Over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses still face several variables that make many leaders want to allot the team building budget into other, seemingly more important matters. Contrary to popular belief, team building efforts are actually some of the most important parts of having a solid company culture.
They are even more important today. Managing a team that is currently in a hybrid work setup involves a lot more creativity to break the ice and build team rapport, after all.
Team buildings have long held a bad reputation among employees for being stiff and awkward. The good news is that your company’s team building program does not have to suffer the same fate with the right decisions.
The Right Approach to Team Building
Your team building has to be both relevant and helpful for everyone involved. These are the steps to take to ensure that your team grows together through the experience.
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Make use of the outdoors or get creative indoors
Due to COVID-19, there are many lingering concerns about the safety of gathering together as a group. Keeping employees’ worries in mind, doing activities outdoors can help allay any reservations anyone may have.
However, that does not mean that you cannot have activities indoors. Just be mindful that since employees spend most of their work hours, whether onsite or remotely, indoors, you have to make the activities interesting.
One interesting activity that your whole team can benefit from is indoor shooting ranges with target systems. The digital interface of shooting ranges today makes them both engaging and entertaining. This is also a good environment for your employees to learn about firearms safely and responsibly.
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Help the team by helping others
Nothing brings people together more than a worthy cause. Bring the team closer by allowing them to bond for a project that is close to everyone’s hearts. This joint effort in volunteering creates deeper connections between teammates that other casual activities cannot accomplish.
You also do not have to look too far to find people to help. The COVID-19 pandemic has made many avenues for offering service apparent. Take part in drives and campaigns that allow you to support people who have been severely affected by the virus, whether financially, physically, or mentally. You can also choose to donate to organizations or participate in relief programs.
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Include employees in your planning team
A poorly made team building program disregards the needs of the team participating in it. Avoid this mistake by including willing employees to be a part of your planning.
The designated persons can be the mediator between company leadership and other employees about what they do and do not want to see from team buildings. Listen to their previous experiences and learn from their insights.
These representatives will also have more ideas about what kinds of activities work best with specific sets of people in your organization. Keep their comments in mind as you build your whole program to make sure that your plans will cater to every kind of employee in your team.
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Set clear and precise objectives
Of course, one goal is to make sure that employees are not bored by the activities. However, it takes more than just enjoyment to create an effective team building program.
With the help of your planning team, assess which areas your hybrid team needs the most improvement in. Is it effective work communication? Is it to connect on a personal level? Could it even be understanding of the company’s core values?
Your assessments should determine what you will set out to achieve once you have your team building.
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Ask employees for feedback and suggestions
Finally, you need to have a means of measuring the success of your latest team building efforts. You should know what your employees honestly thought of it.
Develop an anonymous survey that allows employees to rate each part of your program and comment about what they liked or disliked about it. Take suggestions from them, too, so that you can improve your methods for the next one.
Make sure that the survey remains anonymous to encourage everyone to say their thoughts freely. You can also provide incentives for those who answer the survey to further promote their participation in it.
Making a hybrid team work during an unpredictable time such as the current situation will definitely challenge and intimidate leaders. However, with the appropriate measures, you can bring your employees closer, enabling everyone to work together and be more productive as a team. Don’t let the pandemic stop you from bonding and getting to know your team.
