Team bonding may just be one of the best investments a company can make. Bonding activities – such as team-wide volunteer opportunities and routinely sharing a meal together – can enhance overall productivity, positively impact leadership skills and customer focus, and maybe even boost the bottom line.
Research from Nulab suggests that a vibrant, interactive company culture may be the most effective bait. Their data also reveals that shared meaningful experiences are the most essential teambuilding tool. Applying what they discovered to your company may pay spectacular returns in both the short and long term.
Eat, Drink and be Merry
It seems that sitting down to a meal together is not just a winning recipe for the home but the office as well. Nulab’s results suggest that company activities which focus on eating, drinking, and volunteer work are crucial to building strong, productive teams.
Potlucks and lunches, as well as sports-based activities, rated very highly in terms of both enjoyment and real value. Participants believed that their workplace relationships, collaboration, and creativity all benefitted as a result of such gatherings. One warning; if alcohol is served at the event, make sure that your organization has a clear and well-established alcohol policy beforehand.
What Not to Do
Traditional ice breakers built around asking questions were considered the least enjoyable, effective, and valuable of all bonding exercises. Avoid them.
Pop culture can be a great focal point but encouraging outside interests can be a double-edged sword. It is estimated that March Madness costs US employers approximately $13.3 billion in work hours. Popular TV show Game of Thrones is estimated to have cost $3 billion in lost productivity.
With this in mind, generic “viewing” events may become unnecessary distractions. Instead, consider promoting volunteer work. It was rated the highest, most enjoyable off-site activity for all age groups.
Don’t Force It
Also important is resisting the temptation to make participation mandatory. Rather than forcing everyone to attend an event that many don’t enjoy, find out what they do like and make it a voluntary thing. It seems this approach both garners the highest rates of participation and evokes the highest levels of satisfaction.
The overarching takeaway is that teambuilding develops into meaningful team bonding with the right environment and the right motivations. The exact formula for every company differs, but these basics coupled with some feedback will allow you to create activities that work best for your organization.
If you would like to discuss the importance of team bonding further, please contact me today.
