A team is all about putting in a joint effort to reach a higher goal and achieving something together. What holds a team together are the strong pillars of communication, collaboration, trust, understanding, planning, and support. However, with all the unique individuals; who come from different backgrounds and form a team, creating a beneficial bond may not come as something natural.
At a point like this, team-building activities designed to make the team solve problems in a non-work environment may create the bond that you are looking for in your team. Recently, team-building exercises have increasingly become a crucial component of corporate culture. Creating an atmosphere for teamwork within the organisation is the first and foremost requirement for a business to succeed in today’s world.
Likewise, investments in team-building activities in Sydney continue to expand. Companies all over Australia have come to understand how crucial it is to keep the best employees in a positive and effective workplace culture. Hence, having all your team members work together in harmony may become your formula for success.
Introducing effective team-building activities will not only enhance interaction among members of the team and increase their collective productivity but also reveal their strengths and weaknesses. Go through this article to find out more about the significance of team-building activities and a list of all the activities that you can perform in your next team bonding session.
Significance and benefits of team-building activities:
Before providing you with a list of all the team-building activities you can induce, let’s first discuss the benefits of spending time, money, and effort on team-building and how to pick the right team-building activity for your group.
There are numerous benefits of such activities and some of them are:
- Improved communication
If in an office setup, there is a communication gap between coworkers then one can not expect even a single job done with proficiency, and thus their lack of engagement would stop them from reaching their true potential. Communication and improved teamwork can only be promoted through participation in team-building activities where the members feel at ease in the presence of each other.
A prerequisite in the majority of team-building exercises is meaningful communication between members to win the game or solve the problem, meaningful communication is a prerequisite in the majority of. Your staff members will use the communication skills they learn throughout the team-building exercise in their interactions with coworkers.
- Enhanced creativity
Some team-building exercises call for problem-solving creativity. Your staff will be able to apply creative solutions to business problems more readily when they have recently participated in activities that enhance their creative thinking process.
Moreover, an opportunity to step outside of your normal setting and try something new together is sometimes all you need for innovation in the workplace.
- Boosted team activity
Participating in team-building exercises can also help workplace collaborative projects go more smoothly. Employees are better able to benefit from and utilise one another’s skills and weaknesses positively after developing relationships through team-building exercises. Through such activities, they will also be able to get an idea of each other’s work ethic and analyse their compatibility together.
- Problem-solving
Team building activities tend to be goal-oriented and thus make the team go through a grind to reach their goal. In regular circumstances, your staff might have to perform tasks in a highly work-pressured environment with a close deadline where they may find taking shortcuts the easier way out.
However, through these activities, your team is presented with problem-solving in real-life circumstances under low pressure. This will enable them to perform more effectively and solve problems as a team.
- Better socialisation
Allowing your employees to form friendships at work may not hold any significance to businesses, but in reality, it can help to greatly boost performance and morale as well as the overall atmosphere of the workplace. Team building activities provide everyone the chance to collaborate, from high management to entry-level employees. Hence, people can collaborate more effectively and take more decisive actions to handle issues and perform their jobs for longer periods.
Team building activities in Sydney
Now that you are aware that Corporate events are worthwhile investments, it’s time to start looking for activities that can help to inspire and drive your staff whether you are in Sydney or anywhere around the world. However, there are many great places for you to stage team-building activities in Sydney. These types of exercises are not only enjoyable and engaging but also suitable for developing abilities that are important for a standard workplace.
Moreover, such activities do not have to be time-consuming, since you can even take 20 minutes before your group meeting which is enough to uplift the mood of the team and boost their confidence.
Indoor team-building activities
Here, we’ve outlined some of the top indoor team-building exercises that will get your group working together towards a common goal.
- Back-to-Back Drawing:
This is a simple indoor team-building activity that will surely test your team’s communication as well as listening skills. As the name suggests, you will be needing paper, pens/markers, and printouts of simple line drawings.
For this activity, you have to divide your group into pairs, and each pair should sit back-to-back. Then provide one individual with a photograph of a shape or a simple drawing, while the other should be given paper and a pen. Then elaborate to the person holding the picture that they will have to instruct their partner verbally on how to draw the shape or image without simply telling them what the shape or image is.
This has to be done within a predetermined period and after that, each pair of partners should compare their drawings to determine which team produced the most accurate representation. This will allow them to communicate with each other effectively and the sense of competition will motivate them to perform their best.
- Two Truths and a Lie:
It is a funny team-building activity that will not only allow the staff to come out of their cocoons but also build a healthy relationship based on what they learn about each other.
To play the game ask your team to come together and sit in a circle facing each other and more people mean more fun. Then ask the players to take turns and tell three interesting details about themselves, one of which has to be a lie. The task of the listeners is to determine which of the three claims is a lie and which two are truths. Hence, this activity will determine how well your staff knows one another and will boost their public speaking and communication skills as well.
- Office Trivia quiz
Holding an office trivia quiz is an easy and economical technique to promote team building. It is a simple way to get your staff to interact with departments they typically avoid.
So, for this team-building activity, you will need to create a list of questions that you will ask your participants before you start the Trivia. These questions can be related to the business itself or any other topic of mutual interest. Such as, what shade are the walls in the kitchen?” How many exit doors are in the building? What is the most liked dish of the office mess? How many rooms do you think the office has in total? Etc.
Moreover, have your players form teams and choose a name. The team that responds to more questions accurately will win in the end. Thus, through this team bonding activity, your team will have a chance to think creatively and connect better.
Outdoor team-building activities
We all feel the need to get out of the rooms whether of your home or office and just go out to inhale the air and freshen up our minds. So, if your team is also tired of being cooped up in the office building then it’s time to step out in nature.
- Scavenger hunt
A classic yet unique and fast-paced way to engage your team and build a sense of camaraderie is to go for a scavenger hunt. Moreover, if you live in Sydney or are going to visit Sydney soon, then there is no better place to hold a scavenger hunt. Places like Sydney harbour bridge, Sydney opera house, the Rocks, and Bondi Beach are best for your next scavenger hunt.
To play this game, divide your staff into groups and then give each group a fun list of tasks with points mentioned for each finding. The objective of the game is to complete challenges or find objects hidden around an identified setting. Then give them a deadline to finish them.
This scavenger hunt will prove to be a great and efficient way to encourage interaction, creative thinking, teamwork, and competition.
- Sailing race
Holding a race is a fun team-building activity but if you want to take it to the next level then why not hold a regatta? For this team building event, your team can be divided into groups and compete in a boat race and Sydney has all the perfect spots for your sailing regatta like Sydney Harbor.
After the groups are formed, board them on yachts or boats under the guidance and after having safety instructions. This way your team will not only be competing but also learning a new skill from each other’s side. Also, you can arrange onboard catering for your team to relax and cherish the experience.
- Volunteering and doing charity
Aside from all the gaming activities, if your staff is dedicated to a particular purpose or cause, you can think about dedicating the day to volunteering. In Sydney and the surrounding areas, there are numerous charity team-building activities available. This way you will not only get along better but leave with an amazing feeling and have a positive influence on the community you live in.
You and your team can offer clean-ups, help at animal shelters, collect donations for the homeless, and even collectively cook food for orphan shelters. This will provide your team with a lasting experience and a sense of compassion will prevail among them.
Conclusion
An excellent way to boost the morale and team spirit in your organisation is through team-building activities. Both indoor and outdoor activities hold equal importance and you can choose from these activities according to what suits you best. Furthermore, when it comes to team-building activities, get creative and think of challenges while considering the core skills you want to inculcate and develop within your workforce.
