How to Do Team Bonding Right: A Guide
Team bonding is essential. A group of strangers won’t work nearly as well as a seasoned team that knows each other and understands one another’s strengths and weaknesses. A seasoned team will know how to communicate effectively, will have had plenty of practice concerning problem solving, and will like each other far more. Every business, of course, starts with a group of strangers, or a group of friends that don’t yet know how to work in a professional setting with one another.
So, how do you bring those people together so that they work like a well-oiled machine? You practice, you listen, and you help them bond properly. You don’t need your employees to be best friends to work well together, but you do need them to feel comfortable and respect one another. It may feel difficult to do as the boss, but you can help cultivate that healthy workplace culture with this guide:
Work with Your Teams to Establish the Best Rules of Practice
Unless you are working directly with others, you’ll need to work with the team in question to understand what hiccups are causing issues in their workflow. No one wants hiccups. They take time and productivity away from your bottom line, and they’re frustrating for your employees. Hiccups can come in the form of the tools your team uses, all the way to issues amongst the team members themselves. By working directly with the team, and by taking meetings and talking to members one-on-one, you can help understand the issue and help work towards a solution.
Offer Fun Team Bonding Moments
There are so many ways that you can help your employees feel closer and enjoy the benefits of working for you, specifically. You could organize special activities to usher in a holiday. A fun, virtual chocolate tasting event means that you can celebrate Valentine’s Day with your employees no matter where they are. This type of event only lasts thirty minutes or so, your employees get to try artisan chocolate and even pair it with a range of drinks. Fun, simple events like this will be talked about, bonded over, and help make your workplace a positive experience.
Don’t Pit Employees Against Each Other
While it may seem beneficial to have an employee of the month scheme, this doesn’t help teams feel closer. It makes the highest achievers fight for the top spot, and those that aren’t interested in that race to potentially try less. Instead, set up milestones and the rewards employees get once they reach them. If they make so many sales, for example, they get a bonus. If they’ve worked for you for one year, organize a team lunch to celebrate. Recognizing milestones, especially if they’re tied to performance, encourages everyone to do better and gives people the time to improve.
Offer Options for Development
When people work, they want to feel like they’re making progress in their careers. Every company, big or small, can offer training and sponsored development. There are plenty of online short courses today that you can sponsor an employee to attend. To boost your investment, and encourage teamwork, have that sponsored employee create notes and a final presentation that they then share with the rest of their team. This will help everyone learn and grow while giving your sponsored employee an additional certification they can put on their resume.
