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Why are employee team bonding activities important?

The value of teamwork, synergy and collaboration cannot be overemphasized for anyone privileged to lead, head or manage a team. These values contribute significantly to the team’s success, and every manager knows this and understand the need for structures and activities that allow such values to thrive within the team.     This is where team bonding activities come in. You see, every team consists of individuals who have similarities as well as differences. While one should be grateful for more similarities than differences, the effect of differences in a team can be damming if not correctly understood, managed and utilized.   Team-building activities for employees are not aimed at toning down the diversity present in every team. Instead, it aims to cause synergy to become a strength despite the diversity, and the team can succeed. They also foster personal bonds between coworkers, which creates a conducive and effective working environment that gives the business a competitive edge.     Now that we know that team bonding activities are essential in the workplace,    

Why Do Team Bonding Activities Still Suck?   

Why do employees come up with silly excuses to miss team bonding activities in the workplace? Some even say they have work to do; your team bonding activities have to suck for employees to choose work over it. Employees and employers know the importance of team bonding activities, but the former baulk at these activities for the reasons listed below.   
  • Maybe workers are just tired, and instead of another activity that requires energy, they need rest.   
  • Maybe it is boring, if people are going to leave work for an activity, it should at least be a fun activity and exciting not one that reminds them of work.   
  • Maybe it is plain awkward, especially for introverts, your idea of fun might be their worst nightmare, and the whole purpose is defeated.  
However, with a bit of ingenuity, intentionality, planning and the list of exciting team bonding activities below, you could make your employees never want to miss a team bonding event again. Ready to cause a change? Read on to explore employee team bonding activities that won’t suck.  Recommended Post: The Ultimate Guide for Choosing the Top Event Venue in Lagos

7 Team Bonding Activities for Employees that Won’t Suck  

Team Bonding Activities for Employees that Won’t Suck   We understand that the existence of team bonding activities that suck is proof that there are team bonding activities that rock. Here are seven of them chosen carefully for you;  

1. Office Trivia

This is always an exciting event, especially for organizations with history. More than just the excitement and thrill of trying to remember past events like milestones reached, the launch of a product, the execution of a project, or even receiving funding. It gives a nostalgic feeling, allows senior staff to relive memories, and newer staff who would have never been privy to such information have a glimpse of the experience through this game. It tests how well the employees know inside jokes and even random facts about the organization. The fun is that the winner gets to go home with branded office items.  

2. Blind Retriever

The objective of this game is to test how co-workers work together under pressure and communicate in difficult situations. This game also builds trust between team members as one person relies on others to lead correctly, and the others rely on one person to under instructions and obey correctly. To play, split your team into small groups, blindfolding one person on each team so that the first team that can successfully direct their blindfolded colleague to a hidden object wins.  

3. Cultural Celebration Parties

There is nothing more natural to a person than their culture. It influences every aspect of life, from how they speak, what they eat, and even how they dress. In a diverse team, hosting annual cultural parties where employees can display their culture without fear of being misunderstood or laughed at can be the breath of fresh air they need to relate better with their team members. Also, having an inter culture display, where employees are given different cultures to research and represent, can be an excellent way to educate employees on the different cultures. This prepares them to relate with new intakes who might represent that culture.  

4. What’s My Name

This is a great game to spark conversations between employees. It also awakens the creative side of employees as well as logic. The game is simple to play: Have everyone write the name of well-known individuals within an industry, say sports, on a post-it and stick them on foreheads or the back of one another. Then have the participants move around the room and ask questions about who they are, such as am I a man or woman? Etc. The first employee to guess the name written on the note stuck to their forehead//back wins. To make this even more interesting, you can make the game about people in the organization.  

5. Board Games

Board Games When it comes to board games, you can never go wrong. Board games are great for stimulating the mind and encouraging logical thinking. It also cuts across hierarchy and is an excellent opportunity to get employees at different levels to sit at the same table and interact. The best part is that they don’t cost much, and you can pretty much play them anywhere. Some of these board games include; Monopoly, Codenames, Scrabble, and Chess are some of the hottest games right now.  

6. No Smiling

You know what is more complex than a cold sales call? Not smiling or laughing when you are specifically told not to. Do we have those friends who cannot stop laughing even in a difficult situation? Imagine this as a game, group your employees and select one person to participate in this task. Then, an opposition group try to make the participants laugh—the employee who can last the longest without laughing wins.  

7. Team Lunches

Everybody loves to eat, or almost everybody loves to eat. So, what’s the most effortless team bonding activity? Take your team out to lunch and pick up the tab. For one, almost everybody will be available, and by food choices amongst other things, employees can get to know more about each other, interact and eventually bond.   A strong team cannot happen without effort and intentionality. Yes, you can have a team that meshes naturally. Still, to cultivate a team that supports each other through thick and thin, you will need to strengthen relationships with practical team-building activities for employees, and that is where The Zone comes in. Along with the fantastic ideas above, The Zone is a spacious, world-class, easily accessible facility for your team bonding activities. To see for yourself, click here for a virtual tour, or send an email to hello@thezone.ng to book a space. 

7 Employee Team Bonding Activities that Won’t Suck

Content Table

Why are employee team bonding activities important?

The value of teamwork, synergy, and collaboration cannot be overemphasized for anyone privileged to lead, head, or manage a team.

These values contribute significantly to the team’s success, and every manager knows this and understand the need for structures and activities that allow such values to thrive within the team.

This is where team-bonding activities come in. You see, every team consists of individuals who have similarities as well as differences.

While one should be grateful for more similarities than differences, the effect of differences in a team can be damaging if not correctly understood, managed, and utilised.

Team-building activities for employees are not aimed at toning down the diversity present in every team.

Instead, it aims to cause synergy to become a strength despite the diversity, and the team can succeed. They also foster personal bonds between coworkers, which creates a conducive and effective working environment that gives the business a competitive edge.

Now that we know that team bonding activities are essential in the workplace,

Why Do Team Bonding Activities Still Suck?

Why do employees come up with silly excuses to miss team bonding activities in the workplace? Some even say they have work to do; your team bonding activities have to suck for employees to choose work over them.

Employees and employers know the importance of team bonding activities, but the former baulk at these activities for the reasons listed below.

However, with a bit of ingenuity, intentionality, planning, and the list of exciting team bonding activities below, you could make your employees never want to miss a team bonding event again.

Ready to cause a change? Read on to explore employee-team bonding activities that won’t stink.

Recommended Post: The Ultimate Guide for Choosing the Top Event Venue in Lagos

7 Team Bonding Activities for Employees that Won’t Suck

7-Team-Bonding-Activities-for-Employees-that-Won’t-Suck

We understand that the existence of team-bonding activities that stink is proof that there are team-bonding activities that rock. Here are seven of them chosen carefully for you:

1. Office Trivia

This is always an exciting event, especially for organisations with history. More than just the excitement and thrill of trying to remember past events like milestones reached, the launch of a product, the execution of a project, or even receiving funding.

It gives a nostalgic feeling, allows senior staff to relive memories, and gives newer staff who would have never been privy to such information a glimpse of the experience through this game.

It tests how well the employees know inside jokes and even random facts about the organization. The fun is that the winner gets to go home with branded office items.

2. Blind Retriever

The objective of this game is to test how co-workers work together under pressure and communicate in difficult situations.

This game also builds trust between team members, as one person relies on others to lead correctly, and the others rely on one person to under instructions and obey correctly.

To play, split your team into small groups, blindfolding one person on each team so that the first team that can successfully direct their blindfolded colleague to a hidden object wins.

3. Cultural Celebration Parties

There is nothing more natural to a person than their culture. It influences every aspect of life, from how they speak to what they eat to how they dress.

In a diverse team, hosting annual cultural parties where employees can display their culture without fear of being misunderstood or laughed at can be the breath of fresh air they need to relate better with their team members.

Also, having an intercultural display, where employees are given different cultures to research and represent, can be an excellent way to educate employees on the different cultures.

This prepares them to relate to new intakes who might represent that culture.

4. What's My Name

This is a great game to spark conversations between employees. It also awakens the creative side of employees as well as their logic.

The game is simple to play: Have everyone write the name of well-known individuals within an industry, say sports, on a post-it and stick them on the foreheads or backs of one another.

Then have the participants move around the room and ask questions about who they are, such as, am I a man or woman? Etc.

The first employee to guess the name written on the note stuck to their forehead or back wins. To make this even more interesting, you can make the game about people in the organization.

5. Board Games

Board-Games

Another way to give back to your customers is to inform them of your services to help them make better decisions.

This shows your customers how knowledgeable you are in your industry and helps them gain trust in your organisation.

Hosting workshops, do-it-yourself sessions, and free classes are great examples of this event idea.

This could also be used as a marketing strategy when your customers share the knowledge with friends they think would benefit.

6. No Smiling

You know what is more complex than a cold sales call? Not smiling or laughing when you are specifically told not to.

Do we have those friends who cannot stop laughing, even in a difficult situation? Imagine this as a game, group your employees and select one person to participate in this task.

Then, an opposition group try to make the participants laugh—the employee who can last the longest without laughing wins.

7. Team Lunches

Everybody loves to eat, or almost everybody loves to eat. So, what’s the most effortless team bonding activity? Take your team out to lunch and pick up the tab.

For one, almost everybody will be available, and through food choices, among other things, employees can get to know more about each other, interact, and eventually bond.

Explore 'The Zone' Experience

A strong team cannot happen without effort and intentionality. Yes, you can have a team that meshes naturally.

Still, to cultivate a team that supports each other through thick and thin, you will need to strengthen relationships with practical team-building activities for employees, and that is where The Zone comes in.

Along with the fantastic ideas above, The Zone is a spacious, world-class, easily accessible facility for your team bonding activities.

To see for yourself, click here for a virtual tour, or send an email to hello@thezone.ng to book a space.

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