Every team needs team building but the price sometimes puts it out of reach for smaller groups.
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Facing challenges with new team members or a disconnected dynamic?
Unlock the true power of icebreakers in corporate team building – unveil strategies for a stronger team bond!
They may know each other's names and even interact daily but do they really understand what each other's needs are? Are they comfortable and willing to be open and share more deeply beyond social niceties? Do they care about the team's outcome? Are they pulling in the same direction, clear as to their shared goal and how each can contribute?
Do you need to crack your team out of their comfort zone and allow them to really see what each other can do with an effective team building event?
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The most effective way to bolster your team's success is by acknowledging and commemorating it through regular but non-obligatory team bonding activities. These activities not only help team members recognise their value within the organisation but also demonstrate the company's appreciation for their individual and collective contributions.
Team bonding should be an ongoing process, even after achievements have been realised. By fostering a culture of recognition and providing appropriate incentives, you can sustain and amplify the positive energy that accompanies success.
To inspire and motivate your team, we've curated 6 ideas for team bonding activities that honour individual and team accomplishments. Whether you choose to implement all of them or a combination, offering recognition in various ways is essential, especially when team efforts have significantly enhanced the organisation's value, efficiency, or resilience during challenging times.
Please note that these ideas do not involve formal monetary incentives such as bonuses or fringe benefit schemes but provide rather an intrinsic value.
Recognising team or individual achievements through awards and gifts is a meaningful gesture that leaves a lasting impact. By presenting an award or certificate of appreciation, team members receive tangible evidence of their contributions, enhancing their professional profile within the organisation. Whether it's a beautifully printed certificate, a stylish plaque, or an elegant trophy, each award symbolises an outstanding accomplishment that is highly valued.
However, it's essential to strike a balance and avoid over-awarding, as this could diminish the significance of the recognition. Instead, consider innovative approaches such as awarding temporary trophies to teams with shared Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), fostering healthy competition and motivation, especially among multiple sales teams.
While awards serve as symbolic celebrations of success, gifts offer tangible rewards for exceptional performance. Gift cards, vouchers, or personalised gifts are thoughtful ways to acknowledge team members who go the extra mile. When implementing an awards and gifting system, ensure it is based on positive incentives, fostering team morale and motivation.
Creating an accomplishment timeline showcasing your team's journey to success is an excellent way to reinforce ongoing achievements. By outlining each significant event that has contributed to your organisation's current position, you provide valuable perspective on the collective efforts and their broader impact. This approach encourages team members to appreciate the interconnectedness of their work beyond their roles or departments.
Moreover, if your team's projects have made positive contributions to the wider community, include tangible statistics to illustrate their impact. An accomplishment timeline serves as a platform to celebrate the heroes of your organisation, past and present, highlighting their significant contributions and professional growth over time.
Consider incorporating an award presentation into the set of your team bonding activities to further emphasise the value of collective success and collaboration within your organisation.
While it may seem simplistic and lacking inspiration, sending a team-wide or organisation-wide email to express gratitude and recognise team members' contributions is a powerful gesture. Taking the time to craft a thoughtful message acknowledging their efforts and skills not only boosts morale but also helps offset any previous negative feedback they may have received.
Managers often prioritise addressing mistakes and correcting errors, but positive reinforcement through team-wide or company-wide acknowledgment of excellent work is equally important. This simple yet effective gesture can significantly impact morale and productivity, fostering a culture of appreciation and recognition within the organisation.
Harness the power of digital communication platforms like Slack or similar business chat tools by creating an exclusive "Achievements" chat channel. This designated space allows team members to publicly recognise and celebrate each other's successes in real time, fostering a culture of appreciation and camaraderie.
Whether it's hitting sales targets, completing a challenging project, or receiving positive feedback from clients, team members can share their achievements, offer congratulations, and inspire others to strive for excellence.
However, it's crucial to strike a balance and avoid overwhelming the channel with excessive updates, as this could diminish the impact and effectiveness of the recognition efforts.
Treat your team to an unforgettable experience by taking them out to a stylish pub or restaurant to celebrate their successes. Though we would classify these event types more as team outings rather than team bonding activities, indulging in a delicious meal and refreshing drinks is always a crowd-pleaser and a fantastic way to show appreciation.
To make the occasion truly special, opt for a venue that is upscale or offers a unique dining experience beyond the ordinary. Consider pre-booking a private section of the restaurant to have more control over the event, allowing for speeches, award ceremonies, and engaging activities like games and quizzes. This exclusive setting also enables you and your team to showcase the unique culture of your organisation without any concerns about onlookers or interruptions.
A pub or restaurant outing provides a delightful backdrop for commemorating organisational milestones, while a generous drinks tab adds to the enjoyment. Celebrate your team's achievements in style and create lasting memories in a setting that reflects the appreciation and camaraderie within your organisation.
This one of the most dynamic team bonding activities promises non-stop fun as your group divides into teams to tackle puzzles, riddles, and clues scattered throughout the city's iconic landmarks. Using a cutting-edge interactive phone app, teams race against the clock, fostering teamwork and cooperation in a thrilling outdoor setting.
Opting for the Urban Quest challenge not only facilitates practical team bonding but also offers a refreshing outdoor experience unlike any other. With each team striving to outperform the others, participants are motivated to collaborate effectively, reinforcing the value of teamwork in achieving common goals. All that adds up to shared memories and water-cooler talks long after the experience.
Whether you prefer to explore the bustling streets of Melbourne or opt for a virtual team building activities our customisable options ensure a memorable event tailored to your specific needs.
Completing the Urban Quest challenge typically takes around 2.5 hours, making it a seamless addition to any workday itinerary. Additionally, we offer comprehensive debriefing presentations to analyse team member performance, including levels of engagement, contribution, and leadership, ensuring maximum impact and lasting benefits for your team.
As you're reading this, your team may be operating at peak performance, driven by the satisfaction of accomplishment. Merit and achievement inherently foster a sense of purpose and belonging among team members.
While the intrinsic rewards of success are significant, offering additional benefits, including all sorts of financial rewards for employees, represents the best example of team bonding activities. Recognising individual and collective accomplishments goes beyond mere acknowledgment - it ranges from a simple pat on the back to elaborate celebrations of impressive milestones achieved by your company.
Why not capitalise on the energy sparked by success by treating your team to Urban Quest team bonding activities?
This celebratory event not only nurtures camaraderie and collaboration but also harnesses the high-energy dynamics of a team-oriented activity. Engaging both the body and the brain, such events provide the perfect platform to build upon past successes and drive your team even further.
Contact us today to elevate your team of exceptional individuals to new heights with Urban Quest team bonding activities!
In today's corporate landscape, fostering diversity and inclusion isn't just a moral imperative; it's also a strategic advantage. Companies that prioritise diversity and inclusion tend to outperform their competitors, attract top talent, and foster innovation.
One effective way to promote diversity and inclusion within your organisation is through team activities. These activities not only bring employees together but also help break down barriers, foster empathy, and celebrate differences.
In this article, we'll explore 10 impactful ways to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace through diversity and inclusion team activities.
Host regular cultural potluck lunches where employees are encouraged to bring dishes that represent their cultural backgrounds. This not only introduces colleagues to different cuisines but also sparks conversations about traditions, customs, and experiences. This will work particularly well in Melbourne with its melting pot of cultures from all over the world.
Organise diversity training workshops facilitated by experts in the field. These workshops can cover topics such as unconscious bias, inclusive language, and cultural competence, providing employees with valuable insights and tools to foster a more inclusive work environment. You may want to check these guys out.
Establish employee resource groups (ERGs) or affinity groups based on shared identities or interests, such as race, gender, or sexual orientation. These groups provide a supportive space for employees to connect, share experiences, and advocate for inclusivity within the organisation.
Organise interactive games or quizzes that test employees' knowledge of different cultures, traditions, and customs. These games not only educate employees but also encourage empathy and understanding across cultural divides.
Implement mentorship programs where employees from diverse backgrounds are paired with mentors who can offer guidance, support, and career development opportunities. Mentorship fosters inclusivity by providing underrepresented employees with access to valuable resources and networks.
Organise team activities that promote collaboration, communication, and trust among employees from diverse backgrounds. Make sure there is a team building element to them rather than just fun times out. Whether it's a scavenger hunt, escape room challenge, or outdoor adventure, inclusive team building activities create opportunities for employees to work together towards common goals. All while letting their guard down and seeing each other for who they truly are.
Host screenings of documentaries or films that explore themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion. After the screening, facilitate discussions where employees can share their thoughts, perspectives, and insights inspired by the film.
Ensure that meetings are conducted in a way that amplifies diverse voices and perspectives. Encourage active participation from all attendees, use inclusive language, and provide opportunities for quieter or marginalised voices to be heard.
Engage employees in volunteer activities that support diverse communities or causes. Whether it's participating in a community clean-up, volunteering at a local shelter, or mentoring students from underprivileged backgrounds, volunteering fosters empathy, compassion, and solidarity.
Recognise and celebrate diversity milestones within the organisation, such as cultural Heritage months, Pride month, or International Women's Day. Host events, workshops, or speaker panels that highlight the contributions and experiences of diverse employees.
In conclusion, promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace requires a concerted effort from both leadership and employees. By implementing these 10 ways to improve diversity and inclusion through team activities, organisations can create a more welcoming, inclusive, and innovative work environment where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
Urban Quest runs highly organised team building activities in Melbourne where every team activity and challenge is designed to deliver a genuine, engaging experience that promotes unity and inclusivity.
Team building activities strive to forge cohesive teams, which trust one another and can easily focus on reaching a common target, with the help of their diverse skills and capabilities. We distinguish four types of team building activities:
The latter two types of team building activities are probably the most important of the lot.
The aim of all team building activities and game ideas for work is to enhance trust and the ability to work together by building bonds between the members of the team. The creation of these strong teams is beneficial for the enterprise as it increases productivity, makes communication more efficient, boosts work motivation, enhances collaboration and yes, … brings smiles to the faces of the employees. Team bonding and collective problem-solving contribute the most to achieving the above benefits.
Such activities in turn are very different to team outings. The difference between both we outlined in detail in this article.
Although normally prices for any team building activities are not high, still they may be challenging, say for a start-up. However, the expenses of organising a team building event should not be considered a “cost”, but rather an “investment”.
An investment is a cost that enterprises will expect to pay itself back and render a profit in the process. Team building activities are just such. Here is why (read on till the end and note the returns):
If a team is to work together, fluent communication is key. Team building activities normally put team members in out-of-work experiences and games. These help lower some of the normal barriers that some people erect. With fewer barriers, the communication flow becomes a flow. And who does not want that – an environment where everyone can freely communicate with anyone else? This is beneficial both to the work environment and to the mental health of employees.
If teams are going to be spending more time together, than with their spouses, it would be wise to get team members to know one another. Team building activities move past the standard acquaintance and help members of the team appreciate the various viewpoints that each of them will bring to a single event.
If team members get to know each other, friendship is just a step away. Now this will truly count for boosting morale in the office and making it a fun place to be. Further, when the team is fully formed and bonded, remote or hybrid work is no longer an issue. Friends will remain just as functional and productive, even if they do not sit in the same room.
Bonding team building activities aim to facilitate trust and teamwork. If the members of the team know each other well, and know their strengths (and of course – some weaknesses) the team will be much more functional.
Teamwork will be easier and will produce better results. If everyone can bring the best in them, while helping the team, the positive corporate culture will flourish. And while each of the team members is happy to bring the best of them to the work at hand, the results of the team will excel.
When team members are among friends and can bring the best of themselves, they are more inclined to be creative. This naturally brings innovation to the workplace. With creativity and innovation on steroids, team building activities increase the competitiveness of the enterprise.
If you notice employees are running away from responsibility, looking away from problems or shrugging them off as in “it’s not my job” in your enterprise, good advice is to organise some team building problem-solving events. The whole concept of team building facilitates teams to tackle any problem that is thrown their way. After all – the team members know each other, know their strengths and weaknesses, trust each other, have strong creative capacity, and have the culture and the will to conjure up solutions.
Now add to that some special techniques for problem-solving and decision making and you will have the recipe for a problem-tackling team. They will be dismissive of the risks, dangers and setbacks which each problem may create. They will just focus on the challenge of getting the best solution.
Teams, that have been forged in the mock battles of team building events cannot be easily scared from problems. After all, each problem is yet another game. We just have to find the best solution. They will take responsibility. These teams will always get the problem solved and the job is done. They will just keep coming for more.
You have all heard the story. Although the business of the enterprise may be actually to make bricks, it is the culture of the enterprise that builds the belief of all team members that they are truly contributing to the creation of Cathedrals.
Team building activities help forge this corporate culture. Now just imagine what a team of cathedral builders can do! To say the least – the quality of the bricks will be outstanding and all of the team members will have a true reason to get up in the morning. Work is no longer a chore, it is a source of inspiration.
Normally managers are hired as such. Team building games, however, may help unravel true leadership abilities where they are least expected. During the challenges and the competition, amidst problem-solving and decision-making, leaders tend to show the true themselves. These are not necessarily the managers or senior staff. But after all – what is better, than growing your leaders?
Leadership is a talent with which people are born sometimes. Employers just need to take note and facilitate the growth of a new leader after the team building activities. The enterprise will only benefit.
In more seasoned enterprises, where teams are already well established, they sometimes tend to silo themselves from all others. Team building exercises are not about breaking down established teams, but rather about making bridges between different teams.
Can the marketing department benefit from better communication, trust and bonding with the production department? All teams can benefit from getting to know other teams, their strengths, weaknesses, wants and fears.
Stimulate the creation of ties between the different working teams. Sometimes we cannot even fathom the benefits that will follow.
Team building games normally have winners and naturally, there are some prizes. These do two things. On the one side – a reason for a team or a team member to be proud of winning the game. But also, a blueprint for setting corporate goals, competing to achieve and praising the winning team.
Last, but not least, each win is a reason for celebration. This bonds the team even stronger and then we go back up to the top of the present list and start the whole process over again. Boosting all the benefits in the process.
Now let’s recap. Team building helps start the communication flowing. Team building activities help your employees bond. Team building activities facilitate the creation of bridges between the different teams within your organisation. Team members use their strengths and depend on their peers for support.
Teams become more creative and innovation flows. The organisation celebrates success and problem-solving has become a fun challenge. Employees are motivated to bring forth the best in them. New leaders emerge. Corporate culture prospers. People are smiling as they go to work and continue smiling when they are done.
The bottom line of what team building can do for your enterprise in just a couple of words is to boost morale and employee engagement. No longer will you find division lines between “us” and “them”. After all – we are all Cathedral Builders!
The financial results from these investments will strongly outstrip the cost. The productivity of the company will be increased. The competitiveness of the enterprise will strengthen. Innovation will be ever-present. Risks will be diminished or mitigated. Employee turnover will decrease and with that the costs of training new employees. In-house leaders will be growing around the organisation ready to take up new positions. Considering all of these true financial results, the team building endeavour is truly worth the investment.
Team building activities are considered sometimes lame as they only last a day. Then all is over and forgotten. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. Employers must strive to create an ongoing team bonding and problem-solving atmosphere at the office. Use every achieved goal, every upcoming (or passed) holiday to organise corporate events.
Continue organising more team building activities in and out of the office. Either way, the aim of employers should be to keep those teams bonded and trustful and maintain the smiles on the faces of the employees.
We guarantee to shake up your team with an experience, which even the quite and shy in the team will rave
about!
211 La Trobe St,
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Email: bookings@urbanquest.com.au
Phone: 1300 656 378
