Corporate Team Building Activities
Team building activities boost company culture by fostering a work environment where employees are confident, feel comfortable and trust each other. These positive vibes attract the best talent and increase employee retention rates.
Corporate team building activities should be a priority for every business. Regardless of the size of your team or budget, there are plenty of options available that will get everyone engaged and working together.
1. Icebreakers
Icebreakers are introductory activities that help groups quickly get to know each other. They also help establish a relaxed atmosphere that promotes collaboration and communication.
They are particularly useful when training new hires or when introducing a group to a new team member. A good icebreaker will introduce participants to each other in a fun way and allow them to learn more about each other’s interests and personalities.
An icebreaker can also be used to break down barriers that may exist within the group. For example, if there is a gender or status difference, the icebreaker can be designed to encourage members of the group to discuss these issues and develop a sense of unity.
This can help people form relationships with others and increase productivity levels in a group. It can also improve the effectiveness of a training session or other event by getting everyone more engaged in the process.
The best icebreakers are designed to engage all of the participants in the group, regardless of their level or job function. The activities will also be tailored to the objectives of the event or training.
A simple icebreaker can be as simple as providing a name tag for one delegate and asking them to find the person it belongs to and share some information about themselves. This is a great way to help your delegates get to know each other and make the most of the meeting.
Another icebreaker is to give a pair of team members a picture of something and ask them to describe it without using words that clearly give away the image. This can be done in a group setting, or alone.
2. Scavenger Hunts
A team scavenger hunt is a fun and engaging way to get your team working together. It’s a fast-paced activity that can be held in the workplace, at an event, or outdoors.
These hunts are designed to challenge and motivate your employees to work harder as a team while also building relationships between your team members. A team scavenger hunt is the perfect solution for teams of all sizes, and they can be customized to suit any team dynamic.
Scavenger hunts are one of the most popular types of team building activities. They are easy to plan, scalable, and they can be played either in-person or virtual using meeting platforms like Zoom or Google Hangouts.
They are a great way to get your team moving and having a blast together, which helps reduce boredom and increase productivity. They can also be a great way to improve communication between your team members, which is a huge issue in many organizations.
Outdoor scavenger hunts are especially enjoyable because they encourage your team to explore areas that they might not otherwise visit. They are a great way to learn new things about your city or neighborhood and help strengthen bonds among your team members.
Besides helping to build trust, scavenger hunts can also boost the quality of communication in your organization. Studies have shown that poor workplace communication can lead to a host of negative effects on the bottom line, including reduced productivity and fewer sales.
When you choose to host a team scavenger hunt, be sure to include challenges that will make each member of your team want to participate. This is one of the easiest ways to ensure your team will enjoy this activity and want to do it again.
3. Best and Worst
When done right, team-building exercises can build trust and increase communication among employees. But too often, they are used as a Band-Aid solution to larger problems in the workplace that require more serious management action.
The best corporate team building activities are designed to make the work environment more fun and enjoyable, and encourage people to work together towards a common goal. They also promote employee happiness and loyalty to the company they work for.
They can also create opportunities for employees to learn new skills and develop friendships with their coworkers. A recent Gallup study found that close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%.
If you’re looking to give your team a chance to bond, consider an activity that lets them enjoy some fun outdoors. You could choose something like a camping trip, rafting adventure, or scavenger hunt, depending on how adventurous your team is.
Another great indoor option is a group board game. These games are easy to set up and offer a great opportunity for team members to get to know each other better.
Incorporate team-building games into your next meeting or event and let your employees learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses in a relaxed setting. You can also use these events as a way to pass along some key messages about the company’s mission and values.
The worst corporate team building activities are those that make the employees feel embarrassed or humiliated. For example, one reader described a team-building exercise where they had to spit soda into their colleagues’ mouths — yuck!
4. Let’s Draw
Let’s Draw is a fun game that encourages teamwork and creativity. It also allows participants to practice open communication and listening skills. This team building activity is perfect for companies with a wide variety of employees who want to build trust and communicate clearly.
To play this game, split your group into small teams and distribute paper, pens, and crayons. Ask each team to collaborate and create an emblem that represents their company’s values and identity. They can then share their creations with the rest of the group. This exercise will help build trust between your employees and allow them to realize that they have a shared vision.
Alternatively, you can ask each person to create an image that shows one aspect of their personality. For example, if someone on the team is a hiker, they might make an image of a mountain or a tent.
When everyone has finished, they can then discuss their work and explain how it reflects their personalities. This activity will show that each member of the team has unique qualities and preferences that make them special, but they are all valuable contributors to a team’s success.
Taking time to share personal stories is one of the most effective ways to break the ice and build trust between members of a team. This is especially true in new or unfamiliar workplaces. This is why it’s important to choose team-building exercises that encourage deep and meaningful sharing.
5. Virtual Escape Room
Virtual escape rooms are a fun way to bring teams closer together. They also help to develop team communication, critical thinking skills, and creativity. Unlike some of the more traditional team building activities that involve travel, virtual escape rooms can be done from anywhere with an internet connection.
Wildly Different offers several options for virtual team building experiences, including a series of online escape rooms designed with specific themes and goals in mind. They even offer a custom option that allows companies to create their own puzzles and challenges.
Another company, Let’s Roam, offers a virtual escape room experience based on the popular TV show Golden Girls. In this game, your team will work together to solve a series of puzzles in order to break out of a house of gingerbread.
This is a great choice for teams that love the nostalgia of 90’s TV. It also has a lot of interactive trivia questions, making it an ideal choice for groups that enjoy teamwork.
Pikachu’s Rescue is a unique virtual team building activity that will give your remote team some Pokemon-themed fun. It’s a fun and collaborative adventure for your team, with teams working together to answer questions about Pokemon and observation.
This is a free virtual escape room experience that’s perfect for your next group meeting. It’s a little more complicated than some of the other games on this list, but it’s a great way to build trust among your team members and encourage teamwork. It’s also a good way to get your team working together before a big project begins.