The priority of all managers across the globe is to get the best out of their team. Team members who are happy are the most productive – but occasionally office politics and a general office malaise need to be addressed to booster morale, and sooner rather than later. A great way to resolve these issues before they escalate into a greater problem is to organise a team-bonding experience, but what do you choose to do? Action packed days, or something a little more sedate?
Sedate
The key to a successful team-bonding experience is to take them out of their usual comfort zone, but not to the extent that they are uncomfortable with the activity. You know your team, and the personality types and demographic within it.
Think about what you want the exercise to achieve. It may be that a wine-tasting event is something that would appeal. Learning about a new topic that is unrelated to your business will be seen as a work-funded evening out, rather than an opportunity to foster good team relationships.
If your team are focussing on how to choose the best wine and fine wine storage, they will have plenty to discuss in the social after the presentation. Not only will Octavian Vaults be their first port of call when they want to invest their bonus in fine wines, but they will have something in common other than work. Choosing a sedate activity can be ideal if you want to achieve some common ground between your team. You don’t want your team members to feel alienated by the experience, and so choosing a gentler experience is more inclusive.
Action Packed
Team experiences promote collaboration and teamwork. Taking your team for an away day is a powerful way to develop communication, problem solving, and most importantly, conflict resolution. By taking your team out of the office environment you’ll be able to enhance connections and give an opportunity for deeper discussions to take place. Review your team’s physical capabilities; remember that your choice of experience needs to be inclusive.
Your budget will determine what you choose for your team to do. You may choose for your team to experience rock-climbing, paragliding, Go Ape or even a hike. You’ll be amazed at the way your team tackle the challenges, and they will be too. Often the team member who you assume will be the most confident in a task is replaced by someone that you previously overlooked in terms of the mental strength and agility that is required to complete these challenges.
By giving your team experiences out of their usual working day, you’re opening doors for a deeper level of understanding between them. People are able to relax and communicate easier with people that they worked with to accomplish a difficult task or enjoyed learning something new with. Whether you choose a sedate evening out or an action-packed day for your team, you’ll be happy with the results, and the business will benefit in the long run.