As any manager knows, team building is an essential part of running a successful business. By bringing employees together and motivating them to work collaboratively, you build a stronger and more cohesive unit. There are a number of different ways to approach team building. However, all exercises share the same goal: to improve communication, trust, and cooperation within the group.
The remote and hybrid models of work that became the new normal over the pandemic have raised a lot of concerns related to burnout and employee wellbeing. In fact, 79% of employees have reported burnout last year. However, remote work is here to stay in 2023 and beyond so businesses need to work out appropriate team-building practices to stay afloat.
Managing virtual teams comes with some understandable challenges. For example, communication between remote workers may be dispersed and vague. That’s especially true if they are not located in the same time zone. Sometimes there is a feeling of a lack of structure in the workflow processes, as well as distrust and slow response times.
In this article, we will delve into several ways to improve productivity and uplift your employees with fun team building initiatives.
Make Task Management Fun
When you’re all working in a physical office, it’s hard to ignore obvious gaps in the necessary collaboration technology. However, they appear twice as problematic in a remote work setup. For that matter, it is very important to appropriate an easy-to-use BPM software that your team would love to use. Thus, make sure you utilize a tool that does not turn into a burden but actually motivates people to do great.
Ideas to make task management more fun include:
– Encourage people to use the comment section to ask questions, give suggestions, and have fun conversations.
– Create a dedicated Slack channel for time management struggles
– Add an element of gamification by assigning points to completed tasks or adding a leaderboard feature.
– Use fun emoji or gifs in task descriptions to lighten the mood.
– Allow employees to suggest new features or make improvements to the system.
Social Games
One of the most effective methods to boost energy in a remote work environment is to begin the meeting with an icebreaker. If you have a big group and don’t have time for person-to-person Q&A sessions, ask everyone to stand up and stretch for a couple of seconds.
Alternatively, get them to go and get something from the kitchen. This will wake people up, encourage them to move around, or at least cause them to change their sitting posture. It’s also a fantastic method to get people giggling and interacting with one another, which is crucial for team building. So next time you’re starting a remote meeting, try one of these icebreakers to get everyone’s energy up for collective success.
A good ice breaker should be both entertaining and collaborative. One method to do so is to ask a question, which will then be responded to by one at a time. This allows everyone to speak up and break out of their shyness. You can inject humor into the day by commenting or asking follow-up questions after every few responses.
Use this technique to make it simpler for the participants to unwind and participate in the activity. Whether you’re searching for a method to foster team bonding at an event, asking questions and receiving answers one by one is an excellent ice breaker that will draw everyone into the conversation.
Virtual Vacations
A virtual vacation is a great way to explore a new destination without leaving your office/ home. COVID-19 has forced many people to work remotely so loneliness has become a real issue when it comes to team spirit. However, with a little creativity, you can have an amazing time team building and exploring new places.
Virtual vacations are also a great way to save money. You can use public holidays or weekends to explore new places without spending a fortune on airfare and hotels. This will also boost your team’s creativity. So whether you’re looking for a way to staycation or you’re trying to save money, a virtual vacation is a perfect solution.
You can start off by performing a survey across your employees. Ask them what they think, where they would like to “visit” and how often would they engage with such tours. Remember, it is supposed to be a fun team building activity, so avoid obligating them to do so.
There are a lot of virtual tour providers out there, and they offer lucrative visits like the Taj Mahal and The Great Wall of China. You can also plan it and have it curated for you. In addition, you can take selfies at all the spots you visit!
Virtual Coffee Breaks
A virtual coffee break is an online team-building exercise in which employees may chat about non-work-related topics. Employees may use this time to interact with one another on a more personal level. As a result, the morale and sense of community will increase, all while enjoying a cuppa.
Allocating time for this purpose allows your team members to interact with one another in a way that’s both meaningful and enjoyable. This might assist to reduce stress levels and foster a more cohesive sense of comradeship among coworkers.
It is crucial to be inventive when working from home in order to minimize feelings of isolation. A virtual coffee break is a fantastic, fun team building activity. The reason is that it fosters a sense of community and improves communication between coworkers. These breaks provide the potential for knowledge sharing, which can help boost cooperation and productivity.
The theme of a virtual coffee break depends on your preference and creativity. Make sure you get each team member to contribute ideas and lead the event. Although this may stretch personal boundaries for some, the result would be heartwarming and will boost productivity and creative thinking. You can include online games, pub quizzes, card games, movie clubs, etc.
Final Thoughts
With the rise of remote work, it’s more important than ever to find ways to build team spirit and productivity. The four team building activities we’ve outlined are a great way to start. If you’re looking for a way to inject some fun into your internal company initiatives, or if remote work has got you feeling down, we’ve got the perfect solution. SaaS BPM is a business process management tool that helps you handle projects at ease and takes the stress out of remote work. Start your free trial today!