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It’s The Teamwork That Makes The Dreamwork

Remember when it seemed revolutionary to have a kiddy daycare at work for your employees with children? Or when it seemed über-fancy to have an onsite Janitorial Company. (To be fair, you probably should still be doing that last one, though).

Now all those things seem old-fashioned in a corporate world where call center staff get head massages during work hours (thank you, Sir Richard Branson). These days team-building exercises involve celebrity chef cooking lessons and masterclasses in authenticity by Ru Paul.

But you don’t have to go that far to ensure that your workplace is a happy, motivated, and united force.

Unless you’ve been living in the dark ages, it simply isn’t good enough to have “fancy” break-out rooms with LCD televisions anymore. Study after study has revealed that companies that invest heavily in team unity and team cohesion generally perform better on the bottom line.

According to this article by Forbes, “teambuilding builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. Effective team building means more engaged employees, which is good for company culture and boosting the bottom line.”

So that means it’s time to leave that stuffy old boardroom behind and unleash your inner Chewbacca at a theme park or, better yet – get dirty at a Bootcamp. Let’s unpack some of the top team-building activities today.

COCKTAIL COMPETITIONS

Probably best left for after-hours, we all know how effective a bit of alcohol can be in breaking down barriers and loosening folks up.  Better yet, when it’s you – the boss – leading the charge in teaching how to mix the latest cocktails, you’ll instantly get some street cred, and you’ll change the perception that all you do is crunch numbers and bark orders all day long. 

MAKING YOUR COMMUNITY WORK

Not in the “get up and get dressed and get to the office” kind of way (although if you’re in a community that needs jobs, that’s not the worst thing), but what we mean here relates more to finding a need in your local area and then getting your team together to fix it. Whether it’s a worn-out basketball court, a grimy-looking community center, or a nursing home that needs some love, the feel-good factor creates the kind of bonds that last.

GOT TALENT? 

Probably not, but who cares? Nothing beats vulnerability than belting out that note from “all by myself” that absolutely no one on earth can do except Celine Dion. Even the bolshiest of wannabe pop stars in your office (and you know who they are) are going to fail at that note, and that is the great equalizer.

IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT

If you already have an office that works well together, is cohesive, and communicates well, there is no need for a fancy boot camp-style course or flying lessons. Don’t underestimate the power of a popcorn and movie night at the office or off-site – if you’re the boss and you have a big enough home, do it there (unless your team is 100 strong).  Everyone loves a good movie, so you’re hardly going to go wrong there.

Whatever you decide to do, make your team part of the decision and don’t belittle or downplay someone’s suggestion just because it’s “dorky” or it plain sucks. The idea is to bring everyone together, remember?

And more than anything – HAVE FUN!

Rania

rania@transpremium.com

I AM RANIA MERCHAK ANDRAOS, A CAREER MOM WITH A PASSION FOR WORDS, FITNESS & HEALTH, AND FOOD! STICK AROUND AND ENJOY THE RIDE AS YOU GET A GLIMPSE OF MY WORLD!

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