ROC Weekly Management & Mindset Segment
Using Team Building to Improve Your Substance Abuse Program
A strong team of employees is one of the most important factors for a successful business. Building relationships with your team and helping them develop relationships among themselves can result in increased trust, communication, collaboration, engagement, and productivity.
Three keys for success in team building
Target your team building goals- Think of your goal for these activities. Whether this be to have fun or to increase communication between teammates, ensure the activities you choose can help you reach your goal.
Involve everyone- Remember to involve everyone on your team and include any off-site employees. Be sure to schedule a time that is convenient for the most people to help ensure their attendance.
Choose fun and appropriate activities-Consider the people involved in the group. Choose an activity that will be enjoyable for everyone and not too far out of their comfort zone. The purpose of these activities is to have fun and interact with each other.
Why you should engage in team-building exercises
Improves relationships-Building relationships with team members can help them work more effectively together. Improving communication and encouraging cooperation can have many benefits to your business overall.
Helps employees feel valued- Employees can feel valued and appreciated if efforts are made for them to partake in activities they enjoy. They may also become more engaged in their roles and develop stronger commitment to the business, helping to reduce turnover.
Develops relationships among employees- Team-building exercises, especially those that occur outside of the workplace, can help employees develop relationships and understand each other better.
Benefits of team building among employees
Builds trust
Shows employee appreciation
Regulates communication
Provides something to look forward to
Increases productivity
Develops leadership potential
Brings people together
Builds respect
Fosters creativity, learning, and innovation
Connects people between departments
Creates healthy competition
Makes people more accepting
Resolves conflicts
Develops skills
Improves company culture and morale
Creates team spirit
Fun and engaging team-building activities
Here is a list of unique and engaging activities you can consider for your team:
Employee-led classes
You can leverage the skills and expertise of your staff members by having them share their strengths with others. Staff members can lead a class about the things they are passionate about. For instance, skilled cooks can host a cooking workshop, or those with talents in knitting or juggling can teach others the basics of the skill. This can help expose hidden talents, increase rapport between employees, and develop skills among the team.
Build something for a cause
Have your team work together for a local charity or group. For instance, your team can work together to build bikes or volunteer at a home-building charity to help contribute to your community. This feel-good activity can help everyone feel good and help the team realize what they are capable of when they work together.
Affirmation game
Have a piece of paper for each team member and instruct everyone to write their names across the top. Everyone then passes their paper to the left. As the papers circulate, everyone writes something they appreciate about that person. For example, you might say “Morgan is great at keeping everyone organized,” or “Stan is a great listener.” At the end of the game, everyone gets their piece of paper back filled with affirmations.
Famous people or cities
Team members have a sticky note on their head with the name of a famous person or city written on it. Everyone goes around the group asking questions about the person or place until they can guess what it is.
Other team-building activities to consider
Here is a list of other low-cost team-building activities you can do with your employees:
Improv theater class
Office olympics
Go-kart racing
Laser tag
Birthday celebrations or lunches
Cookie decorating
Trivia night
Group bike rides
Hikink
Skating
Picnic at the park
Potluck
Day at the beach
Cook-off
Karaoke
Movie night
Attending a sporting event
Renting a suite at a concert
Scavenger hunt
Escape room
Painting party
Cooking class
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