4 Great Team-Building Activities for Small Businesses

One of the most important parts of running a successful small business is building a team that works well together and cares about the company reaching its goals.

But business owners can’t simply throw a group of people together and expect them to function well as a team right out the gate. In order to create a team that works like a well-oiled machine, you must invest some time and money into team-building activities.

Many employees may find traditional team-building activities like ice breakers forced, boring, and a waste of time. This is why the following 4 activities are a great starting point for business owners looking to strengthen their team.

1. Take Field Trips

Employees never want to feel like their time is being wasted. A great way to prevent them from feeling this way is to plan events where employees can team-build while learning new skills and gaining valuable knowledge about their profession.

Take employees on field trips to conferences, exhibits, or unique training opportunities so they can simultaneously get a break from the office and socialize while gaining valuable new knowledge.

2. Give Back to the Community

Another great way for employees to connect is by organizing team volunteering events. Habitat for Humanity is always looking for groups to help build houses for families in need. Animal shelters are happy to have volunteers to help walk dogs. If it’s the holidays, employees can go out in teams to deliver presents to children’s hospitals.

Volunteering is a great way for employees to strengthen their communication skills and learn how to accomplish tasks as a team. Volunteering is also shown to be good for a person’s health, and can contribute to fulfilling his/her purpose.

3. Get Active

Another goal that you should accomplish with team-building is getting employees out of their normal routine. This is especially true for those employees who spend much of their working day behind a desk. Sitting for long periods of time has a negative effect on a person’s health, so team-building activities should get them out of their chairs and up and moving.

Make a list of different physical activities and have the staff vote on which ones they would be interested in doing. This will prevent asking employees to participate in an activity they may not be comfortable with (someone not being able to swim, for example). Encourage these activities to be about how the team works together, rather than making it a competition.

4. Try to Get Employees Out of Their Comfort Zone

The best way for a group of people to bond is for them to participate in activities that may be out of their comfort zone. These types of activities may push otherwise shy employees to interact more, and if everyone has a chance to do something they thought they would never do, they may feel more comfortable in future interactions with the rest of their team.

Some great team-building activities to get employees out of their comfort zone include karaoke nights, zip-lining, or escape rooms.

Important Takeaways

• The key to hosting successful team-building events is to engage employees in activities that they find fun, useful, and interesting. Employees should never feel forced to participate, but encouraged instead.
• Remember to incorporate strategies and techniques learned during team-building events into daily office culture. This will help employees to continue to work as a team, even after the activities are over. Find ways to keep the positive energy flowing, and devise new ways for employees to interact and connect around the office.
• While hosting team-building activities is a financial endeavor, business owners should remember that investing in their team now can mean great things for the company’s future. Find activities that challenge and excite your employees, without over-spending on lavish trips or expensive dinners.

By providing employees with the opportunity to build and strengthen relationships with co-workers, small business owners can keep their team happy, while ultimately growing their business.