Team building is important to ensure success and improve productivity amongst your employees. Through the activities, the employees can get inspired, encouraged and motivated which boosts their positivity and performance at work. Also, team building activities is a great way to informally associate with other colleagues as well, and strengthen their ties. Since there are a variety of people in the office, it is not always easy to pull off a team building activity that can be liked by all. Whether it is indoor or outdoor activities, the first thing is that it must be interesting to do.
Indoor Activities
The advantages of indoor activities are that it is not heavy on the budget of the company, since the activities can be conducted within the office space. Companies in Melbourne would also go as far to hire conference room to conduct these team building activities. They are more convenient and can be held frequently.
- Photography
Very few people do not like photography, and everyone have mobile phones. Encourage them to capture photos at work and of employees, give them a scenario and make them think out of the box.
- Replay about Life
Make your team form a circle. Tell them to close their eyes and recall the best thing that has happened in their life in the past, or the best thing they are experiencing right now. Let them share the same with the other employees. This can boost positive thinking between all, and can increase comfort and trust between one another.
- Movie – Time
Many companies already do this. They conduct screenings of movies after or during the office others. Movies are a great way to capture their interest in something away from work and to start conversations with their peers. Also, this is a great method without spending a lot of resources and time.
Outdoor Activities
Outdoor team building activities promise more fun and augments the advantages of team building activities since it is outside the usual environment of the office. Going out and exploring new activities with employees is amazing on its own, but is also a great way to form inter – personal connections.
- Paintballing
Paintball is a great sport and it ensures that everyone can equally participate. There is no hierarchy in this game, so there is a good chance that everyone has a chance to know each other. Also, in paintball, you can form teams.
- Zipline
Ziplining is the current favourite team building activity for small to medium groups of people. Ziplines are cables which are connected by two anchor points, usually a tree or a sturdy pole. These two points has to form a downward slope, which allows its ‘passengers’ to slide downwards at relatively high speed. If your organisation/group is based in Melbourne or in Victorian suburbs, head over to this adventure park in Victoria and sign up for its team building package.
- Yoga Sessions
Although this can be conducted indoors, if you manage to do it in a tranquil place like a park or any yoga studio, it will be amazing. Yoga is a great way to relax your mind and re-center focus. It also gives an opportunity for the employees to bond with each other. The best thing about yoga is that it can be conducted regularly, and better if it is conducted at least twice every month.
- Company Trip
Well, what can get better than getting on the road? Trips are always a great way to know each other and create personal connections. Plan to a nearby mountain for a trek or if you live near a beach, take them out there. If you decide to stay overnight, it is even better, as you can arrange for some games to be done during the night as well. Although it takes a lot of resources and planning to pull off, a trip is almost always interesting and is worth it. You will want to make sure that you choose the venue carefully, though. For example, if your company cares about climate change and environmental sustainability, you will want to choose a venue that uses renewable energy or are already known for their green approach towards business. This will raise the company morale and increase the employees trust towards your company.
So, these are the top activities you can have indoors or outdoors to boost the morale of your employees. You can also create your own group activities and games to keep your employees engaged. The results of a good team building exercise is definitely worth for the company.
Now if you’re looking into activities for team building, here are a few great examples that you could do both indoors and outdoors.
1. Game of Possibilities
Time: 5-6 minutes
Number of Participants: One or several small groups
Tools Needed: Any arbitrary objects
Rules: This is a great 5-minute team game sport. Give an item to a single individual in every group. One at a time, somebody has to go up in front of the group and also demonstrate a use for this object. The remainder of the team must guess what the player is demonstrating. To take it one step further, organise a themed game that is connected to what your company is doing. For example, if you are one of the engineering companies in Australia, you could bring engineering related objects like the engineering tools or an engineering program that is used by the company and turn the game into a competitive game of who knows the company better.
Objective: This team building practice inspires creativity and individual invention.
2. Winner/Loser
Time: 5-6 minutes
Number of Clients: 2 or more individuals
Tools Needed: Not one
Rules: Partner A shares something negative that occurred in their lifetime with Partner B. It can be a personal or work-related memory, but it has to be authentic. Then Partner A discusses exactly the same experience , but focuses only on the positive aspects. Partner B helps research the silver lining of their bad experience. Afterward, they change roles.
Objective: Participants learn how to reframe negative situations into learning experiences together.
3. Goal Mingle
Time: 1 – 2 minutes
Number of Participants: Any
Tools Needed: Not one
Rules: This one is for all those of you looking for a great indoor team building game that will not occupy much time. Before a meeting, have each person walk around and discuss what they hope to add to the meeting together with as many people as possible. If you’d like, provide a prize for the person who shares together with the most people, and another for whoever successfully contributes what they discussed. You will need to provide a large open space for this though. The best options to hire a venue in Melbourne can be found easily by doing a google search.
Objective: Enhances meeting productivity and also makes attendees think about how they’re going to contribute, instead of just what they hope to escape the meeting.
