The term “office space” does not necessarily hold the traditional meaning it used to. Plenty of individuals and teams do not have a physical space to call “the office”, and instead work from various locations such as home, the coffee shop, or wherever happens to be convenient.
This is particularly true of sales teams who are a part of a larger corporation, but operate in a city or town separate from where the company’s headquarters is located. For many of these people, sometimes the office is the car.
For teams whose members do not work within close proximity of one another on a daily basis, team building exercises are a great way to bridging the distance between team members and team leaders. Check out some of the advantages:
Getting to Know Your Colleagues
Very basic. very essential. Team building activities allow employees to become familiar with their team members’ strengths and skills, and provide the opportunity to learn about everyone’s role and responsibilities. Putting faces to names also helps team members gain a better understanding of those with whom they are working.
Interaction & Communication
Getting together as a team provides the chance for team members to figure out how to interact and communicate with one another not only on a formal level, but also informally. Employees will gain a feel for the different personalities of their team members. This is also an opportunity to practice setting objectives where everyone is focused on the same goal.
Building Trust & Learning to Deal with Conflict
When team members do not work in close proximity with one another it is difficult to build trust and properly handle conflict if it arises. Team building workshops are an excellent platform for introducing techniques and constructive ways to build trust among team members and teach them how to manage differences with strategies that will benefit both the employees, and ultimately, the company.
Celebrating Success as a Team
Celebrating success as a team is always more satisfying than celebrating alone. Team building events are an opportune time to spotlight various team members for their great work and contributions, and to celebrate any successes the team has earned as a whole. Congratulating employees via email or conference calls doesn’t compare with applauding their efforts in front of the people they work with and respect.
Developing Strong Team Dynamics
Managing a team within the same office space presents challenge enough, let alone managing a team that is spread out geographically. Developing strong team dynamics is an answer to ensuring your team knows how to work with one another, and play off one another’s strengths and abilities, regardless of location and time zones. A sure-fire way to create dynamics that work is to engage your team. According to the Gallup Report, State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders, 20% of those interviewed reported being actively disengaged, while 50% were uninspired by their work or managers. Consider unique team building event ideas such as a scavenger hunt as a way to spice things up and bring the crew together.
Why not? After all, teams that have experienced team building perform better than those who haven’t.