
The Hidden Benefits of Team Building Activities
Team building activities can reinforce organization culture and give a wide variety of advantages. You probably already realize that benefits of team building activities makes a stronger bond between employees, encourages collaboration and improves team communication.
But there are some of the other, lesser known benefits that are not discussed as much. Here are some hidden advantages that will benefit to your organization’s culture when you invest into team building activities.
Creative thinking
Sometimes employees can fall in a routine with their work. That is not generally a bad thing since it’s how work gets done. Although, a new perspective could provide insight into challenges at the workplace. Taking out the team from their normal workplace to overcome non-work challenges can motivate creative problem solving when they’re back at the workplace.
Approachability
Sometimes, even the best managers can be intimidating to employees, and this feeling of fear may make workers hesitate to reach out to discuss work process concerns, new thoughts and career track needs. Having a good relationship with the management can build employment satisfaction, efficiency and reduce turnover, giving a lift to the organization’s culture. Team building activities can be a phenomenal method to make leaders and managers more approachable, as employee and managers build up their interaction other than work which has a major impact on their work relationship.
Identify leaders
Team building gives an open door for those outside the managerial role to take on an influential position, managing their team to the fruitful completion of a team building exercise. It’s a great way for the management to observe managerial and leadership skills outside of the workplace environment, and to identify potential future leadership employees. You will spot which employees take on planning and strategic jobs and which are the most encouraging to other colleagues, both extraordinary qualities of future leaders.
Uncover hidden talent
Mostly in the hustle and bustle of work and meeting deadline, you don’t find out much about your employees. There are often hidden talents that are revealed while interacting at team building events outside the workplace that can be significant to the organization. Perhaps an employee writes a blog in their free time, however those writing skills could be used on the organization blog. Or, maybe an employee has been taking night classes, as a part of numerous professional companies and is ready to turn into your next thought leader. Employees who get the chance to utilize their qualities at work each day are likely to be more productive and less likely to quit. Becoming more aware about your employees during team bonding activities can help you with revealing their hidden skills and tap into their qualities.
Energy boost
Your organization culture likely spins around the energy in the workplace. When the team returns from a fun day of group bonding, the energy in the workplace can change, giving the organization culture an energetic jolt simultaneously. It is best if the team can have a token of the occasion, for instance, a shirt to wear on casual Fridays. Team building events tokens can fill in as the keepsake from the fun and positive energy they built up as a team and help keep that vibe streaming back in the workplace.
Conclusion
When your benefits of team building Activities experience helps build a solid organization culture, everybody wins! While team building exercises are known for their generally positive effect on organization culture, these (lesser known) benefits give a solid case to the tangible benefit of organizing team building exercises.