Looking for your next great team-building exercise?
Chances are you’re already well familiar with the benefits of such activities. Not only do they give employees a chance to get to know each other outside of the office, they’re also a great way to reduce stress and facilitate bonding between team members.
Below are some unique team-building activities for you to consider.
The Great Cook-Off
There’s a reason why there are so many cooking shows on TV and on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. People love seeing others go head-to-head in the kitchen—probably because we all wish we could sample some of those delicious dishes.
So why not have a great cook-off in the workplace? It’s an excellent way to put those team player and leadership skills to the test. Simply divide your employees into smaller teams, pick a food category (Italian, Mexican, Barbecue, etc.), and then let the teams have at it with putting together their culinary creations. You could even bring in guest chef judges from neighboring restaurants to be the taste testers.
Tickle Your Funny Bone
Communication is key in the workplace. In fact, it’s one of the most important skills you can have when working with others. It’s no surprise then that many workplaces are hosting improv workshops for their team members.
Not familiar with improv? Simply put, it’s is a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters, and dialogue of a game, scene, or story are made up in the moment. Hence: improvisation. You’ll typically find improv shows as a form of comedy in local theatres.
Improv workshops can be fun and interactive experiences. Your employees will get a good laugh but will also learn about effective communication with each other as well as focus and creativity. You can easily bring in a professional from a local theater to run engaging activities with your team, helping them to develop new skills that will benefit them in the workplace.
Personal & Professional Development
There are other kinds of workshops available. They cover a wide variety of topics such as: marketing, public speaking, finances, etc. Many workplaces have a regular ‘lunch and learn’ session where they bring in experts from a vast field of industries to come and share with their team members for an hour or so.
It’s a great way to provide your employees with the opportunity to learn something new and even further their careers. Not sure which topics might be of interest to your team? Distribute a survey with a list of ideas and have them check off those that interest them. The results will show you which topics the majority are leaning toward.
And remember: such workshops don’t always need to be related to your company’s industry. Topics can also include health and wellness, time management, organisation, and more!
Volunteer
When most of us think about team-building activities, we might imagine obstacle courses or outings to special events. But volunteering is seeing a rise among workplace groups as well. Giving back to a good cause is an excellent way to help your employees bond with each other, especially since volunteering naturally makes most people feel good about themselves and thus boosts morale and satisfaction.
Some of the most popular volunteer activities include helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house, delivering gifts to children in the hospital, or serving at a local soup kitchen. You might also fundraise for a charity of choice by doing a special 5K run together.
Team-building activities are a great way to help your employees develop quality relationships with one another that can help improve workplace communication and teamwork.
Which of the activities below will you try out?
If you would prefer a facilitated session, please get in contact for an obligation free conversation about how Shaping Change can help you and your team.