Team building events are essential if you want better team relations because it is all about the most important asset of your business – your employees. Even the best product or most innovative business plan doesn’t mean anything if there aren’t great people behind it. Employees are the heart of every company, and investing in team building exercises enhances their roles and connections. Team building events are important for companies of all sizes and structures. No matter if you have thousands of employees or 10 employees or a collaborative environment or one where everyone works on their own projects, team building events are a must. Whatever your company and no matter how big or small, your business will be more productive when your team is happy.
Invest in Team Building
Taking an entire day away from the office for yourself and your staff could seem unthinkable. The cost and the missed work time might seem like a la vish expense and one you can do without. But in reality, team building exercises are something you can’t do without. They are a vital part of any company! Think about it as an investment. A team that doesn’t work well together or that isn’t engaged in their work could cost you business. Investing time and money into team building events and activities builds relationships and can lead to a more open and collaborative culture. Team building activities sometimes get a bad rap. People are tired of sitting in a conference room playing awkward icebreaker games or being forced to do a trust fall on their co-workers. Don’t fall into the trap of cheesy team building games. Quality team building can be creative and fun! It’s a chance to let loose, try something new, and see your co-workers and employees in a new light. Today’s team building activities can be extreme, push employees to the limits, and create a fun environment that builds lasting memories. For more ideas on how to engage your team check out our free ! Aside from just being fun and an excuse to be together, team building events have serious business and personal impacts. Here are just a few of the reasons team building is important.
Get to Know Each Other
The most obvious benefit of team building exercises is that it encourages employees to get to know each other outside of work. It’s one thing to sit in the cubicle next to someone for 40 hours a week, and it’s another thing to chat with them casually and see them in a non-work setting. Most of your time is spent at work, but it can be hard to get to know your staff and what they are really like. People naturally like to feel connected. Co-workers are the thing most people like best about their jobs. Even when the work gets rough, as long as the people are supportive and good to be around, it can make all the difference. However, it can be hard at work to find similarities with other people, especially if you only ever talk about work. It’s over a team building river cruise or bowling night that colleagues can find out that they both enjoy hiking, went to the same college, or have kids who are the same age. These connections might not come out in the office, but it helps employees build connections with each other. Personal bonds and commonalities are much stronger than simply sharing office walls.
Build Bridges Across Departments
Team building also allows employees from different areas of the company to get to know each other. People can interact with colleagues they might not usually see. At a company-wide team building activity, employees from the marketing team can participate alongside members of the finance team. Long-term employees are next to interns, and it opens the doors for new friendships and work associations. Team building embraces diversity because it breaks down the silos of companies and lets everyone be equal.
Getting to know each other extends beyond just personal pleasantries. Team building is also a great networking tool. Most of today’s employees don’t spend their entire careers at the same company like their parents did, so chances are today’s co-workers will be tomorrow’s job references. Networking helps employees grow their own personal skills but also creates a web of people they can call on at any point in their career. These are the people who will help with career transitions and be the ones to get your foot in the door for your next job. Many people spend time going to tedious industry networking events, but team building activities make it easier to build a network from your current position.
Improves Morale and Engagement
Team building activities allow employees to have fun. Instead of being stuck behind a computer all day, they now have the chance to learn a new skill, play a sport, or explore somewhere new. When a company encourages a fun activity, employees are more likely to feel engaged. This is especially true in our modern workforce. With so many employees working remotely or on flexible schedules, it’s common for employees to work by themselves or only communicate with people via phone or email. Team building activities bring everyone together and can make even the most solitary employee feel like part of a team. Engagement is crucial to a company’s success. It’s the difference between workers who are there just to earn a paycheck and people who are there because they are excited about the work and want to contribute to the mission of the company. In the U.S., 70% of workers aren’t engaged, and it costs businesses a total of $500 billion a year. Investing in team building exercises is one way to help employees feel more motivated and engaged. It’s a small price to pay for a connected workforce and actually saves companies money in the long run.