When the work day gets busy, it sometimes falls off the radar that we’re working alongside others who are part of the same team. Some companies take the time to have lunch together or go on trips outside of the office in order to perpetuate the feeling of being a team. Here at Plum, we try to have a company-wide lunch about once a month, have cookouts and spend time outside in the summer, and take day trips to events like baseball games and visiting the New Hampshire ice castles in the winter.
Although it can take up valuable work time, it has proven to be more fruitful to build morale within your team of employees through setting aside time for team-building. Doing activities together can increase employee loyalty, work ethic, and the overall attitude of your employees about their job. You may have an array of employees who all have different levels of enthusiasm for different projects, or about their work in general. By engaging in activities as a team, there is an opportunity to build a positive image around the idea of work, as well as improve relationships between the manager and all employees. These improved relationships, in turn, increase employees’ productivity and overall satisfaction.
Team-building is a great way to create open lines of communication between employees as well as with management, and trust in the workplace is often increased as a result. The effects of this increased communication and trust are most often evident in the quality of work that is produced.
There are many ways in which team-building can be integrated into your business, ranging from simply talking with your employees more to organizing trips. Encouraging feedback from employees, whether by way of a survey or face-to-face meeting, is a great way to break the ice, start talking on a more personal level with each of your employees, and show them that their opinions are valued.
Organizing a trip or outing with your employees is a great way to show them that the work they are doing is valuable to the company and that you understand and appreciate it. You can even encourage workers to bring along their spouses and children, and it is sure to be a fun and stress-free day without the pressures of the workplace. Even an occasional company-wide lunch is sure to bring about positive change.
Encourage group discussion. By opening communication between employees and management, it’s likely that the workplace will become more peaceful, and it is more likely that any issues that arise will be worked out rather than swept under the rug. A great practice to adopt in group discussion is to celebrate each other’s successes, so that any competition between employees is disregarded. Talking to all or most of your employees at once and asking for their opinions or suggestions will make them feel valuable and boost their confidence.
Team-building doesn’t require any extreme activity or more effort than you give now; it’s just a shift in efforts in order to make your employees feel appreciated and like they are part of a team. If you implement these small changes, you’re sure to see increased productivity and morale, and a general sense of uplift in the office. After increasing trust and loyalty within the office, check out our blog post on how to Build Trust & Credibility with Your Clients. Happy team-building!