Why invest in team bonding? Are there any tangible benefits? Is it really important for my employees? They sit next to each other at work – can they just bond during work hours?
Team bonding encourages teamwork and collaboration in a light hearted setting. This allows employees to view each other in a new light. Bonding leads to genuine personal connections. These connections open the door for new ideas, problem solving and a genuine “we are on the same team” mentality in the office.
A benefit of team bonding events includes better communication and the ability to work cohesively together. Getting to know someone and becoming friends is a great way to improve productivity in the office. Developing a comfort zone and building friendships allows for open idea sharing and better morale in the office.
The more comfortable employees are with each other, the more open the discussions will be between them. These open discussions may lead to innovative and creative ideas since employees are more comfortable to share some of their “off the wall” ideas.
Competition has been shown to increase production. Having work teams compete for the bragging rights of a workplace competition may lead to a bond that is impossible by other means. An example is to have teams fundraise for a good cause and reward the winning team.
Team bonding can boost performance and improve teamwork. After working together on a team building activity, employees understand each other’s personality traits more clearly. Strengths, weaknesses, interests and quirky traits are more understood and accepted by the whole team. This may help with teamwork on future projects.
At integraSoft, we have team building opportunities including participation in the local Heart Walk, summer cookouts at the office over lunch hour, bowling holiday party (complete with prizes including best dressed), softball team, fantasy sports leagues, birthday treats and year end meals (as we work long hours to ensure our customers are all set for their year-end procedures). All of these events allow us to get a glimpse of the personalities and traits of our coworkers. It has helped to develop camaraderie among the employees and a cohesive work unit in many areas of our company.