Creating a Collaborative Work Environment — Even in the Age of Work from Home
The COVID-19 global pandemic caused a massive shift to work from home (WFH) as the world suddenly faced travel restrictions, social distancing guidelines, and closures of all kinds. WFH has many benefits for employees, from scheduling to flexibility, and helping them achieve a better work-life balance. But one thing it makes more challenging is collaboration. In-person team brainstorming sessions, conferences and workshops, and informal gatherings at the water cooler have all been replaced with zoom meetings and conference calls. So, how can you ensure you are facilitating a collaborative work environment — even from afar?
Virtual Events to Foster Collaboration
Virtual events can serve as an excellent platform for team building activities. One popular option to bring your team together is with a virtual charitable event.
The pandemic has reminded many people of how important it is to give back to their community. In fact, studies show an overall increase in charitable donations since the start of the pandemic. Take advantage of the charitable feeling and host a virtual event for charity. There are many options to choose from for your charitable event, from game show-style games (winnings will go to a charity of choice), to assembling backpacks for kids, and even virtual charitable bike builds.
Nothing brings people together like giving. Employees will bond over the shared cause and efforts they are making to give back. This new bond and sense of community will enable employees to feel more connected through shared values with their co-workers and managers.
Virtual games are a very popular component of virtual team building events and just as fun and challenging as in-person games. Virtual games do wonders when it comes to creating a strong sense of team among your employees. There are many more corporate group events that you can host to bring your employees together, from professional development sessions, instructional programs, and even painting and cooking classes!
Using Team Building Activities to Break the Ice
Team building activities are an excellent way to facilitate bonding and communication between your staff members. Some of the virtual team building activities you can host include:
- Virtual Scavenger Hunts
- Virtual Book Club
- Trivia Games
- Team Fitness Challenge or Yoga Class
- Virtual Game Shows
Finding the right activities will help you increase employee engagement, while also helping your team members connect in a meaningful way. Researchers found that when employees were given the chance to chat and socialize with coworkers for just 15 minutes, they improved their job performance by 20 percent. Though more challenging with remote workers, it Is still possible to plan a fun, interactive event for your team. Contact Team Building Nation Today!
Are you ready to start encouraging more collaboration and stronger relationships between your team? Contact Team Building Nation Today. We are a leading provider of corporate team building activities. With more than 20 years of experience, we are responsible for creating and designing some of the most popular programs in the industry today. Our expertise and keen sense of group dynamics gives us the innate ability to connect and deliver engaging and impactful programs for your team during a team building or fun employee session.
