Seven team building activities to create professional relationships

Collaboration within the workplace is the key to business growth. If not done effectively it will directly impact the bottom line when projects aren’t properly completed or deadlines are missed. One fun way to ensure effective collaboration within your business is to set up team building activities. Not only will this give your employees some time to relax, but more importantly, it will give them a chance to network and build stronger working relationships with their colleagues.

Here are some team building activities that can help to encourage team members to communicate and work together better.

1. Office Olympics

An office Olympics day is a great way to get people out of their seats, and invested in healthy competition with their peers. Host a bean bag toss, egg and spoon race, or table tennis tournament to get people together for an afternoon. Holding an Olympics in meeting rooms, and grouping together individuals can give people the chance to speak to different members of the business that they may not have had the chance to connect with beforehand.

2. Scavenger hunt

Hosting a scavenger hunt either in or out of the office is a great way to boost team spirit. Set up clues around the office and have a prize at the end for the winning team. Not only is this a really fun activity, but it also allows employees to think strategically with their colleagues to problem-solve.

3. Team lunches

This simple, yet effective activity is useful to get people talking in a different setting. Team building can be about getting to know each other on a more personal level. Over food or a drink, it is the perfect time to get talking to one another, and get to know members of different teams that you haven’t had the chance to connect with previously.

4. Office quiz

Hosting a quiz in the office, about the office, is a great way to get people thinking about their place of work in a fun way. Asking silly questions like ‘how many chairs are there in the cafeteria?’ may seem irrelevant, but it will boost morale and make team members laugh.

5. Blindfolded retriever

In teams of four, have three people standing back-to-back and holding hands, with blindfolds on. Then, have the final member of the team, without a blindfold, give directions to get them to navigate through an area to the final destination. This is a fun way to showcase and test leadership capabilities.

6. Murder mystery game

This gives your teams the opportunity to get invested in a compelling storyline, as well as the chance to think strategically to solve the mystery. This one may need more planning, but if done correctly, the entire office can be pulled together to achieve the same goal. This should inspire them in their teams, and the wider organisation to collaborate more at work.

7. One interesting story about yourself

This takes the well-known ice breaker to a new level. Rather than giving an interesting fact about yourself, ask team members to tell an interesting story from their past to the group. This way, it gives other team members a chance to get to know each other on a more personal level, to compare stories, and have fun telling them.

Team building exercises are a fun way to get people together and to build relationships across different teams simultaneously. If you are looking to hire and would like to explore how we can help source the right people for your business, get in touch with one of our specialist recruitment consultants today.