Team building isn’t just a key buzzword.

It is an essential tool for building an effective , high performance and loyal team. However, with everything that’s going on, we could forgive you for thinking it is irrelevant right now. But lower team cohesion and less team effectiveness aren’t symptoms we can blame on inflation. Left untreated they’ll lead to reduced productivity and higher staff turnover rates.   Amidst remote working, team building is not just still important, it’s more important than ever. 

It enhances team cohesion and individual strengths

Team building is a chance to bring the entire team together for a shared goal. Doing team building tasks as a unit strengthens relationships. Moreover, it makes employees feel more confident to collaborate and communicate on work projects. Team building is also the perfect time for managers to show their human side and get to know their staff better. At the same time, team building is a chance to discover hidden potential among individuals. One staff member might show great problem-solving skills. While another might prove to have untapped leadership skills.

It helps everyone to feel connected

Nearly all of our communication these days is through technology, and our primary interactions are with our screens. The problem here is that we are less exposed to eye-contact and a friendly voice. Often the communication is quicker and more to the point. And the voice we hear is also filtered through technology, altered and sometimes distorted. Therefore, it’s important for teams to take the time to stop work and make an effort to connect.

It establishes stronger relationships and team loyalty

Employees feel a stronger connection to co-workers they have solved problems with, because they can trust them more when real problems arise. A team that does not have trust is not a team. Instead, it is just a group of individuals working together, but not making any real progress. They might withhold information, fight over rights and responsibilities and fail to collaborate effectively. It does not matter how talented each employee is, they may never reach their full potential if they do not trust the team.

It can be done virtually

Team building is still finding its stride in the virtual setting. This is mostly due to the contradictory nature of it. When we think of team-building, we mostly think of in-person activities. In reality though, modern technology makes it more feasible than ever to spend meaningful time together, without having to be physically together.

Here is 8 easy tips to connect with your team even when you are remote working:

• Have virtual team coffee/lunch breaks and chit-chat.
• Encourage team members to give a tour of their home office.
• Hold virtual company-wide events.
• Start a remote book or movie club.
• Celebrate the achievements of individuals together, online.
• Encourage light-hearted online competition.
• Host virtual icebreaker games such as Pictionary or trivia quizzes in teams.
• Kick back and relax with the team on a virtual call at the end of the day on Friday, with a drink in hand.

Enhance your leadership development skills with courses at Odyssey Training.