Many companies encounter moments of low morale, during which employees begin to lose momentum. In fact, a Gallup study showed that only fifteen percent of the one billion workers around the world feel engaged at work. This same study found the lack of engagement amongst employees costs the United States, specifically, anywhere from $450 billion to about $550 billion in lost productivity every year. Improving workplace morale is crucial to a company’s success, especially if it will increase the productivity of workers.
One great way to revitalize your team is by having team-building activities. These activities can lift people’s spirits by providing a much-needed break from the day-to-day operations, and offer a spark of energy to power through the day. They can also give employees something new to look forward to, and expose them to other facets of the company they previously were unaware of. Take a look at some of these team-building activities you could easily implement in your company.
A Company Sponsored Off-Site Lunch
A department-wide, team-building lunch that is off work premises would be a fun way to get everyone together. You can host this at a nearby restaurant or, if the weather permits, have a cookout at the park. Sharing a meal outside of the office encourages the team to try and get to know each other, and presents the perfect opportunity to discuss common interests outside of the job or even learn about others’ backgrounds. You can also include fun games like a bean bag toss or horseshoes to promote some outdoor activity. Everyone loves a little bit of friendly competition, so this can be a casual way to bring everybody together for some quality bonding time.
Promote Job Shadowing Opportunities
Coming into work and performing the same tasks can become quite underwhelming, especially after some time with the same company. Providing job shadowing opportunities can be a great way for employees to escape their day-to-day duties and learn more about other facets of the company. Employees can have the chance to explore other career paths that may interest them, or develop new interests they previously did not have.
Job shadowing also allows employees to learn more about how the company as a whole operates. Many times, people become focused on what they are doing and forget that other operations are happening outside of their control. So, by providing these opportunities, employees will have the opportunity to see how their work ties into another department’s work, as well as how that work contributes to the greater good of the company.
Use Icebreakers During Team Meetings
Icebreakers are always an exciting way to get a meeting started. Depending on the activity, they can get people moving, or require some creative thinking which can then foster a quality discussion about pertinent work matters. One example for an ice breaker could be Two Truths and a Lie which is usually a crowd favorite, along with Employee Bingo where the spots on the board are based on characteristics of different people within the office. These are two activities that can help everyone get to know each other in a fun and engaging way.
This tactic can be particularly helpful when you are building a new team. After all, it is the ideal way to help employees get to know each other and begin the process of collaborating in the group setting. Your workers will look forward to the idea of a fun activity to kick off the meeting and will likely engage more often with the newfound spark of energy.
Volunteer Opportunities
Community service is another great way to bring employees together. Not only are you creating better work relationships, but you are also creating positive relationships within the community. Employees can come together to participate in food or toy drives within the office. They can also venture outside of the office and volunteer at a local soup kitchen, or become mentors to some of the youth in the area. These projects will bring the workers together for a good cause and foster quality friendships in and out of the office.