With the recent trend of layoffs, organizations transitioning to hybrid or remote work, and the great resignation in full swing, now more than ever, companies need to find ways to engage and retain their workforce. These shifts in the market create unique challenges for people managers and pose challenges to keeping top talent critical to the future of work and innovation. That’s why investing in creating a highly engaged workforce that shares common philosophies and practices is a step in the right direction. 

“By 2024, companies with collaborative work settings will have 30% less turnover, higher productivity, and higher revenue.” International Data Corporation (IDC)

Leaders must approach engagement as a business strategy to yield the results required to overcome the transitional workforce challenges we are currently facing. One of the best (and easiest) ways to do this is with team-building activities. 

What is a Team-building Activity?

Team building activities give participants a low-stakes (and, ideally, fun) setting to connect and discover each other's working preferences, strengths, shortcomings, thought processes, and problem-solving approaches, all of which are the building blocks of a high-functioning team. 

• Team-building activities are an excellent way to connect with people in various settings. 

• Leaders can use them to get to know a team and build rapport between colleagues. 

• Activities can bring energy into a room, meeting, or virtual workshop. 

• Leaders can identify their team's goals, motivations, and strengths before aligning on project roles and responsibilities. 

A high-functioning team will foster productivity and promote an enjoyable work environment. It's the difference between people doing the bare minimum and going the extra mile. According to a Gallup study, organizations with high employee engagement have a 21% larger profit margin than disengaged teams.

7 Reasons to Try Team-building Activities

#1. Socializing and Building Relationships 

• Teamwork starts on a personal level, where each team member learns about the strengths and weaknesses of their coworkers.

• Team-building activities help employees interact and develop relationships safely.

• As a result, team-building activities boost team performance as employees learn to work together effectively and build trust. 

#2. Fostering Innovation

• In a business environment that's constantly evolving and changing, you need a team that can move with the times and adapt to change quickly. 

• Team building activities help employees think creatively and develop new ideas. 

• As a result, people learn to speak up and present their ideas confidently, encouraging idea-sharing and problem-solving.   

#3. Creating Team Spirit & Motivation

• Team building activities help employees develop a stronger sense of team spirit, which improves their motivation and willingness to help one another. 

• Team-building activities help build camaraderie among peers and help them feel more comfortable working together.

• As a result, teams are more productive and work together cohesively to achieve common goals and get the job done. 

#4. Improving Employee Engagement 

• Employee engagement and motivation are vital to employee satisfaction and retention. 

• Team building activities encourage collaboration and create a sense of teamwork to help boost employee engagement and increase employee morale. 

• As a result, employees who feel more engaged and motivated can better support their organization's goals and objectives and help contribute to business success.

#5. Developing Cross-functional Collaboration

• Team building activities encourage collaboration between different team members and help break down barriers between departments. 

• As employees get to know each other better, they form stronger bonds and create an environment where they foster a sense of trust and respect.

•  As a result, they break down silos and promote cross-team collaboration that benefits the entire team and helps the organization operate more efficiently and effectively.

#6. Building Communication Skills

• Team building activities help employees develop communication skills by allowing people to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their peers in a non-judgemental fashion. 

• Team building activities allow employees to practice their communication skills and overcome communication barriers, such as speaking in front of groups or meeting new people. 

• As a result, they improve employees' ability to communicate on the fly or when put on the spot. 

#7. Enhancing Company Culture

• The goal is to develop and maintain a strong corporate culture that provides a positive working environment for its employees and helps the business succeed and grow. 

• Team building activities help strengthen employee bonds and instill a sense of loyalty and commitment to the company.

• Employees who feel connected to their company are more likely to stay motivated and engaged and contribute to organizational success.

3 Favourite Team-building Activities 

At designACE, we love team-building activities and have curated three workshop-style games that can be performed on their own or as a warm-up before a meeting. 

Check out our ready-to-use instant digital download team-building activities, including the following:

✔️ Activity outline.

✔️ Activity Template in PDF. Slide & Digita whiteboard.

✔️ Retrospective Activity. 

✔️ Sample scripts and cues to add to your talk track

✔️ Agendas.

✔️ Step-by-step facilitation instructions.

✔️ Pro facilitation tips and tricks.

✔️ Provoking thought starter and discussion questions.

✔️ Learning goals.

MVP Trading Cards

This fun activity has participants create a Most Valuable Person Trading Card, including bio, favourite quote, skills and stats highlight and more. With personal trading cards, quickly get to know each other's strengths, work styles, and interests.

Download MVP Trading Cards Team-building Activity 

Fast Forward

We are not clairvoyant; however, we know that your future self will thank you for trying this goal-oriented snapshot of your team's potential. The Fast Forward activity is a powerful tool to help break the ice, assess team skills, and align on challenges we may face.

Download Fast Forward Team-building Activity

My User Manual 

Everyone has their preferences. Some people are morning people and like to chat on the phone. Others are night owls who want to text. Take the time to get to know your teammates and how to effectively work with them by sharing user manuals, which include communication preferences and more.

Download My User Manual Team-building Activity

Connect with DesignACE directly for a custom-curated team-building activity. We would love to help your team build meaningful connections.