The more traditional type of team building would include a whiteboard, some “getting to know you” questions and, inevitably, some form of role play. These days, team building activities have become a little more exciting.

Effective team building needs to keep employees interested, motivated and most importantly, having fun.

Fun and physical team building activities are much more likely to spawn camaraderie and keep people eager to reach their goals and complete challenges than something that is set in the same office you work in.

Effective team building has many benefits, and if you have a number of team building event ideas mulling about, we have highlighted just a few of the other amazing benefits your business could enjoy.

Fixes issues with communication

One of the biggest roadblocks of a perfectly functioning team is communication. A lack of communication can be the main cause of team breakdowns and team building activities can be the best answer to communication problems.

Choose an activity that forces your team members to listen carefully to their colleagues in order to complete a challenge.

Treasure hunts, for example, require a small team to work together in order to work out clues and follow directions. Adding in a competitive edge can further increase the need for seamless communication.

Breaks down personal barriers

With so many different personalities mixing within a small space, tensions can start to rise. Bringing opposing people together and giving them a task that they then have to share and work together in order to complete, could help break down those barriers.

If you are already aware of clashes within the team, think about how you could bring those people together in a relaxed environment and how they could use their strengths to work together.

Develops new skills

Any team building activities will help to develop new skills. It can help those quieter members of the team to break out and improve their leadership skills, or those with leadership potential to further hone their communication skills.

The biggest developments usually occur within leadership skills, creativity, problem solving skills and communication skills. It’s only with all of these working together, that team members can complete their assigned challenges.

Identifies strengths and weaknesses

For a manager, team building activities can help to identify strengths and weaknesses within the team that may not have been noticeable before.

This time also gives you the opportunity to iron out any weaknesses that may be causing an issue within the team, and allow you time to plan how to move forward. Your team may work better with a re-structure, this is the time to identify that issue and figure out how your team could function more efficiently.

Taking some time out of your normal working day can not only help to build the relationships within your team, but it can also give your employees a much needed break.

Breaking the monotony of everyday tasks can act as a reset for your team, allowing them to take time to relax and refresh their minds.

Effective team building activities are all about putting your employees in a position that forces them to work together effectively. This can help to develop much needed skills that will boost productivity and improve the communication of your team overall.

Most importantly, it can create stronger employee relationships, resulting in a more pleasant, relaxed and efficient working environment.

This feature was written by Team Tactics

Image: Shutterstock

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