Born in the 80s, the concept of “team building” aims primarily to strengthen bonds within a company or group through fun activities. These activities allow employees to get to know each other while boosting their motivation. Team building activities have a very positive impact as they promote self-improvement in meeting objectives. They thus contribute to the accomplishment of a common mission. By facing collective challenges, employees or team members learn to trust each other in a situation outside the professional context. They invest personally and make efforts for the group. In principle, team building activities revolve around 3 main axes:

• Challenges and Games

Through challenges and games, teams will compete and highlight their competitive spirit. Some dysfunctions will naturally emerge.

• Sharing and Listening

Every group member expresses their views on possible obstacles, their doubts, or their expectations. The goal is to openly discuss and listen without judgment.

• Openness

Once the sense of listening is established, it is essential to shake up or surprise the team to encourage members to look and think differently. Beyond group cohesion, the proposed activities should help develop collective intelligence. Being an effective lever, team building improves communication and defuses conflicts. It is also during a team building that new company collaborators are integrated.

Do you want to enhance your brand image? Focus on the 5 ideal activities to boost team cohesion.

• Organize competitions to challenge your team

Sports activities are perfect for strengthening a group’s motivation. Sack races, basketball competitions, sumo wrestling, kart racing… there is a wide choice. Just be creative to find activities that bring out the potential of employees. You can award points for each event and offer rewards to the best groups. It’s also the ideal time to introduce and integrate new employees into the team.

• Prepare an escape game

Trendy, the escape game is a brain game where players must solve puzzles to escape a room. This activity serves to reinforce group cohesion by learning to work together. It also helps identify each employee’s strengths: strategy, logic, reasoning…

• Offer thrilling experiences

Is your company experiencing a very intense period? Are your collaborators constantly under pressure? Activities that offer thrilling experiences are most suitable for managing this type of situation. For example, you can propose a kart racing activity for your collaborators to learn how to manage pressure. By mixing the spirit of competition with a dose of good humor, this type of activity creates group dynamics.

• Offer a music or cooking class

Combine business with pleasure by having your team participate in a music or cooking class. Moreover, these activities are an excellent way to develop team cohesion. Since every collaborator starts on the same level, music classes help the team to evolve following a synchronized rhythm. Indeed, everyone gets on the same tempo. As for cooking activities, they help develop many qualities in the team: stress management, determination, or creativity.

• Provide an art class

There is nothing better than painting to boost a group’s creativity. You can choose a theme for the team members to create a giant artistic mural. This allows them to express their creative spirit while participating in a common work. Be aware that learning a new skill also helps to create unexpected bonds. Help and cohesion develop easily since everyone is simultaneously immersed in the same conditions. Then display their creation in the break room or in the office hallway to remind them of team values: creativity, communication, and good humor.

In summary, know that team building helps both the company and the employees. By combining utility with fun, the company has everything to gain. As for the collaborators, they come out enriched. In addition to team cohesion, these activities contribute to employee satisfaction and reduce stress. To boost your team’s solidarity, consider organizing at least two team building sessions a year. However, make sure to vary the activities, each carrying its own message: team spirit, competitiveness, listening, or creativity.

Turn to Seminaire.com, a specialist in corporate retreats, to help you organize a team building day tailored to your expectations. Do not hesitate to contact us to prepare timely activities.