WHY DO TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES – HOW TO SET OBJECTIVES TO ACHIEVE MORE

So, why do team building activities? Back in the 90s, team building was seen as a bit of a jolly, a chance to enjoy a boozy day out with your colleagues. But fast forward to 2018 and companies are finding that’s definitely no longer the case. With more options on offer than ever before, a good team building activity has the power to deliver training, new skills and company knowledge. Research shows that poorly managed groups are up to 50% less productive and 44% less profitable, but team building can help to bring your employees together and boost efficiency. However, like any event, you’ll need to clearly outline your objectives in order to get the most out of it. Are you looking to introduce new members of staff to key messages? Do you want to reward hard working employees for their successes? Or perhaps you want to encourage a team to work together to sell a new product? Whatever the reason behind your event, we’ve brought you some top tips on selecting your activities and making them work for you. Let the activity choose you Set the objectives for your event before you start considering different activities. If your goal is to build relationships in a fractured team that’s always arguing, pitting them against each other in a paint ball game might not be a recipe for success. Sit down with your senior management team and clearly outline what you’d like to see happen after the event. Once you’ve set your goals, it will be much easier to select an activity than can help you achieve them, as well as making staff happy. Don’t try to tick too many boxes If an event has lots of positive effects on the business that’s great news. But don’t try to over commit when you work out your objectives. If you’re trying to achieve too much at once, it could come crashing down. Stick to a handful of core objectives and then consider running different activities to target different needs. For example, if you want a more cohesive sales team, pick three specific ways you would like to see them working together and focus your efforts around this. Learn about your team In addition to meeting your objectives, a team building trip is a good opportunity to see what’s working and what isn’t. By assessing your employees, you can identify their strengths (including the ones you didn’t know about) and consider any areas of weakness. For example, if one team isn’t communicating well, it might be worth considering what training options might be beneficial in future. Personalise objectives Not everyone in the team needs the same thing, so be mindful of different personalities and learning styles when it comes to team building events. It’s good to push people put of their comfort zone, but not so far that it causes stress and anxiety. Consider using company surveys to find out more about what your employees think they need from their learning and development opportunities. Your staff will appreciate having their voices heard as much as possible. Brainstorm You don’t need a perfect plan for your event straight away. Get together with the team and brainstorm ideas for great activities or get in touch with an events company to get a professional opinion. As well as getting your staff involved with your planning process, it’s a good way to boost innovation and get creative juices flowing. A recent study shows that 33% of employees feel that a lack of honest communication has a negative impact on staff morale. This is a great way to ensure your staff stay engaged in the process and don’t feel left out. Customise for your team Close employee relationships boost workplace satisfaction by up to half, but it’s important to develop these in the right way. You don’t have to book an off-the-shelf activity for your team event, because it’s unlikely to be ‘one size fits all’ for every team. Anything you choose can be tailored specifically to what you and your company want. For organisations with very specific needs, it’s really important to be open and honest about what you want to achieve and how before you start to arrange the event. So, to answer the question – “Why do team building activities?”, when you tailor a team building experience to suit your team and have a clear set of objectives in mind it is easy to see the benefits!

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