In the 1980s and 1990s, media representations of what the workplace looked like were almost unbearably grim. From Office Space to Weekend at Bernie’s, Friends to The Drew Carey Show, workplaces were represented as soulless, empty places run by faceless corporations with zero qualms about working employees to the bone.
Thankfully, the workplace in 2016 looks a lot different. Sometime between the 90s and now, businesses twigged to the fact that a workplace rife with unhappiness can be costly. Between the hit to productivity, the increase in sick leave, and the difficulty in attracting and retaining top talent, smart businesses have realised that investing in workplace happiness is integral.
In an effort to boost workplace happiness, employers are turning to a number of morale-boosting tactics, from creative office spaces, to free lunches, to mindfulness and wellbeing programs. However, in this quest for a happier workforce, employers are – surprisingly – neglecting an area that has a significant impact on our state of mind at work.
Our relationships with our fellow co-workers.
A 2010 Randstad study revealed that, while only 45% of American workers are satisfied with their jobs, 67% reported that having friends at work makes their job more fun and enjoyable, and 55% feel that these relationships make their job more worthwhile and satisfying.
The upshot? Employers could make significant strides towards happiness in the workplace if they turned their attention to building the relationships between employees.
It’s a term that is likely to induce a few eyerolls, but team building activities are a great way to foster positive relationships between employees. It’s all too easy to work alongside someone without getting to know them, and team building activities are a great way to break down those barriers.
If you want to encourage your employees to bond, try one of these activities:
A Truth and a Lie
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Pen and paper
Objective: This game encourages communication between team members
Perfect for: Medium groups
Have your team form a circle. Each person takes turns in introducing themselves to the group, then telling everyone two facts – one true, and one a lie. Everyone will then vote for the statement they believe to be true. Points are awarded for each correct guess, as well as for every team member who believes your own lie.
Best and Worst
Duration: 1 hour
Materials: No materials needed
Objective: A great option for teams who collaborate online, this exercise helps people get to know their fellow team members better
Perfect for: Medium groups
Each member of the group writes down one ‘best’ question and one ‘worst’ question to ask their fellow team members. (E.g. ‘What’s the best holiday you’ve ever been on?’ or ‘What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?’) These questions are collected and put into a hat, so each member can draw two at random. Each group member then takes turns to answer the questions they’ve been drawn, giving a little background information for each.
Take What You Need
Duration: 1 hour
Materials: Coins, tissues or other easily counted item
Objective: A fun, simple activity that helps team members get to know each other better
Perfect for: Medium groups
Get your team to sit in a circle, then pass around a box of tissues, bag of coins, or similar. Tell everyone to ‘take as much as they need’, without telling them what for. Once everyone has taken what they need, they’ll need to tell the group one interesting fact about themselves for every item they took.
For more team building activities, check out Ento’s list of 35 team building activities and games for work. With activities for teams of all sizes and scopes, it’s an invaluable resource for switched-on managers and team leaders.
Author’s Bio:
Chris Power is head of workforce management at Ento.com, a Melbourne start-up that helps some of Australia’s largest companies (including Telstra, World Vision and Bakers Delight) streamline their staff rostering without any frustrating spreadsheets. Ento’s intelligent modern workforce management software is now used by more than 3000 workplaces across Australia.
Ento is founded on the belief that happy, empowered workplaces make for happy customers and in using team building activities to foster great relationships. In his free time, Chris uses his expertise in this domain to write great content for the Ento Blog, like this 35 Team Building Activities and Games for Your Workplace article.