Team building activities have been stereotyped to be ice-breakers or scavenger hunts. While both are great for team engagement, sometimes more engaging and interactive activities are needed to rekindle the spark between team members. In these instances, outdoor team building activities have considerably higher impact on team bonding than indoor activities. Outdoor activities are more interactive, require more efforts, take longer to organize, and execute and are more fun than indoor activities.
Post-pandemic as employers are trying to entice workers to switch to office based work schedules, outdoor team building activities have grown in popularity. For example, team building activities in Singapore have emerged to be more adventurous with the country easing restrictions after the pandemic. Outdoor activities also have an edge over indoor activities as they engage employees of all groups or genders. But they are not effective if organized without planning. Although not comprehensive, here are a few ways to organize outdoor team building activities that improve employee motivation:
Organize sports or fitness events
If your team members have been feeling low in morale or uninspired, a team sports day can be a great way to boost team morale. Sports build competitive spirit in team members and cheer them up. They also bring team members together to achieve a common goal and encourage co-operative attitude. Employers are often apprehensive about organizing sports events as they require much more time, resources like space, and budget than other activities. When resources are limited activities like marathons or walks or a group yoga activity can be considered. Organizing sports or fitness events for employees also reflects employer’s commitment to employee well-being.
Connect the activities with your organization’s vision, mission, and values
Team building activities can be more impactful when they relate to the organization’s vision, mission, and values. While this may not be the only approach to all team building activities, it is necessary to emphasize how these activities are aligned with the organization’s values. For example, an outdoor charity or philanthropy event can be a great way to bring your teams together to support causes your organization values and believes.
Make it fun and engaging
One of the most important characteristics of a good team building activity is that it should be fun and engaging. Although some activities have specific goals that make the activity more of a personality development exercise than a game, interactive activities are crucial. To make the activities more engaging, determine the social fabric of your team and identify strengths and weaknesses. Identify what your team needs the most at a given point of time. Involve the top leadership in the activities and remind them that these activities do not make them seem vulnerable. They are rather a way to connect with and understand teams better. Ensure that everyone in the team is comfortable participating in the activity.
Break the barriers
While it is true that team building activities help in breaking barriers, sometimes there are barriers to organize purpose driven team building activities. The barriers can be anything from size of the team, location, to personal preferences of team members. Tailor the activities according to the requirements of your team. Take feedback from your teams about the activities organized in the past. Analyse what prevented a high engagement. For example, some teams are dominated by introverts and some by extroverts. Some teams are highly diverse, and others are too focused. Breaking down these barriers is essential to come together and participate in team building activities.
Select the right activities
Not all activities are right for your team. Every team is unique and has it’s own strengths and weaknesses. Determine the goal of the activity and analyse if it aligns with your team members. Team building cannot be forced. When it is forced, it has the contrary effect. Try to involve and engage your team members in a fun and collaborative atmosphere. Identifying the wrong activity, setting too many goals, or forcing it on your team could be a potential pitfall in organizing these activities.
To conclude, outdoor team building activities can be more fun and interactive than indoor activities. However, they do require more time in planning, execution, budgets, and efforts. They may not be ideal if you are looking for a quick engagement for your team. These activities have a long term impact on your team and make memorable moments while building strong interpersonal relationships.
This is a sponsored post
