Team-building activities are often seen as something “extra” you can do as fun for your team. While this is true, they offer far more value than just that. Team-building activities improve your team’s communication and performance, making you more successful as a team overall.
No pressure!
Sometimes the workplace just isn’t conducive to team-building. Between deadlines, clients, and projects, it can be difficult to identify areas that need improvement. Team-building activities provide a non-stressful environment to focus on things like miscommunication, tension, and distrust. Team-building activities “are designed to teach problem-solving, build trust, foster communication, and encourage sharing of ideas. They challenge employees to think strategically, and they give everyone a chance to learn each other’s unique communication styles and thought processes. Employees learn to negotiate, set clear goals, and explore multiple approaches to solving a problem. And, everyone has the opportunity to contribute to a common goal in their own way. ” Source: merkleresponse.com
Shared experiences
When you do a team-building activity with your team, you get to establish relationships outside of work. It’s easier to work with someone when you’ve spent some time together accomplishing something non-business related. Additionally, team-building activities force teammates to work together, regardless of how well they get along.