About over a year ago, COVID-19 constrained many businesses to allow work-from-home employees. Now with COVID cases declining and vaccination rates on the rise, the possibility of going back to old office regimens appears to be more realistic.
Given the situation, the City of Melbourne is increasing its commitment to having employees return to work safely as a significant leap in supporting businesses.
According to Lord Mayor Sally Capp, Melbourne City employs 1602 people. So their physical move back to work will become a vote of confidence for the city's economy.
The Lord Mayor says, "The City of Melbourne is ready to return 100% of our working population to on-site work whenever it's reasonably safe to do so. Nevertheless, while health and wellbeing will always come first, we want to send a message to our central business district business owners that we recognise the importance of city workers in keeping our heads above water."
Rapid Biz CEO Audrey Bergen takes the Lord Mayor's announcement as a silver lining. She seconded the motion saying, "We've looked into a variety of options to help our employees feel more secure when they come back to work. For example, we searched for team building activities in Melbourne to help with our employee's physical and mental health. Also, in open workspaces, we installed partitions, and directional signs were placed on the floor to regulate traffic. In addition, our air filtration systems are upgraded, and sanitisation facilities with hands-free sanitisers to maintain cleanliness and sanitary conditions are in place."
Under these circumstances, plus the uncertainties facing employees, the challenge is high for employers to spread positivity, incorporate fun team building activities for the workplace, and encourage and support their staff as they report back to the office.
If you're like a cat on hot bricks wondering how to do that, be at peace, for Urban Quest will show you how. The key is engaging, positivity-filled, safe, and, more importantly, fun workplace team building activities.
But Why Workplace Team Building Activities?
According to the State of the Australian Workplace report, businesses with highly engaged employees are more successful. In essence, the upper 25% of successful companies around Australia have substantially higher production efficiency, profitability, client satisfaction ratings, and lower employee absenteeism and turnover.
Yet, how will you boost employee engagement if 70% of the Australian workforce says they're feeling "actively disengaged"?
Worthwhile activities for team building in Melbourne provide opportunities for your employees to be engaged, optimistic, and trust each other. In addition, it can remove the cold air and foster strong bonds between employees.
Besides, the State of the Australian Workplace report further emphasised that having a supportive colleague at work increases engagement by 50%. On top of that, someone with best friends as workmates is seven times extra engaged in what they're doing.
Furthermore, suitable office group activities can also help:
- Improve your employees' communication skills.
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team.
- Boost employees creativity
- Instil trust and a sense of belongingness in your employees.
We've compiled some of the best and most effective DIY team building activities you can try to spread positivity and encourage and support your employees as they get back to the office post-COVID.
If DIYing is not your thing then reach out to us to learn about how Urban Quest can assist and run one of its established experiences for your team.
DIY Team Building Activities And Game Ideas For Work
Office Makeover
Since the office has been left empty for quite a long time. Why not let your employees give their workspace a make-over but with a team-building spirit? Allow team members to work on the office makeover in groups. Ask each team to think about how they'll accomplish the project, but don't expect everyone to spend a lot of money. Remind them to maintain a budget-friendly office revamp. Team members should include small items such as greenery, wall art, photographs, or anything creative and positive. The group with the most innovative, work-conducive, and safe workspace will be declared the winner.
Office Makeover played as team building games is very much about collaboration and creative thinking. The team became optimistic, more decisive, and motivated as a result of this activity. Plus, the staff will ideally adapt to the workplace environment and have a more positive vibe.
Office Trivia Game
Interesting trivia games aren't limited to students at school. These fun team-building activities and game ideas for work will put your team's workplace knowledge into action and help to clear the fog for employees when they get back to the office.
Start by making a list of workplace trivia questions and see which group gets the most answers correct. Next, try typing the questions into a document but leave an area blank for the participants to fill. It would also be fun if you also push a live quiz in which you read the specific question aloud, and the one who gives the correct answer earns the point. The game is won by the group (or employee) that makes the most points.
This team building activity improves problem-solving skills, and understanding of your company's culture, and is just downright fun!
Blind Drawing
Blind drawing involves two players sitting back to back. One player is given the word or an image on a piece of paper described to the other player. The other player has no idea what the word or image is but will draw the word or image based on the other player's description. The team with the best guesswork will be hailed the winner.
The goal of blind drawing is to assess how well two people can communicate, interact, imagine, and encourage innovation.
Scavenger Hunt
Take your team on a Scavenger Hunt, if possible, at a nearby location such as a park, zoo, or theme park. Provide each group with clues that will eventually lead them to the reward at the end. Scavenger hunts as team building activities and game ideas for work will help you lift everyone's spirits and find more intelligent use of the available time. In addition, it will encourage the participants to get to know one another and have a great time together!
The goal of a Scavenger Hunt will be to assess your team's problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
Or better yet hire professionals to do that for your team.
Barter Puzzle
Jigsaw puzzles aren't just about entertainment; they also help with problem-solving, alertness, and brainpower. By completing the jigsaw barter puzzle, your employees will be allowed to make intelligent decisions and learn to work together.
Splitting your team into equal-sized groups is the first step. Each team then receives a unique jigsaw puzzle of comparable difficulty. The extra twist is that some of the puzzle pieces are in the pile of another team's puzzle set.
Each team's goal is to finish their puzzle before any of the other teams. Moreover, they must persuade the other teams to surrender the missing bits through barter, deal-making, group member exchanges, or donating time to another team.
Because teamwork is required to complete the task, the barter puzzle encourages discussion and engagement. Furthermore, team building games such as the barter puzzle bring out your employees' best negotiators and strategists.
Category Line up
To get started with one of the best team building games, participants in each team will line up and arrange themselves according to the category given. For example, on birthdays, considering their birth months, members will line up according to whose birthday comes first, then so on and so forth.
The twist is that the members of the team should not talk with one another. That means they'll have to figure out each other's birthdays using sign language. Think about fun categories to spice up the activity. Doing this team-building activity will aid in problem-solving, interactions, and teamwork.
Mannequin Challenge
If you want something that exudes positivity, the mannequin challenge fits very well into the list of fun team building activities for the workplace. It allows you to include everyone and be creative.
Start the challenge by forming groups of 6-7 people. Then, invite each team to create a Mannequin-styled clip telling a story and publishing it on your business's social media sites using the hashtags #Freezeit. or #Mannequinchallenge. The entries that count the most engagements on social media win the contest.
The significant goals of these team building games, such as the Mannequin challenge, are encouraging positive vibes, communication, creativity, and team spirit.
Karaoke
Did you happen to know that singing is perhaps the best team-building activity available? Karaoke, when done as one fun office group activity allows employees to bond more quickly and more effectively than traditional ice-breakers. So, let your hair down and show the world who you are— a Rock And roll fan!
To sprite up these fun office group activities, your team should go to a karaoke bar or use karaoke apps to sing in the office. Though there are no hard and fast rules for karaoke, it's highly recommended to choose songs that challenge all age groups. Also, though you should showcase your abilities, try not to brag too much.
This fun team building activity makes it possible for coworkers to understand and bond with one another.
Murder Mystery Dinner Party
A typical murder mystery game starts with one of the guests secretly playing a murderer, and the other guests must figure out who is the perpetrator.
Have your employees dress up in theme and prepare a dish for the mystery dinner party venue (which could be the company's office).
Following the directions on your preferred murder mystery scenario, name tags, waypoints, and suspect case files will be distributed. Allow the staff to collaborate to figure out who the whodunnit criminal is.
These utterly immersive office group activities improve critical thinking abilities, foster teamwork, and are fun.
Video Game Tournament
if you believe video games are only there for fun., I hate to tell you, but you got it wrong. Video games as workplace team building activities are demonstrated to enhance cognitive function, concentration, and efficiency. Even if you aren't a gamer, you can listen to the games' soundtracks, which have been shown to stimulate the brain and keep people fired up at work.
To get started, get a video game system for the office to show that you're into gaming. Then, make your video game selection, keeping the focus on tasks that require player collaboration, such as Halo, Just Dance, or Rock Band, for an additional physical exercise bonus.
Next, try implementing a weekly video gaming break or arranging a video gaming contest after office hours.
When treated as workplace team building activities, video games have been shown to improve employee morale in adults because they are engaging and stimulating.
Photo Finish
Use chalk, sticky tape, or rope to draw a finish line. Group your employees into teams and for the photo finish, have each team arrive at the finish line. They'll plan out what would be the perfect pose to showcase the most picturesque finish line photo. The challenge will need team members to work together for this activity to be a positive experience.
Photo finish is one example of pretty good workplace team building activities for improving team planning, collaboration, and positive team spirit.
The Ultimate Egg Drop
Another one at the top of the list of team building activities and game ideas for work is The Ultimate Egg Drop. Start playing the game by giving each team raw eggs and a stack of office supplies. Allow each group around 15-30 minutes to use the materials provided to create a contraption that would hold the egg from crashing or breaking.
Do you need some supply suggestions? Tape, marker pens, straws, disposable cups, packing material, papers, paper clips, and other items come to mind. When the timer goes off, have the teams drop their egg contraptions off from a height to see which one survives. Workplace team building activities such as The Ultimate Egg Drop's goal is to understand the importance of effective collaboration.
Follow The Leader
These are the kind of fun team building activities for the workplace that requires your complete team to function as one. The game works by following a hidden leader who will make basic gestures for the whole group to imitate. Of course, someone else, the guesser, will have to figure out who the hidden leader is.
The guesser is picked from the group and leaves the scene for a short time. The gang chooses a leader when the guesser is away. This individual will create moves that the followers will imitate (pat their head, sway their hips, pinch their nose, etc.). Once the guesser returns to the room, he or she will observe the group's actions to determine who the leader is.
Follow the Leader as one of the fun team building activities for the workplace improves nonverbal communication, collaboration, trust, team cohesiveness, and leadership.
Fun Team Building Activities To Kick-Start Your Back To Office Day With A Bang
Mind-blowing fact: The more engaged your staff are, the more successful your business will be.
Positivity is effective because it improves overall coping skills and strengthens resilience. Sure, there are days when encouraging positivism and a positive outlook seem unattainable, but understand that you can recognise the good in every circumstance. For example, spreading positivity through fun team building activities for the workplace will boost your thinking and help others develop theirs. Remember, employees who are happy and always positive are more creative, imaginative, and devoted than disenchanted. They're also expected to stay around in the long run
Urban Quest made it a mission to help companies, businesses, and organisations create the happiest and most positive working environment possible for you and your team to flourish in.
We believe you can improve your team's optimism, engagement, and happiness with a bit of love and a little elbow grease. So contact us, and let's bounce back together. Better days are coming.
