Have you tried everything to build bridges with your team members but nothing seems to work? The bad energy keeps flowing on your workspace and the productivity is running low.
Working in a relaxed environment where everyone feels free to share their ideas and feel part of a team working towards a common goal is key to healthy and successful teams. Therefore, it’s crucial that as a leader you’re focusing on building trust and cooperation among your team. However, sometimes high-pressure, competitive environments might make your task much harder.
Tired of the usual team building activities? Here you have some out of the box team building practices you can try out, to strengthen your team’s connection. Plan them as an extra treat for Christmas or Thanksgiving!
Cooking classes.
This is probably the fanciest option of the selection, but don’t we all love eating? Booking a cooking class for you and your team is a great way to get out of your comfort zone while doing something that still involves teamwork. You could start by asking them what their favourite cuisine is and book a class that you know the majority would love.
This would show that you care about their personal interests out of the office and it’s a nice twist to the very formal Christmas office dinners. Make sure the session includes a taste of the food you’ve prepared together at the end, so you get the full-on bonding experience (and of course, all the tasty food!).
Community service
Ask them what charity or organization they are passionate about and why. Find out if any of these organizations are in your area and if they need specific help. Then, choose a charity together and arrange a day-off to go as a team to provide support.
Friday activities
The feeling of never ending Friday afternoons at the office is, for sure, something we can all relate to. Why don’t you try using that unproductive end of the Friday afternoon to bond with your team mates?
Suggest finishing work an hour earlier and then spend that free hour together at the local café or pub, sharing a drink and having a relaxed, informal conversation on how the week went, what they feel most proud of and how they are going to spend their weekend. This is useful for learning more about your team both inside and out of the work space.
If you feel like the conversation wouldn’t flow easily because the ambience between the team is tense, you can use Friday afternoons to put into practice a few games and bonding activities that are quick and easy to do inside the office.
You could play games like Two Truths, One Lie or The Egg Drop.
In Two Truths, One Lie each team member will need to come up with three different stories. Of course, two true ones and a lie. Will the rest of your team members be able to figure out which is the odd one?
The Egg Drop is a good team activity to spark creativity. Divide your team members in groups of 2-3 and give the an unboiled egg. The challenge is to find a way to protect the egg for it not to break when you drop it. The clue here is that it can only be done with things that you can find in your office!
Both of these games are good icebreakers. Put a few of these games into practice every Friday afternoon and you’ll see how your team becomes closer every week.
Have you ever put in practice any of these quirky team-building activities? How was your experience? Let me know in the comments, on Facebook or Instagram.
IF YOU LIKED THIS POST YOU WILL ENJOY...
Sign up to our newsletter to receive a post like this every week, and don't miss out on our leadership and teambuilding tips!