In 2016, Forbes claimed that team building is the most important investment you’ll ever make for boosting productivity. They found that team building builds trust, diminishes conflict, opens up communication, and increases collaborative work. Employees become more engaged, which is good for the company’s culture and ultimately leads to a boost in profit.
The benefits of team building for productivity are evidently numerous, so here we show you 5 ways to achieve this that your company may not have considered. Take a look!
Choose the correct communication tools
So many businesses employ remote and freelance workers nowadays, meaning that building an effective working relationship with a team can be more difficult than ever before. However, it’s 2019 – there are hundreds of tools that make communicating within your team easy!
Take advantage of phone, email, text, social media messaging, and video conferencing to involve the whole team. No matter which communication channels you choose, make sure the team is using the same technology and are aware of the protocol involved in it.
If you do employ remote workers, make sure they’re conferenced into meetings via video chat to make them feel truly included.
Foster workplace friendships
You may previously have thought that workplace friendships are a big no-no, leading to unprofessionalism and distraction from work. This is not the case, however, as research has shown that job satisfaction is higher when employees are given the opportunities to form friendships. To achieve this, give your team chances to discuss non-work-related things.
Encourage brief conversations about weekend plans or upcoming events. Extend this by organising bonding experiences and events within the workplace. A happy team is a productive team!
Provide company perks
As the age-old saying goes, you have to spend money to make money. Employees are shown to stay loyal to an organisation if company perks are on offer. Perks can be anything from unlimited annual leave, to free meals, to gift cards for strong performances.
If you’ve worked to foster friendships within the office, you may even find that your team share and enjoy their perks together.
Give opportunities for development
A study recently found that 87% of millennials stated that professional development is important to them within a job. Assume that all of your employees want and need the opportunities to learn and refine their skills. You want them to feel competitive and relevant within your field.
To add a team-building aspect to this, give your team the chance to attend shared experiences, workshops, and classes together. When they’ve done so, provide a platform for them to share their learning with the rest of the team.
Consider an office redesign
Coming to work should be a joy for your employees, so don’t underestimate the effect of their physical workspace and office interior design on them. Successful office spaces should be intelligent, productive, and designed to promote the wellbeing of the team.
A well-designed office encourages productivity, so consider a refurbishment.
