After working hard over the first half of the year, the team at Essex Interactive took an afternoon out and headed down to PuttShack for a friendly game of mini golf and a bit of team-building. It was fantastic to see our team come together and socialise outside of the office, to build on the connections and communication they have with each other.
As most companies have realised since the pandemic, ensuring that people feel connected with their team is more important than ever, especially with a hybrid working structure present. At Essex Interactive, we want to make sure that every now and then, we bring our team together, away from work, to ensure every member of staff feels like an important part of the system that keeps our company running smoothly.
Why are team-building and staff days important?
Whether it’s a quick lunch out, a team challenge or a fancy evening of entertainment, an event that can bring people together is more important than you’d think. Whilst some people might see a team-building activity as some extra time off work, there is lots of evidence behind team-building and producing a more productive and positive work environment. An activity like this aims to encourage your team to build rapport with each other to improve their overall communication and allows more senior members of staff to see the different skills and knowledge of their team and the dynamic of the group. Overall, a team-building exercise or social event is the perfect, non-formal opportunity to talk to your colleagues and pick up on some feedback they offer about day-to-day operations.
What are the real benefits?
- Increase Staff Motivation – when a group successfully completes a task together, it makes individuals confident in their team’s ability. Running team-building exercises also shows employees that the company wants to invest in them, helping to improve their skills that will last forever.
- Productivity is Improved – efficiency, communication and support are all assets needed for a team to be productive in the workplace. So organising a fun activity that enhances these skills is the ideal way to improve the productivity of your workforce.
- Better Working Relationships – after a team-building task, staff often come away feeling more comfortable working in collaboration with each other and less afraid to approach a colleague for help or advice. This is particularly great if your team members typically work alone.
- Creativity is Encouraged – coming from an exercise that has required staff to input their ideas, transferring this back to the workplace is the perfect way to make people feel more confident in expressing their creativity and ideas.
- Employees Feel Recognised – just being included in a team-building activity shows an employee that the company considers them and how they are a part of the team. A team-building exercise is also an opportunity to highlight someone’s achievement, giving them some positive reinforcement for their work and showing others what they will receive when they do the same.
These are just a few good things a team-building event can bring. For both employers and employees, getting together outside of the workplace in some way is an essential part of building a good rapport with each other and creating an environment that everyone feels a part of.