Is it worthwhile to have team-building activities? According to various research, the answer to this question is an emphatic yes. If an organization wants a more productive and cohesive workplace, it is worth investing time and resources in organizing team-building activities.
Nowadays, corporates have made team building and bonding activities a part of their work culture. These activities for employees have proved to be highly successful. They have helped HR departments identify the strength and weaknesses of a team.
Organizing fun activities for employees is a norm in major organizations across the globe. These activities help bring the people working in the organization closer. Employees get to know each other better. They get to connect well in a different ambiance. Overall, it helps motivating the employees, increases communication levels, and develops collaborative spirit among the team members.
Why is team building necessary?
Why is team building required in the first place? It is an effort on the company’s part to provide resources, guidance, and skills to the team to be utilized in an optimum manner and yield better results. One of the main prerequisites for the smooth functioning of an organization is to give a break to the employees periodically. In team-building exercises, this so-called break is a proven method for building interpersonal skills and enhancing employee performance.
Making team building activities a success
It is not that important for the type of activity or event one chooses for Team building. What is important is whether these activities work and yield results or not. One can take some measures to ensure its success by doing the following things:
Plan team-building schedule
These are activities that cannot be done in a single day and for the entire organization in one go. A yearly team building activity calendar department-wise is an excellent way to ensure better participation and effective results. The Human Resource department can inform the teams in advance of the dates they plan to have the activities. To avoid disrupting the work schedule, it is a good idea to organize such activities on the weekends.
Identify the areas for improvement
It is essential for those conducting team-building activities to plan the event. Depending on the goals and objectives for the particular set of employees, the activities can be skill-centric that require special attention. In many instances, these activities help evaluate an employee without their knowledge. Feedback later helps the employees to improve their shortcomings.
Allow team members to interact
It is applicable if the participants are from different departments or different locations. Here the participants can introduce themselves to one another, as Team Bonding is equally important apart from participating in team-building exercises.
Award for participation
In order to make a team-building event more interactive and participative, the employees should be told in advance what incentives or rewards are given for successful participation. Many corporates give Certificates of appreciation for attending such programs or any other awards and perks. These training certificates add value to an employee’s resume. These incentives encourage the participants to take a proactive interest in Team Building activities.
Conclusion
If the team-building activities are to provide any value to the organization, the activity planners (within the management) have to consider the core business values and philosophies relevant to their organization. Hence, the planners should consider incorporating the business culture into the program outlines. Reinforcement helps the company to understand the perspective of the employees.
