Teamwork, communication, and overall cohesion are important aspects for any company looking to get the most out of its employees. You may have many stand-out individuals within your ranks, but no matter their qualities, skills, and experience, ultimately they represent a cog in a much larger machine. If all parts of said machine aren’t working well in tandem then all the company can expect is diminishing returns. So how can a company worried about this issue take steps to rectify it? Team-building exercises, although not a new concept, have taken centre stage in the modern employment industry, as one of the best ways to bring your employees together, and foster an environment focused on teamwork. Here are 5 reasons why companies should consider team-building exercises for their employees.
Getting to know eachother better & increasing morale
Team-building exercises, whether they come in the form of competitive games, or collaborative problem solving, offer a way for your employees to get to know each other better, and build relationships that translate to the workplace. By building a better understanding of how their colleagues think, employees will become more effective, and efficient in projects involving teamwork. In addition, by developing a friendly work environment, companies are able to boost employee morale, which in turn leads to increased productivity.
Developing a competitive, yet friendly culture
Competition breeds innovation. This is something widely accepted across many industries, with global giants often producing innovative products or solutions in direct response to their competitors’ releases. However, the approach can also apply to the workplace. A company that develops a culture of friendly competition between its employees is likely to benefit from increased productivity, as each individual consistently strives to be better in their role.
Teams that win together, stay together
Ok, that may not always be the case, but a team that successfully overcomes obstacles on its way to victory, and subsequently celebrates together, builds strong bonds. Team-building exercises give employees the chance to develop team spirit, and build positive memories, with their colleagues, things that, when transferred to the workplace, can only lead to a company’s success.
Learning how to communicate
When it comes to teamwork, communication is of paramount importance, and teams that fail to communicate, are likely to fail in their objective as well. As such, companies that offer their employees the opportunity to partake in team-building activities, are essentially providing the chance to not only improve their workers’ communication skills, but also for them to learn what method of communication each individual responds better to. By emphasising the development of communication within teamwork, a company can help increase its employees’ productivity in the workplace substantially.
So, as you can see, companies stand to gain a wide variety of benefits through the adoption of team-building exercises, in comparison to the more traditional ‘company day out’. Simultaneously however, employees also accrue value from these activities, which can lead to feelings of happiness, camaraderie, and security in the workplace – and let’s face it, a happy employee, is a productive employee.
