The modern workplace is no longer just a place of business, rather it has become a place of laughter, friendship, and cooperation on a deeper, profound level. Whether you like it or not, you can no longer expect to lead a winning team and pave the road to long-term business success solely by cashing out paychecks every month and demanding that your employees maintain top productivity regardless of their emotional and psychological well-being.
To truly thrive as a 21st-century business, you will need to get your house in order first, and that means ensuring that every one of your family members is happy, safe, and satisfied. Now, when you think of it that way, team-building events don’t seem so pointless, do they? So let’s take a look at some fun team-building activities that will help you build a thriving employee collective.
There is no icebreaker like paintball
Keeping a millennial workforce entertained for more than five minutes at a time is proving to be a tough challenge nowadays, so starting off with something more on the adrenaline-inducing side of the spectrum is always a good idea. One such amazing activity is, of course, paintball – a game that never fails to unglue people from their smartphone screens and inspire them to deal with their stress in a very active way.
No matter if they’re afraid of getting hit with a paint projectile, or if they relish the opportunity to showcase their tactical skills, this game is bound to get your team members working together, eliminate any barriers they might have had towards each other, and it’s just a great icebreaker! Be sure to put the people you think need more bonding in the same team, and simply let them hash it all out on their own.
Taking on a grand outdoor adventure
There nothing quite like the serene and tranquil surroundings of the great outdoors, and while not all of your team members are bound to be outdoor enthusiasts, they are still bound to have fun away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city. Now, the location of the excursion doesn’t matter so much so long as you have plenty of activities planned.
You can take on an exploration tour of the surrounding countryside, or you can visit the nearest national park for the weekend, making sure your bring your camping gear and your hiking boots because there are plenty of things to do in the great outdoors. Naturally, no outdoor adventure can be complete without a grand BBQ grill-off.
Enjoying a company-wide cook-off
Barbecuing is the ancient ritual of friendship, so to speak, and if you want to bring your employees closer together and create a trusting bond between them, then you better fire up the grills and open a few cold ones.
Another great thing about barbecuing is that there is a unique BBQ style to every region, so you can make a game out of the whole thing by having your team members follow these grilling instructions and learning something new while enjoying a completely new palate. It’s fun, laid-back, and rewarding.
Volunteering to make a difference
Selfless deeds bring people together. And the world needs more selfless people. This is your chance to not only create an emotional bond between your employees, but to also build a positive company culture the world will know you for. What’s more, by volunteering with your team, you will establish yourself as the trustworthy, inspiring leader everyone will love and respect.
The possibilities here are endless, from organizing a clean-up of your neighborhood, to volunteering at the local dog shelter, to taking the residents of a home for the elderly for a picnic at the park, or making lunch boxes for the homeless, just let your imagination run free.
Leading the team on a treasure hunt
Finally, another time-tested idea that never fails to bring people together and take their minds off work is a meticulously-organized treasure hunt. You can opt to have it in your own neighborhood, or you can take your team on an adventure across town, but the main part is that you need to have an amazing surprise planned at the end for everyone. So make sure a symbolic award awaits the winning team at the finish line, but also have a grand feast organized at a nice restaurant where you can all enjoy quality time together over food and wine.
Team-building activities are often regarded as those boring events everyone has to attend whether they want to or not, and oftentimes they can be counterproductive because they weren’t planned out very well. However, with these fun ideas in mind, you now have the roadmap that will help you create some amazing team-building events that will not only bring your employees together, but will also help them shed the stress and worries of everyday life.