Why Team Building Is Important for Businesses

Team building can look like a number of activities in the workplace. Perhaps a lively debate in the conference room, after-work drinks in the local pub, or an all-expenses paid weekend away with your colleagues (much to your delight – or horror!).

The importance of team building for businesses shouldn’t be underestimated. A team that knows the strengths and weaknesses of its members, as well as how to delegate effectively and come together as one, will be able to work more productively and successfully. Not only that, team building can help generate a more enjoyable place to work.

In this blog, we’re going into detail on why team building is so important for businesses, with some suggestions along the way of how you can achieve greater camaraderie in your workplace.

What’s the purpose of team building?

1. Improving trust among the team
2. Healthy atmosphere to let off steam
3. Better collaboration & communication skills
4. Uncovering personality traits & potential
5. Boosted workplace energy & morale
6. Fostering creativity & leadership
7. A positive workplace culture

1. Improving trust among the team

The more time you spend with someone, the more likely you are to trust them. Trust in the workplace has been proven to be a key indicator of productivity, with trusting employees up to 260% more motivated than those who don’t trust their peers, management or organisations.

Not only is a trusting workplace better for business, but it also fosters ethical decision-making, happier working relationships and the confidence to nurture new ideas and discussions. When an individual feels heard and respected by their team, they’re more likely to speak up – so what might feel like a silly team bonding game could actually pave the way for your next innovation.

2. Healthy atmosphere to let off steam

One of the main benefits of team building events or activities is having the opportunity to let off some steam without any lingering consequences. In high-pressure environments or situations, tempers can spill over, and feelings of stress, tension or bitterness build up internally and between colleagues.

Whatever your most recent bust-up with a colleague was, we can confidently say – if your job doesn’t include responsibility for people’s lives, homes or health, it probably wasn’t that important, was it? In today’s digital workplace, where screen time and digital burnout can significantly impact employee wellbeing, providing an environment for a team to return to neutral ground and engage in face-to-face interactions is more important than ever. That’s why providing an environment for a team to return to a neutral ground is a great idea.

Whether that’s through a unique fancy dress party or a competitive sports day, letting off steam through team building is an important part of managing emotions in the workplace.

3. Better collaboration & communication skills

Team building in the workplace, be it in the form of a tug of war or a group pitching project, can only serve to develop the individual abilities of each member. From being able to listen to each other more acutely, feeling more empowered speaking in front of groups or suggesting novel ideas, to mastering the art of compromise and delegation, the positive effects on collaboration and communication from team building ripple through almost every workplace.

Successful teams are able to rely on each other’s skill sets to get jobs done more efficiently, without being afraid to explore new, creative avenues, knowing that support will follow close behind, even if these ventures aren’t always successful.

4. Uncovering personality traits & potential

It’s easy to get stuck on autopilot when jobs become relatively straightforward. Sometimes it takes an event such as a training session, conference or seminar that takes your team out of their comfort zone and away from individual work responsibilities to uncover an underlying interest, natural skill or potential career direction.

These types of informative team building activities can reveal a lot about you and your work colleagues. You might have two people who sit next to each other each day, but you’ll only discover that their skill sets make them a highly complementary pair if you initiate these collaborative work and leisure activities. On the other hand, team building can help you spot who is likely to bulldoze a project, or who needs more encouragement to come out of their shell.

5. Boosted workplace energy & morale

You don’t want your office or workspace to become restricted to ‘that Friday feeling’ which only generates a sense of happiness when leaving it! Instead, give your colleagues something to look forward to within their working week, and without always needing to have an agenda other than to spend some time socialising away from the confines of work-related discussions.

It could be as small as informal mid-week drinks after work, or a complete bells and whistles EOFY party to give your colleagues something to talk about for months before… and months after.

6. Fostering creativity & leadership

If you’re looking for a team building activity that gets your peers out of their daily grind, pick something that no one has much experience with. When you’re placed in an unfamiliar situation, you turn to what you do know, and subsequently feel more connected to. In this case – your colleagues are forced to rely on each other in ways they may not have needed to before.

A task, game or event that sees your colleagues use their imagination or engage skills totally unrelated to their job roles can spark creativity and adaptive approaches to problem-solving. Not only this, but you’ll be able to identify natural leadership qualities by taking note of who steps up to guide the team, provide encouragement or offer group suggestions.

7. A positive workplace culture

Team building in business is all about working together to achieve greater results as one solidified group – rather than a team of talented, but isolated, individuals. When positive outcomes are achieved thanks to a team effort, colleagues will feel a greater part of their company, and therefore take more pride in the work they do.

Gentle, healthy workplace competition introduced through icebreaker games or group projects can spur individual effort and therefore drive overall progress. But most importantly, creating a positive workplace culture that focuses on celebrating achievements (as well as providing opportunities to create them, however small or silly), will result in more loyal, hardworking staff members.

The benefits of team building in the workplace

We’ve covered why team building is important from a social, economic and cultural workplace perspective. To recap, team building:

• Improves trust and communication
• Creates a healthy and enjoyable work atmosphere
• Fosters creativity, leadership and other valuable skills
• Showcases hidden personalities and potential

If you’re looking for a fun way to discover the importance of team building for yourself, why not host a corporate party for your team? The level of formality you retain is up to you, but in our beautiful event space, you can guarantee the stage will be set for your employees to get to know each other better, in a relaxed but professional atmosphere.

Our team of highly experienced planners know just what it takes to host a memorable event, whether you want to give your colleagues a chance to let their hair down or learn something valuable about the benefits of team building during a seminar or workshop.

And don’t worry if you’re new to the world of team building for businesses, we’ll talk you through some ideas and failsafe options. Just get in touch and tell us about the plans or purpose of your team building activities, however developed. We’ll turn them into great memories, as you help turn colleagues to companions.