The theory of teamwork is easy for anyone to understand.
Teamwork is defined as ‘the combined action of a group, especially when effective and efficient’.
In reality, however, teamwork takes a lot more than just a group of people coming together and working on a common goal. With so many different types of personalities, it is getting more and more difficult to get everyone on the same wavelength.
Hence, in today’s corporate landscape, team building activities have become a staple in corporate culture and is seen as necessary.
However, just exactly what are some of the benefits to corporate team building activities that makes them so sought after by employers?
Promote Communication
Communication is a keystone to a well-functioning team. This is a trait that is needed in all types of workplaces and industries. If a team cannot communicate, then it is nearly impossible that any form of productivity can be expected!
Luckily, team building activities are a fun way to help foster a good communicating culture in your team.
Increasing Collaboration
Team building activities are specifically designed in order to make your team communicate to successfully complete them.
By showing your employees and your team how much they can accomplish when everyone is communicating effectively and efficiently, it sets a precedent for good communication in place – thus everyone will be more encouraged to communicate better and collaborate as one unit.
This is much better for overall output, as compared to everyone doing their own tasks without any connection to the team.
Do read till point 12 for a unique team building environment which I am pretty sure you have not encountered before.
Productivity Up!
Alongside communication and collaboration, this means that productivity will be able to go up, since your employees will be able to effectively plan out everyone’s roles and responsibilities.
By ensuring everyone covers a part of the work without any ‘duplicate work’, this ensures that everyone is evenly spread out, maximising the work done and finishing without any complications.
Developing Problem-solving Skills
While team building activities are practically a low-risk environment, the problems that you and your employees face are still real.
This will encourage your employees to tackle the problem from all angles, being able to trial and error their solutions before coming together to solve the problem together.
This will benefit your team in the long run, because it shows them that there will always be multiple potential solutions to any problem! It also inspires tenacity in your team, boosting that ‘never-give-up’ attitude that is so important in everyday work life.
Identifying Leadership
As mentioned before, there is a huge variation of personalities out in the corporate world. More often than not, there may be some hidden gems in your team that may have a natural knack for leadership that will be able to lead the team in times of need and uncertainty.
That is where team building activities will help you! These activities are meant to get your employees or teammates to show their initiative and skills where necessary so that everyone completes it together.
These activities will also be able to allow others (even if they are not ‘natural leaders’) to essentially show off their skills to you and their other teammates. This gives the whole team a chance to identify who are the ones they can turn to in times of need, and at the same time it will highlight the areas where others can contribute as well.
Boost Confidence
Building confidence in each individual is a stepping stone towards your team being an effective whole. Team building activities allow each person to take charge at one point or another, so this is the perfect platform for you to instil confidence in your employees by allowing them to achieve with their own skills.
It is important that you allow your employees to see for themselves their strengths and weakness – what they can put forward.
Increase Engagement
While it is important that everyone take turns to lead, it is also incredibly important for everyone in the team to be able to contribute. While some may be on the quieter side, team building activities are meant to encourage everybody to interact with each other.
This means that team building activities will be able to increase your team’s engagement with each other and their work, making your office a more productive and harmonious environment.
Promote Bonding
A key benefit to team building activities is fostering good relationships between you and your employees, as well as among your employees themselves. It is of the utmost importance that your team establish good connections for everyone to work harmoniously inside and outside of the office. This will lead to a higher level of productivity for everyone.
At the same time, this gives you the opportunity to get to know your employees on a more personal level. By giving everyone the opportunity to get to know each other and have a better understanding of each others’ personalities, this ensures that there will be more trust among everyone, which also helps people focus on their strengths and how they can use other peoples’ strengths to improve output.
Cultivating Respect
Because your employees are exposed to each other in a non-work setting, it allows them to find out more about their co-workers, and teach each other acceptance and tolerance of each other’s differences.
When everyone is able to put aside what sets them apart, the team is able to move forward and achieve greater heights.
Foster a Creative Environment
Gone were the days of success being a one-size-fits-all model. In the modern corporate world, creativity is a necessary skill that your team needs to have in order for your business to be successful.
Luckily, team building activities are a great way for you to plant that creative seed in the minds of your employees!
These activities will encourage your employees to think out of the box, to come up with creative solutions to the problem at hand. The great thing about this is that different people will be able to come together to brainstorm a unique solution with their different expertise and skills.
Surely, team building activities will help you and your employees learn to think out of the box.
Keeping Motivation Up
By planning for you and your company to participate in team building activities, it sends a message to your employees that you do care for them and their achievements. This tells your employees that they are assets, and that the company is willing to invest in them.
When your employees successfully complete goal after goal, it also boosts morale and gives them a reason to feel good about themselves. In this case, team building benefits everyone, both employers and employees.
It’s All About The Fun!
While the above 11 benefits are very important, one commonly overlooked benefit is the fun of team building activities.
Team building will have its increased benefits when everyone is enjoying themselves and actively participating! The good memories will add on to your workplace connections in a very positive manner!
Overall, the benefits of team building will definitely improve your workplace culture and overall team dynamic. They will last in your corporate culture for a very long time, if you take the first step to establishing them in your team’s foundations!
Unique Team Building Setting
Now that you’re in the know about these 12 benefits to team building activities, why not have your team bond together in a unique setting?
Rent a B.O.B Marine yacht today with our attractive packages! The biggest team building we ever done was more than 140 people.
We sailed them to a secluded island, not Sentosa, and they had a blast doing treasure hunting, lots of food, and water play!