For years, corporate team building activities have been seen as an initiative; only for mega-corporations with thousands of employees, unsuitable and unfeasible for smaller enterprises, rather than an investment in employees. The benefits gained from introducing a good team building activity for a smaller business are the same if you have fewer than 10 or 500 employees. Here are 8 good reasons to implement team building activities for smaller businesses.
· Identifying the strengths and talent within your workforce
The right activity will give you an insight into the myriad of personalities, attributes and characteristics that make up your workforce. Natural leaders will emerge from the chosen activity, and those contributing towards the end goal, in addition to creative thinkers and problem solvers with the knack of thinking outside the box. This invaluable insight will make future delegations easier, so that you assemble the right people for specific projects.
· Increased Morale
It is important to select the right inclusive activity which engages all participants, regardless of ability, skills, and is above all FUN! As employees progress in the task fuelling their sense of achievement, in turn this will lead to an increase in morale which they will take back to the office.
· Improved Relationships & Communication
Arranging a team building away day will give employees the opportunity to engage with colleagues outside of the workplace with the possibility of learning more about each other, appreciating everybody's roles within the company, and building better relationships in the long-term.
· Employee Integration
Senior level employees participating in activities will give an insight into the dynamics of employees. By actively participating in the task, rather than observing, vanquishes the idea of hierarchy, allowing employees to regard managers as hands-on team mates unifying the company as one rather than a collective of departments operating out of the same building.
· Productivity and Efficiency
Participants engaging in a team building activity with short-term goals; perhaps a race, contest or competition will see instant results, employees are rewarded with sense of accomplishment, victory, hubris from the act of collaboration. Perhaps engaging with fellow colleagues they had previously only seen at the coffee machine or water cooler.
· Positive Working Environment
Provided that the same number of employees returned from an away day equalled the same number of employees that started out in the morning, and the right activity had been selected that was achievable/enjoyable; returning back to the office will see everyone galvanised with an upbeat positive new work ethic, just as long as the task didn't involve them standing about in the rain for seven hours.
· Participants learn about themselves
A team building away day will have the added benefit of giving participants the chance to learn about themselves; are they really a team player in practice , if they won't climb to the top of the human pyramid? or dangle from a zip wire to snag a victory for their teammates? Of course activities don't need to be physically demanding, it can be a test of working to time constraints.
· Making the workplace more enjoyable
Above all else, team building must be an activity which is fun, enjoyable and a challenge for all participants. In return, the cloud nine feeling will be felt back in the office, when the hilarious lasting memory of a capsizing raft can be reflected upon with fond memories of - "What an enjoyable day!" with bonds built between colleagues resonating throughout the company.
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