Use Team Building to Create Lasting Bonds

Company culture  is incredibly important for small businesses. When you’re consistently working with the same group of five, 15, or 40 people, minor issues between coworkers can cause significant problems during office hours. Because everyone works so closely together at all times in these environments, small business owners want to make sure all employees feel respected and valued by their office mates. An excellent way to ensure cohesion between your employees is by participating in corporate team-building activities.

When managers and business owners are looking for ways to help their employees bond and get along, they usually go with one of the standard fallbacks, like a happy hour or sporting event. These events can result in fun evenings, but they also open up opportunities for negative feelings to get in the way – competitive sides may come out, or someone may drink too much and say or do something that could jeopardize their job. Team-building events are a great alternative because they let your workers get out of the office in fun, supportive environments without any of these drawbacks.

Team building is a great way for the employees of small companies to discover new ways of working together. These activities build skills and strengthen teams while promoting synergy between employees, which can transform your business environment. When considering which team-building event is right for your organization, remember that these events can be tailored to suit the goals you have for your company and the experience you want employees to have during the event.

Not all team-building events are the same. Even though many aim to accomplish the same primary goals (strengthen bonds between employees and build skills that translate to the office), certain events and activities can teach participants different skills and may work better depending on the size of the team. If you just want your employees to get out and have fun together, any event can accomplish that – but you should consider the specific skills that each particular event may foster in your employees.

For example, picture scavenger hunts often involve team members participating in a few activities throughout the event and snapping photos of their experiences. This team-building activity promotes teamwork and encourages people to think creatively to achieve a common goal — much like they do every day in the office. Dance-based team-building activities often present an excellent opportunity to discover how different employees learn and absorb new information, which can significantly benefit you as a manager and business owner.

The best team-building events allow people to work together to solve problems, reach a common goal, or create something new. They put teams in a hands-on situations where they have to exercise good communication and learn about each other’s strengths, all while having fun and making memories. These experiences bring people closer together and allow them to form lasting ties with each other. When employees feel closer outside the office and more like a team even when they aren’t working on a business project together, they work more efficiently and more productively in the office.

The bonds formed during corporate team-building events translate into endless benefits at work. People who love their jobs and look forward to coming to work perform better, and getting along with the people you work with is a major factor in creating that sort of mindset. Your employees will want to do well, not just for themselves, but for the people they work with, because they’ll feel like a team. These events also result in more open communication and a free flow of ideas at work because your employees will feel more valued and respected by their coworkers when they see them as teammates. People will feel less timid to voice their opinions, and you’ll be amazed at the new ideas that are introduced on a regular basis.

The next time you’re looking for a way to bring your employees closer together – whether because of an office relocation, a few new hires have joined the team, or the company just needs a bit of a refresh – you should consider implementing a unique corporate team-building event. Your employees will have a great time, and everyone will benefit from a more productive work environment back at the office.