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We can offer a variety of themed activities specifically designed to motivate, reward and enhance your team, group, association or organisation. Formulating and implementing well planned/structured, fun, competitve events and activites that will challenge your valued people in many areas. We can work with you to develop activites specifically designed to accomodate your needs.
Below we have sourced and provided a significant research document and further insight into this very effective method of improving realationships, promoting positive energy, harmony and enhancing quality efforts within your organisation.
Building a great team and actual “team building” exercises are often viewed in very different lights.
Team building is one of those business topics that will evoke a few eye rolls. Some of us have been involved in some disasterous team building activities. The first thing that comes to mind for many are those superficial activities that force people together into some sort of awkward scenario, with all of the participants hating the process and wishing it would end.
A well planned and researched team building activity will leave those that have not encountered a positive experience in the past, re living the events of the day for weeks or even months aftrwards. Maybe even at some 'post' team building activites/events organised by the the participants themselves. Now that would be a positive and desirable outcome.
The Small Group Research journal paper “Does Team Building Work?” analyzed data from 103 studies conducted between 1950 and 2007. This cumulative research provides the strongest scientific evidence to date that team building can have measurable, positive effects on team performance.
As you’ll soon see, the “secret” in making team building work is to keep things normal, and to avoid situations that feel invasive, awkward, or forced. Do NOT assemble your team and ask everyone to share their greatest fear—a huge majority of the people involved won’t appreciate this forced mix of their work life and personal feelings.
What far more practical things should you do instead? Read on............
Is team building an art or a science?
When it comes to assembling, motivating and keeping a great team happy so that they can flourish in your organisation, the truth is that it’s a bit of both.
It cannot be understated how important a great team is to an organisations’ success. The quality of the work you do will never exceed the quality of the team behind it. To many entrepreneur’s, manager’s and coaches, dismay, team building often seems as complicated as rocket science. THere are a lot of things that could cause catastrophic consequences, and things have to be just right in order to get it off the ground and kep it energizing in the direction you intended it to go.
Fortunately, academic research on team culture and group dynamics sheds some much needed light on creating and motivating the perfect team.
The 5 Best Team-Building Activities
In light of the lackluster reputation of team building, you probably aren’t surprised to read that research from Citrix has shown that 31 percent of office workers say that they can’t stand team-building activities.
This negative association is a shame, because, as discussed in this Harvard Business School publication, a connected team is a motivated team. Further supporting research from the American Psychological Association (APA) finds that team building activities can help employees feel valued, and those that do are the most motivated to do great work.
Almost all employees (93 percent) who reported feeling valued said that they are motivated to do their best at work.”
There are ways to circumvent this mentality and fulfill the goal of providing great bonding experiences for co-workers. David W. Ballard, head of APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program, discussed in a U.S. News & World Report interview five simple team-building activities that have shown to be successful time and time again. They are:
1. Volunteering. The best activities are those that the entire team feels proud to participate in. Research even suggests that helping others makes you feel like you have more time on your hands! It is also an opportunity to network, experience firsthand an ‘out of your comfort zone’ encounter. This can be just as stimulating and challenging as any of the following 4 activities as well as an incredibly rewarding experience having contributed to the community on the ‘ground’, at the coal face, so to speak. Knowing you’ve bettered the life of someone who cannot return the gesture/deed.
2. Physical activities. Sports make for superb outings that allow employees to work together and get physical exercise. However, Ballard warns that always playing the sport that the CEO likes may make the activity feel like an obligation. Also, pick your sport carefully: Activities that could result in injury (e.g., football or rugby league) aren’t as effective as milder, non-contact options (e.g., ten pin bowling, ice skating, relays). It’s about reducing the risk.
3. Field trips. Simple, casual trips that may not even be related to your team, group or organisation. Such as visiting a park or museum/art gallery or going to a sporting event/ game, can work wonders for your people. We can arrange other such field trips to suit your needs and interests to achieve a desired out come.
4. Professional development activities. Quality workshops give teams the opportunity to stay up to date with education and develop professional relationships in new settings and forums—all without the stigma of going it alone or the awkwardness of trying to network solo. The key here is, facilitating such a workshop without intimidating and or making anyone within your team, group or organisation feel insignificant or pressured.
5. Shared meals. Eating regularly with your team allows for casual conversation in a comfortable environment, letting team members get to know each other outside of work. Engaging in them days to end your working/training week, involving food, refreshments, a BBQ and or dressing up or down? Maybe incorporate a fund raiser that members of your team, group or organisation are passionate about every other week?
Combining all or any of the Five (5) ‘Best Team Building Activities’ will provide an effective environment for all participants to benefit.
If You Think You Can, You Can. If You Think You Can't, You're Right!