If you’re a manager you probably already appreciate the importance of team building. After all, there are many surveys that show team building improves the morale of your workplace, boosts productivity, and increases staff retention.
But, as a busy manager, it can be hard to organize team-building activities all the time. That’s why you need to consider simplifying your approach.
The Big One
Find the time to plan a big activity, such as joining in the great race, this is a great team-building activity that you can do once a year and encourage everyone to get ready for in advance. By booking the date, you should encourage small teams of staff members to work together and create a mini-competition for the big day.
All this takes is a few moments of your time outlining the challenge and the prize.
The Regular Stuff
As your time is limited on a weekly basis, you should focus on smaller team building activities which can become part of the normal working day.
Here are some great ideas to get you started, although the sky really is your limit when planning these types of activities:
1. Guess The Person
You already know the game when a name is stuck to someone’s head and they have to guess who they are. You can adapt this to be played throughout the working day.
Simply place a name in a sealed envelope, only you and the floor supervisor need to know who is it. Then divide your staff into teams, between them they will need to figure out who the person is before the other teams do. They can ask questions or you can leave clues around the place to help them guess.
2. Share A Hobby
Choose a day and allow staff to bring in an unusual pet or a hobby to share with the others. It will get people asking questions which is the key to improving the team.
3. Swap Jobs
If possible get people to swap jobs for an hour or a day. This will give everyone an appreciation of what others do and ensure they are communicating , to get the job done properly.
4. One Dollar Challenge
Challenge all the staff to bring in an item worth one dollar or less and demonstrate why it is something that everyone should have. You may discover a useful tool, but you’ll probably just hear the staff having a little fun.
5. Joining Hands
Get all the staff to stand in a circle and then join their left hand with the left hand of the person opposite. They will then need to join right hands with someone else in the circle. Once that’s done they simply need to untangle themselves, without letting go of their hands.
It’s not easy. But it is fun!
That’s the real secret to quick team building activities. Create something that is fun to do and that all staff members can join in doing. This will create a bond between staff and boost productivity, staff retention, and happiness at work.