The Importance of Teambuilding
We’ve all heard of team-building, but why is it important? From increasing employees’ well-being to boosting workplace productivity, creating a solid team hosts a range of benefits. Completing group activities helps highlight each member’s individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests. This increases understanding among employees and when everyone feels accepted, it sets the tone for a positive work environment. Happy employees are shown to create happy customers, perform at a higher level, and make more money for the business.
In fact, one study found in the Harvard Business Review, it was found that “the best predictors of productivity were a team’s energy and engagement outside formal meetings”. This means that promoting team bonding is perhaps the most important investment into a business you can make. Here are 10 Activities to foster a positive company culture (that take an hour or less)
Word Association
Promotes: community, understanding
How to Play: Everyone sits in a circle and the first person chooses a random prompt. In a clockwise (or any) order, players state one word they associate with that phrase and why.
Virtual Survival Race
Promotes: creativity, communication, and decision-making
How to Play: Teams will be survival experts with one common goal: survive the race and hopefully be the first team to finish. Surrounded by obstacles, the first task is to uncover clues to help you overcome them. You will encounter challenges that require skills ranging from logic to sound. You will delegate tasks and think creatively to advance your mission as a group.
Patagonia is designed for remote and hybrid teams of 10-100. Click here to learn more.
Laser Tag
Promotes: communication
How to Play: Most laser tag games involve at least two teams. You can plan a game at home or book one nearby. Typically, players are equipped with laser guns and beam-detecting armor. The goal is to shoot the other team’s targets strategically so that your team is the last one standing.
Two Truths and a Lie
Promotes: community, understanding
How to Play: Everyone sits in a circle. In a clockwise (or any) order, players state three statements about themself. Two statements are truths while one is a lie. The other players then attempt to guess the lie.
Speed Networking
Promotes: community, understanding
How to Play: Prepare a short list of get-to-know-you questions. Form two equal lines of people that face each other. Then, start a timer giving the players a couple of minutes to discuss each question. When the timer beeps, one line moves down one person, and the process repeats.
Scavenger Hunt
Promotes: community, communication, creativity
How to Play: Prepare and distribute a list of objects that are to be found. This can be done in teams or individually. Establish the search perimeter and the players’ time to find the objects.
Minefield
Promotes: communication, trust
How to Play: Set up a start and finish line. Scatter random objects on the floor and split the group into partner players. One will be blindfolded and unable to talk while the other will give directions and be the “eyes”. The goal is for the blindfolded person to cross the finish line without coming into contact with the objects.
Picnic
Promotes: Community
How to: For a relaxing get-together, have the team establish a location where they’d like to hold the picnic. Each person can contribute to the setup by bringing food, blankets, or grilling.
Ziplining
Promotes: Community
How to: If you’re looking for a thrilling activity, book a ziplining reservation for your group. Once everyone is equipped, they zip down a wire through beautiful scenery. This perfect outdoor activity combines nature’s views with a boost in adrenaline.
Shark Tank
Promotes: creativity, communication
How to Play: You’ll emulate the reality TV show “Shark Tank” in this game. Pick 4-6 people to be the investor “sharks” and split the rest into teams of 2-6. The teams must develop a unique product and pitch it to the sharks. The team that earns the most investment wins.