Pick a serene destination that represents your team’s vibe and your company’s outlook. Plan a weekend retreat or a three-day retreat during the week.
It’s important to make sure your retreat is fun! Make it worth your team giving up their time to spend time together. Fun and useful activities are key to having a successful retreat.
Plan activities for the retreat. These should consist of motivational activities, growth activities and free time. This way, teammates will have a chance to get to know each other, both formally and informally. Activities don’t have to center around work either. They can simply be about growing in trust and vulnerability.
Trust Each Other
Don’t underestimate the importance of trust, no matter what team building activities you land on. If you can be open and honest with your team, you’re going to build organizational trust and strong bonds between individual team mates. When team members trust each other, they can accomplish anything.
These are just some ways to build a strong team. Be mindful and intentional about growing your team and they will become stronger together.
