The aim of “team building”, which is a term coined in the United States in the 1980s, is to strengthen the links between employees within a company, and especially between members of the same team. The management technique of team building aims to improve the group’s cohesion and thus obtain better results at work, the desired benefit being both social and financial. Team building also helps to restore employee confidence in the company while transferring its company values to them.
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If you have teamwork and stress management problems in the office, or if you simply want to strengthen the bonds between colleagues, there is nothing better than implementing team building as a way for them to get to know each other both during office hours and outside of work. Here are 5 innovative team building ideas to create an environment conducive to group interaction and reflection:
1. The Current Team Building Trend: the “Lip Dub”
First of all, what is a lip dub? The lip dub consists of a video clip with background music where someone mimics the singer. Generally, the purpose of this is to generate humor and fun and can be very useful in bringing employees closer as a group. Most of the time, the video of the lip dub is filmed in one shot, moving around different offices.
But beware, lip dub team building requires some preparation for it to be successful: choreography, props, staging. Nothing should be left to chance to make a great video and include the whole team!
To make the video extra special, why not use a specialized events agency or choose one of your employees who is also an amateur director in his spare time! This is one time building activity that is sure to have your teams in giggles.
2. Back to Childhood Team Building: Laser Quest
An ideal team building activity that is a great way for employees to get to know each other better, laser quest is a team building challenge that is accessible to all, inexpensive and less painful than paintball. Your employees are divided into two teams that have to eliminate their enemies one by one. It is a challenge that encourages closeness and strengthens team spirit. Each player wears a vest covered in sensors and fires with a laser gun. The game usually takes place in a series of dark rooms where smoke diffusers make the task even more difficult. This team building activity is a good way to work on a team strategy to beat the enemy!
3. The Weekend Outing Team Building: Karaoke
A team building activity that is popular in Asian countries, karaoke is back in fashion and seducing more and more young people and companies that choose to organize events. Karaoke as a team building activity is ideal for creating a good atmosphere between colleagues.
4. The Game to Play Anywhere Team Building: the Blind-Test
The blind-test is a timeless team building activity that never goes out of style. It also brings together your employees from different generations and helps them to discover each other’s musical world. The advantage of the blind-test team building is that it is practical to do everywhere and at any time, during an organized party or a simple drink between colleagues. You just need to take out your smartphone to start playing!
5. The Classic Team Building: a Cooking Class
Always a great team-building idea to bring employees together and strengthen cohesion, taking a cooking class is a great for morale and the taste buds!
Don’t forget that cooking is an activity that must be carried out with precision, so it will allow you to evaluate the cohesion within your teams and how well they cope with stress. At the end of the cooking class, your employees will be able to taste the dishes they have prepared and spend an agreeable time together. Even more festive is an happy-hour team building evening which is an excellent alternative and will delight your teams. They will learn how to make good food and enjoy a drink in a friendly atmosphere.