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8 ideas to encourage team building in the workplace
Teamwork, when done right, can have a lot of positive effects on both individuals and the team. It encourages creativity, productivity, better problem-solving methods, and more efficient work processes.
However, a cohesive team rarely happens automatically, meaning it’s up to you as a team leader to create the right conditions for effective teamwork to thrive. By putting a few processes and structures in place, you can take your team to the next level.
Why do I need to know how to promote team building in the workplace?
In most workplaces, collaboration between people is necessary to get tasks done. But when people who need to work together have difficulty doing so, this leads to a range of problems, one of which is that tasks go uncompleted.
Putting a bunch of people together and expecting them to work well together naturally is a recipe for disaster because conflicts and communication issues are bound to arise, so when teams are established, team building efforts are crucial.
Some benefits of knowing how to promote team building include:
- Increased productivity and morale
- Identifying teammates with leadership qualities
- Encouraging collaboration
- Helping teammates build better work relationships
- Minimizing workplace conflicts
Related reading: 7 team building methods & how to choose the right one
Tips on how to improve team building
To help you achieve a more cohesive team, we’ve put together 8 easily applicable tips on how to encourage team building in the workplace.
#1 Define roles and responsibilities for each team member
When team members are unclear on their exact roles, conflict tends to arise because some people might feel like their colleagues are overstepping their responsibilities. In contrast, others might feel like they aren’t doing enough. More than that, undefined responsibilities can lead to confusion, overlaps in projects, and time wastage.
This is why clearly defined responsibilities are a necessity for every team. By establishing and communicating the roles of each team member, you help them stay aligned on their designated tasks because everyone knows what is needed of them. Doing this also encourages collaboration and teamwork because teammates know who to consult for help or input on their tasks.
#2 Lead by example
As the leader of a team, your teammates are more likely to observe your behavior and follow in your footsteps. If your working attitude does not promote a culture of team building, chances are your team will follow suit. So if you’re looking for how to encourage team building in the workplace, begin with yourself.
A good place to start is by including your teammates in the tasks you’re working on. Ask for their opinions, concerns, and questions. Then try getting involved with their projects, offering helpful input and support where they might need it.
As you adopt this working mode, they’ll get to observe the benefits of teamwork first-hand, and eventually, your team will come to see this collaborative style of working as the norm. Sometimes, it really is as easy as leading by example.
#3 Encourage effective communication
The importance of communication in any workplace cannot be overstated. Frequent and transparent communication allows teammates to share opinions, voice concerns, resolve misunderstandings quickly and produce well-completed tasks in shorter periods.
However, establishing and maintaining regular and effective communication is much easier said than done.
So how do you achieve this?
- Communicate as often as possible: This doesn't mean you have to hold formal meetings every single day. That said, you should encourage your team to regularly share information, updates, and feedback. Carrying each other along through completing a project ensures that there is little to no room for error, conflict, or repetition of tasks.
- Be clear: Establish what is acceptable for your team regarding communication. By answering questions like “can people be contacted after hours?” and “how often should formal and informal meetings be held?”, you can ensure that everyone has the same understanding.
- Listen: Listening is just as important as speaking when communicating, so make sure everyone knows to listen to their teammates and assimilate before responding.
- Use collaboration tools: Whether your team is remote or not, collaboration tools always come in handy, so use them! They allow for quick communication across the globe or office.
#4 Organize team building activities
If you run a quick Google search on “how to improve team building”, one recurrent theme you’ll come across is team building activities. This is because these team building games, exercises, and outings are designed to encourage interaction outside the workplace and build trust between teammates, which results in better working relationships. In addition to that, they also improve morale and employee satisfaction and make work a more pleasant environment.
Team building activities don’t have to be complex. This leaves room for your team to enjoy the experience without over-exerting themselves. Something as simple as regular team lunches or after-work drinks can get the job done. And if you have a remote team, you can organize fun team activities for your virtual team like office trivia, virtual bingo, and virtual cooking classes. Whatever you choose, make sure it happens at least monthly.
Other activity ideas that could be up your alley:
- Virtual trivia team building games
- Virtual team building bingo party
- Interactive virtual cooking classes
#5 Set team rules and regulations
As strict as this sounds, rules are necessary to maintain structure and keep your team focused. They ensure that everyone is on the same page and can move forward with as few hindrances as possible. A team without set rules is more likely to be disruptive, unproductive, and uncollaborative.
You can establish rules for meetings, communicating, and even completing tasks.
For example, formal meetings are a time for the team to discuss new and ongoing projects, brainstorm, and assign tasks, so some rules for your meetings could include:
- No texting or use of social media during meetings so everyone remains present and focused on the discussions at hand
- Listen to understand, not to respond
- Do not interrupt someone when they’re speaking
- Be open about your concerns and frustrations
#6 Celebrate and reward hit goals
Studies show that recognizing and rewarding employees boost their morale. Even more interesting, employees that are happy in their workplace tend to be more productive and perform better.
This doesn’t just apply to individuals, but to teams too! Teammates are more likely to be open to working together and helping each other out if they know that they’ll be recognized and rewarded for each others’ accomplishments. So if you’re curious about how to increase team bonding, consider a recognition and reward scheme.
These don’t necessarily have to be monetary rewards (although those are great too!). You can get creative with it, with rewards like:
- Promotions
- Extra vacation days
- End-of-year and/or holiday bonuses
- Company-wide emails acknowledging team accomplishments
Apart from specific team rewards, you can also celebrate huge milestones as a larger unit. Celebrations like these promote conversations and help bring teammates closer together. They also serve as a reminder that even big goals are achievable.
#7 Focus on strengths, not weaknesses
Instead of focusing on the weaknesses of your teammates (which can decrease morale and productivity), try focusing on their strengths.
Everyone has different strengths and areas of interest, and this is something you can use to your advantage. By putting together teams consisting of people with complementing strengths, each person can contribute something unique and beneficial to a project when they work together. This not only allows individuals to shine but it also helps them appreciate each other's strong points and collaborate better.
#8 Mix teams up
Long-established teams typically work better together because communication, trust, and collaboration have been built over time. On the other hand, newly-formed teams tend to be more creative and dynamic. Because both team types have their strengths, you can encourage them to benefit from each other by mixing people up and forming new teams.
This allows people to interact with others outside their usual circle of colleagues and promotes the formation of new connections and ideas, better work processes, and stronger teams.
How to promote team building in the workplace - a continuous process
When a team is able to work well together, there’s little they can’t achieve. Not only are projects completed quickly and effectively, but team members are generally happier and more satisfied with their jobs.
That said, strong teams are not built overnight. Team building is a challenge that requires continuous efforts as the team grows and changes.
If you need some ideas on more tips on team building? You can check out our list of work team building activities, many of which are free.
FAQs
How do you improve team collaboration?
You can improve team collaboration by clearly communicating each person’s roles so they know who to go to for support, by forming teams based on strengths and not weaknesses, and by encouraging teammates to interact outside of work.
How can you encourage better team communication?
Good team communication is built over time, but you can get the ball rolling by adopting a few strategies. These could include scheduling regular team meetings and updates, encouraging teammates to listen properly, and using different collaboration tools to communicate.
What are some good team building activities?
There are several team building activities that encourage team building. Our advice? Keep it simple and fun. Some cool team activities include work lunches, team cooking classes, bingo games, and escape room outings.
How do you support team members?
One of the key ways to support your teammates is by creating a culture of open and honest communication. This way, they’re able to freely voice out their struggles and concerns with you. You can also provide training and resources to help them develop their skills and celebrate their successes when they meet set targets.
Share fun facts and bond with a team quiz
Have your participants choose from a list of questions they’d like their coworkers to answer about them, before watching as they guess the right answer.
01. Yes
share-fun-facts-and-bond-with-a-team-quiz
Run a guided recognition activity
Have your participants choose from a list of questions they’d like their coworkers to answer about them, before watching as they guess the right answer.
01. Yes
run-a-guided-recognition-activity
Organize a virtual cooking class
Hire a professional chef to help your team cook a delicious lunch or dinner. May be difficult for co-workers with families. To find providers and get tips, read our blog about virtual cooking classes.
02. No
organize-a-virtual-cooking-class
Hire a stand-up comedian
Have your participants choose from a list of questions they’d like their coworkers to answer about them, before watching as they guess the right answer.
02. No
hire-a-stand-up-comedian
No items found
No items found
Table of contents
Teamwork, when done right, can have a lot of positive effects on both individuals and the team. It encourages creativity, productivity, better problem-solving methods, and more efficient work processes.
However, a cohesive team rarely happens automatically, meaning it’s up to you as a team leader to create the right conditions for effective teamwork to thrive. By putting a few processes and structures in place, you can take your team to the next level.
Why do I need to know how to promote team building in the workplace?
In most workplaces, collaboration between people is necessary to get tasks done. But when people who need to work together have difficulty doing so, this leads to a range of problems, one of which is that tasks go uncompleted.
Putting a bunch of people together and expecting them to work well together naturally is a recipe for disaster because conflicts and communication issues are bound to arise, so when teams are established, team building efforts are crucial.
Some benefits of knowing how to promote team building include:
- Increased productivity and morale
- Identifying teammates with leadership qualities
- Encouraging collaboration
- Helping teammates build better work relationships
- Minimizing workplace conflicts
Related reading: 7 team building methods & how to choose the right one
Tips on how to improve team building
To help you achieve a more cohesive team, we’ve put together 8 easily applicable tips on how to encourage team building in the workplace.
#1 Define roles and responsibilities for each team member
When team members are unclear on their exact roles, conflict tends to arise because some people might feel like their colleagues are overstepping their responsibilities. In contrast, others might feel like they aren’t doing enough. More than that, undefined responsibilities can lead to confusion, overlaps in projects, and time wastage.
This is why clearly defined responsibilities are a necessity for every team. By establishing and communicating the roles of each team member, you help them stay aligned on their designated tasks because everyone knows what is needed of them. Doing this also encourages collaboration and teamwork because teammates know who to consult for help or input on their tasks.
#2 Lead by example
As the leader of a team, your teammates are more likely to observe your behavior and follow in your footsteps. If your working attitude does not promote a culture of team building, chances are your team will follow suit. So if you’re looking for how to encourage team building in the workplace, begin with yourself.
A good place to start is by including your teammates in the tasks you’re working on. Ask for their opinions, concerns, and questions. Then try getting involved with their projects, offering helpful input and support where they might need it.
As you adopt this working mode, they’ll get to observe the benefits of teamwork first-hand, and eventually, your team will come to see this collaborative style of working as the norm. Sometimes, it really is as easy as leading by example.
#3 Encourage effective communication
The importance of communication in any workplace cannot be overstated. Frequent and transparent communication allows teammates to share opinions, voice concerns, resolve misunderstandings quickly and produce well-completed tasks in shorter periods.
However, establishing and maintaining regular and effective communication is much easier said than done.
So how do you achieve this?
- Communicate as often as possible: This doesn't mean you have to hold formal meetings every single day. That said, you should encourage your team to regularly share information, updates, and feedback. Carrying each other along through completing a project ensures that there is little to no room for error, conflict, or repetition of tasks.
- Be clear: Establish what is acceptable for your team regarding communication. By answering questions like “can people be contacted after hours?” and “how often should formal and informal meetings be held?”, you can ensure that everyone has the same understanding.
- Listen: Listening is just as important as speaking when communicating, so make sure everyone knows to listen to their teammates and assimilate before responding.
- Use collaboration tools: Whether your team is remote or not, collaboration tools always come in handy, so use them! They allow for quick communication across the globe or office.
#4 Organize team building activities
If you run a quick Google search on “how to improve team building”, one recurrent theme you’ll come across is team building activities. This is because these team building games, exercises, and outings are designed to encourage interaction outside the workplace and build trust between teammates, which results in better working relationships. In addition to that, they also improve morale and employee satisfaction and make work a more pleasant environment.
Team building activities don’t have to be complex. This leaves room for your team to enjoy the experience without over-exerting themselves. Something as simple as regular team lunches or after-work drinks can get the job done. And if you have a remote team, you can organize fun team activities for your virtual team like office trivia, virtual bingo, and virtual cooking classes. Whatever you choose, make sure it happens at least monthly.
Other activity ideas that could be up your alley:
- Virtual trivia team building games
- Virtual team building bingo party
- Interactive virtual cooking classes
#5 Set team rules and regulations
As strict as this sounds, rules are necessary to maintain structure and keep your team focused. They ensure that everyone is on the same page and can move forward with as few hindrances as possible. A team without set rules is more likely to be disruptive, unproductive, and uncollaborative.
You can establish rules for meetings, communicating, and even completing tasks.
For example, formal meetings are a time for the team to discuss new and ongoing projects, brainstorm, and assign tasks, so some rules for your meetings could include:
- No texting or use of social media during meetings so everyone remains present and focused on the discussions at hand
- Listen to understand, not to respond
- Do not interrupt someone when they’re speaking
- Be open about your concerns and frustrations
#6 Celebrate and reward hit goals
Studies show that recognizing and rewarding employees boost their morale. Even more interesting, employees that are happy in their workplace tend to be more productive and perform better.
This doesn’t just apply to individuals, but to teams too! Teammates are more likely to be open to working together and helping each other out if they know that they’ll be recognized and rewarded for each others’ accomplishments. So if you’re curious about how to increase team bonding, consider a recognition and reward scheme.
These don’t necessarily have to be monetary rewards (although those are great too!). You can get creative with it, with rewards like:
- Promotions
- Extra vacation days
- End-of-year and/or holiday bonuses
- Company-wide emails acknowledging team accomplishments
Apart from specific team rewards, you can also celebrate huge milestones as a larger unit. Celebrations like these promote conversations and help bring teammates closer together. They also serve as a reminder that even big goals are achievable.
#7 Focus on strengths, not weaknesses
Instead of focusing on the weaknesses of your teammates (which can decrease morale and productivity), try focusing on their strengths.
Everyone has different strengths and areas of interest, and this is something you can use to your advantage. By putting together teams consisting of people with complementing strengths, each person can contribute something unique and beneficial to a project when they work together. This not only allows individuals to shine but it also helps them appreciate each other's strong points and collaborate better.
#8 Mix teams up
Long-established teams typically work better together because communication, trust, and collaboration have been built over time. On the other hand, newly-formed teams tend to be more creative and dynamic. Because both team types have their strengths, you can encourage them to benefit from each other by mixing people up and forming new teams.
This allows people to interact with others outside their usual circle of colleagues and promotes the formation of new connections and ideas, better work processes, and stronger teams.
How to promote team building in the workplace - a continuous process
When a team is able to work well together, there’s little they can’t achieve. Not only are projects completed quickly and effectively, but team members are generally happier and more satisfied with their jobs.
That said, strong teams are not built overnight. Team building is a challenge that requires continuous efforts as the team grows and changes.
If you need some ideas on more tips on team building? You can check out our list of work team building activities, many of which are free.
FAQs
How do you improve team collaboration?
You can improve team collaboration by clearly communicating each person’s roles so they know who to go to for support, by forming teams based on strengths and not weaknesses, and by encouraging teammates to interact outside of work.
How can you encourage better team communication?
Good team communication is built over time, but you can get the ball rolling by adopting a few strategies. These could include scheduling regular team meetings and updates, encouraging teammates to listen properly, and using different collaboration tools to communicate.
What are some good team building activities?
There are several team building activities that encourage team building. Our advice? Keep it simple and fun. Some cool team activities include work lunches, team cooking classes, bingo games, and escape room outings.
How do you support team members?
One of the key ways to support your teammates is by creating a culture of open and honest communication. This way, they’re able to freely voice out their struggles and concerns with you. You can also provide training and resources to help them develop their skills and celebrate their successes when they meet set targets.
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