Creating a team atmosphere in the workplace unites employees together in a common goal–to better the business. Each employee has a part to play in reaching company-wide success as well as personal objectives. Improve your employee relationships and help your business to flourish by investing in team building activities.
Team building activities cannot be all work and no play. Begin your session with a game or challenge during which employees must work together. If you have a larger group, break it into smaller teams and create a competition out of the activity. Encourage this type of teamwork and animation throughout the meeting.
The second step in creating a team atmosphere is making expectations clear. List the things you hope to attain in holding team building activities, and ask the employees to contribute. Make these objectives visible, as in use a marker board or large sheet of paper to display each item. Employees will appreciate participating in the activity and the ability to contribute to the process as well as the tangible reminder of the exercise. Ask each employee to list what she recognizes as her role in the company and the goals that she has. Ask her also to write down what, in her opinion, the company's overarching goals are. Compare these lists to the company's mission statement and with the others in the group. This will allow any disconnect to be brought to light and rectified.
From here discuss the things each employee brings to the company and discuss how each can work together to move toward short and long-term objectives. Make sure everyone is clear on individual and group expectations and create a timeline for certain action items.
Meet regularly and maintain a team spirit outside of team building activities and meetings. Follow up on action items, reward goals that are met, and above all, make sure your workplace remains an open and honest setting with clear and frequent communication.
Source: Article Snatch Photo: Carl Dwyer
