Do you cringe at the idea of being forced to take part in “small talk” with your colleagues as a part of team-building activities, or random karaoke nights that make you feel just plain uncomfortable? We get it these methods have been worn out and just aren’t working anymore.
Organizations need to put in more effort if they want to get their teams on the same page. The emphasis needs to be placed on building individual skills while offering your employees much-needed off time with team-building activities. According to a study by Gallup, putting the focus on the development of team member’s strengths and talents results in a whopping 8% more productive team and they are 15% less likely to leave the organization.
Just because “ice-breaking” techniques have been played out, doesn’t mean you should stop looking for better ways to help your people collaborate better.
1. Go Moonshotting
Do you know what really brings a group together? Solving the impossible. That’s why escape rooms and treasure hunts are such a big hit among the masses. But if you’re really looking forward to taking things up a notch, have your team come up with a moonshot strategy.
According to Google X’s research facility, a moonshot strategy is basically developing “radical solutions” to an insurmountable problem that takes creative thinking to an entirely new level.
What you have to do: Come up with a game plan to solve the problem that goes above and beyond the constraints of time and other resources. Give your employees the much-needed freedom to shoot for the stars without having their ideas shot down.
2. Bag-a-bunch Therapy
A Gallup study shows that only a small number of employees (only 29%) believe that they’re expected to be creative at work.
Recharge your teams’ creative juices by bringing a bag full of day-to-day items (it can also work with pictures of those items as well). These can include things like a TV remote, sharpie, car keys, screwdriver, or pair of gloves.
The next step is to divide the group into small teams of two to six members. Then have the two teams draw three items from the bag. The next step is to ask them to come up with a way that the two entirely unrelated items can be used together. This exercise is incredibly random and sometimes silly, but it can help team members flex their critical thinking and creativity muscles.
3. Mini Hackathons
Sometimes there is a lingering issue at work that remains unsolved because there haven’t been a lot of efforts to get the root cause of the problem.
Give your team a straightforward problem the company encounters frequently. Have them pinpoint symptoms—how they impact your goals—and identify the root cause, then brainstorm solutions.
Encourage diverse thinking: come up with diverse solutions.
Find the Right Team-Building Activities
Traditional team-building exercises like paintball and treasure hunts have their place. But it’s possible that creativity and critical thinking cultivated during these offsites and events won’t have a significant impact on team dynamics.
If you’re planning a team-building event, let Teamland handle it for you! All you need to do is tell them about your team’s unique makeup and leave the rest to them.
