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As summer winds down and teams return from their breaks, businesses are prioritising team building to boost workplace morale and kickstart a productive year-end.
Team building experiences are more than just time away from the desk. They can actively nurture bonds and boost workplace morale.
Research consistently shows that feeling valued as an integral member of a cohesive team often drives enhanced productivity. This applies whether teams are working on specific projects or aiming for broader departmental goals. Furthermore, effective communication and strong work relationships not only amplify job satisfaction but also fortify an individual's commitment to their role and the broader company vision.
Indeed, a workplace teeming with enthusiastic, engaged, and content employees exudes a palpable positivity. This contagious atmosphere encourages unwavering dedication and paves the way for success. Therefore, investing in team building clearly yields immense returns.
At Team Challenge Company, we understand the art and science behind team building. We believe in learning by doing. Our experiential activities are tailored to let your employees test their skills in real time. These activities are fun, ignite a bit of friendly rivalry, and provide a platform to understand the team's dynamics better.
The outcome? An improvement in teamwork, communication, and a deeper understanding of each member's strengths and weaknesses. Integrating this newfound understanding into daily routines not only reduces potential conflicts but also paves the way for a streamlined and efficient work environment. Ultimately, this ensures a team that remains not just active but also engaged and driven at work.
We believe in the power of well-designed and outcome-led team building experiences. Ours have been crafted to empower teams through a mixture of fun, insight and inspiration. If you're keen to experience a transformative team building day, get in touch with our friendly team to discuss the outcomes you want to focus on. Call us on 03300 04 09 03.
Employees play a crucial role in any business. Keeping them happy, motivated, and engaged takes effort.
Here we discuss how Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs can be used to motivate staff in the workplace.
According to Maslow's 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation", there are five key areas that need to be satisfied for an individual to feel happy and content
While you might not do everything on Maslow's pyramid, you can create a place where workers can find these things for themselves.
Many of our clients come to us with a sense of what they would like to improve. Whether it’s a morale boosting day out or something to inspire more creative thinking, we have a huge range of experiences designed to help enhance your team. You might even just want to add some spark to your event. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re here to help.
Call our friendly team today on 03300 04 09 03 to book your next team building session or corporate fun day.
Every team is unique because each member brings something different to the table. As a team leader, understanding these differences is the key to unlocking your team's full potential.
Imagine a toolbox that helps you delve into the unique characteristics of every team member. Psychometric Profiling offers insights into personality traits and can be used to help you form a cohesive and productive team.
At Team Challenge Company, behind the scenes, our trained facilitators include experts in Tuckman’s model of team building, Belbin team roles, and many more team development theories. Wherever you are in your cycle of growth, we are here to support your team development. Find out more about our outcome focused team building experiences or contact us today.
As one of the UK’s leading team building companies, we have a lot of expertise in working with companies, big and small, to organise their perfect team building experience.
Our clients want the 'perfect event' for their teams, but there is no one-size-fits-all. Here are the ways we approach organising team building experiences:
You need to understand your audience. In this case, the audience is your peers and colleagues. As well as understanding where your team’s professional strengths and weaknesses lie and also their personalities and the different types of characters that you have.
The key is to ensure that your corporate team building event is adaptable in a way that the entire audience can interact and leave feeling as though they have taken something positive away.
This is a tricky one that employers can dwell over because, although you don’t want to lose out on valuable working hours, the chances of a full turnout outside office hours are slim.
Setting aside a morning or afternoon, even an entire day, can have long-term benefits for your business. Monday mornings tend to be regarded as the worst time of the week because the weekend is in the past and a full working week lies ahead. However, if the goal of your team building exercise is to re-energise your team, a late-morning/early-afternoon event could be the way to go.
While Mondays are often greeted with disdain, Fridays receive a much warmer welcome as they signal the beginning of the weekend. Staff members have an extra spring in their step as they look forward to their weekend plans – and it’s no secret that Friday afternoons may not be the most productive period of the week. Might this be the perfect time for a fun team event?
Every event should be organised with an outcome in mind, so what is yours? Would you like your employees to collaborate? If so, then an experience where participants must work together to reach a final goal.
Improving collaboration across a team is probably the number one way we can help to improve a team’s performance.
Do you want to spot the future leaders in your teams? At Team Challenge Company we have experiences to identify and bring out leadership qualities that revolve around either creative and collaborative practices or competitive challenges. These tried and tested techniques delve deep into team dynamics and how individuals respond to them. We have also developed a core set of highly effective interactive business games. Our interactive games mimic real-world scenarios but with a bit of fun thrown in for good measure.
If you want to take away from their usual work environment for a fun and social day, then a light and engaging experience will help them which will help energise them and get teams interacting in new ways.
At Team Challenge Company we start with your outcome. Whether it’s a morale boosting day out or something to inspire more creative thinking, we have a huge range of experiences designed to help enhance your team. You might even just want to add some spark to your event. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re here to help you organise the perfect corporate team building experience, get in touch with our team.
At its best, competition in the workplace fosters teamwork, boosts productivity, and transforms your employees into committed team players. Yet, it can also potentially become a source of distress and hostility if not managed properly.
Read on for two strategies for integrating competition into the workplace:
Characterised by head-to-head rivalry between individuals for rewards such as promotions. While it indeed can stimulate productivity, it might undermine staff morale and motivation. After all, losing in a two-person race or missing out on the top job role can trigger negative feelings, potentially reducing productivity.
However, when the rewards of direct competition are recognition or praise, it tends to have less negative impact on those who don't win. It fosters a sense of accomplishment in winners and nudges non-winners to strive harder for the next challenge.
Cooperative competition requires teamwork, fostering strong communication and encouraging each member to contribute towards shared goals. The result? Often, more robust results and an enhanced sense of camaraderie. There's a bonus, too - our brain releases feel-good chemicals when we work as a team, fostering bonding and motivation.
However, cooperative competition does come with its potential pitfalls. For instance, it can lead to exclusive cliques and feelings of isolation among individuals, diminishing overall team spirit.
To navigate this, it is advisable to form balanced teams that take into account diverse skill sets and experiences, ensuring fair play. This strategy allows every member to feel equally valued and represented, promoting a more inclusive team culture.
A well-executed competitive culture in the workplace can mould staff who are keen on pushing boundaries, trusting their instincts, and tackling problems effectively. However, if handled poorly, it can turn into a morale killer and stress-inducer. Weighing up the pros and cons is crucial.
To harness the power of competition in your workplace, consider integrating team building experiences or even organising a corporate team building day with Team Challenge Company. Operating across the UK, we're eager to help you plan the event that could take your team to the next level.
For further information, give us a call on 03300 04 09 03. Experience how a well-designed team building experience can transform competition into a powerful tool in your workplace.
Our team building experiences, focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR), accomplish exactly that! We have designed them to promote team relationships while giving your staff the chance to do some good and give back to charitable organizations of their choice.
Currently, you can book two CSR experiences that involve giving back to the community/charity. Both experiences can be organized anywhere in the UK.
Nurture creativity and compassion in your teams with Toy Factory.
Teams receive wooden parts, blueprints, and craft high-quality children's toys. Once the toys have passed quality checks, it’s time to get creative! Teams will get to craft toys in your organisation’s colours.
And the best bit; all toys and extra materials from your Toy Factory team building session are donated to a school or children’s charity of your choice!
Combine the excitement of a city treasure hunt with support for meaningful causes.
Go Team, Go Give offers a thrilling scavenger hunt with GPS-triggered challenges. Complete tasks and support B1G1 projects impacting lives worldwide.
We work with you and your staff to choose the B1G1 project that your organisation want to support. We develop the treasure hunt based on the types of learning outcomes and challenges you’d like your staff to achieve.
Our CSR-focused experiences provide an opportunity to give back while actively creating stronger bonds among your staff.
Get in touch with our friendly team today at 03300 04 09 03. Let's make a difference together!
Despite the constant reminders, it's easy to forget that workplace body language is just as important as verbal communication. Our subconscious actions and expressions often portray an image of ourselves. At Team Challenge Company, we believe that team development and improving body language are crucial for team success. Therefore, we've compiled a list of the best methods for improving body language, benefiting both the team and your business.
For more information on any of our team building experiences, please contact us and we'll be happy to help you get your team get on the right track.
When it comes to successfully building and developing teams within a business, there are key areas team leaders should focus on. These areas include identifying the core skill sets required for each job role and understanding the various positions that need to be filled within the team.
According to research conducted by Dr Belbin, the so-called 'father of team role theory' there are nine roles that contribute to the success of a team. However, in the modern office environment, many employees encompass multiple roles, while some roles may not be necessary at all.
At Team Challenge Company, we understand the importance of team building and integrated development for the smooth running and success of teams, departments, and businesses. It is not only crucial for enhancing employee satisfaction but also for achieving higher levels of team performance.
While most office environments are no longer rigid and formal, there is still value in having structure, clarity in job roles, and a consistent working routine.
Before you can effectively identify the strengths and weaknesses within your team, it is essential to know the roles that exist within your team. If your team consists of too many individuals with leadership tendencies and not enough team-oriented workers, it can compromise the overall effectiveness of the team.
Roles commonly found in teams:
Building a successful team is crucial for the growth and success of your business. By understanding the roles within your team and focusing on team development, you can create a cohesive and high-performing team that drives your business forward.
For more information on our range of team building experiences, please contact our event managers. We operate throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Give us a call at 03300 04 09 03.
In today's increasingly digital business landscape, the transformative power of outdoor team building activities is often overlooked. But at Team Challenge Company, we fully understand the potential of nature in boosting creativity, enhancing productivity, and, crucially, strengthening team dynamics. Here's our guide to harnessing the energy of outdoor team building experiences.
Creating Your Outdoor Meeting Space for Team Building
According to author Richard Louv, being deprived of the great outdoors for the best part of your working life is known as Nature Deficit Disorder.
Escaping the traditional confines of indoor meetings can have a refreshing impact on your employees. Consider constructing an outdoor meeting space - a gazebo or a sheltered picnic area. This shift of scenery can ignite creativity, promote 'outside-the-box' thinking, and infuse a breath of fresh air into your everyday business operations.
If you are looking to improve the health and well-being of your employees, as well as the level and quality of work produced, then there are a number of easy steps you can take to ensure this; include outdoor team building events along with outdoor office space.
Engaging in Outdoor Team Building Events with Team Challenge Company
There's something uniquely bonding about participating in outdoor team building events. At Team Challenge Company, we offer a variety of engaging activities tailored to your specific business needs. These activities not only motivate your team but also offer a welcome respite from the office grind.
The GPS Interactive Treasure Hunt will really challenge your staff to work together in a fun environment and the S1 Soapbox Derby encourages creativity and collaboration amongst departments.
Adapting to Weather Changes: Indoor Team Building Options
While weather may not always be cooperative in the UK, that shouldn't sever your connection with nature. Consider bringing the outdoors inside by integrating greenery and flowers into your office space. Assigning plant care responsibilities to staff members can offer another team bonding opportunity and maintain the link with nature, even on the rainiest days.
Are you prepared to tackle nature deficit disorder and foster a work environment that benefits both your team and the environment? Visit our website for additional resources and ideas on outdoor team building activities. Incorporating outdoor elements into your office life not only improves your employees' health and wellbeing but also significantly enhances the quality of work produced. Let's reconnect with nature and charge your team with the vitality of outdoor team building activities.
Think you've got what it takes to tackle nature deficit disorder and create a working space that nurtures your staff? For more resources, please visit our website for outdoor team building events and ideas.
"Communication is the key"...
How many times have you heard that phrase used? In business, relationships, marketing - just about every aspect of our lives depends on communication, and this life slogan applies to all of them.
Cheesy though it may seem, communication really is the key. This is especially the case in the workplace when personal and external pressures, unplanned hiccups and a whole host of other things can lead to a sometimes-tense environment and unnecessarily short tempers.
Whether your office suffers from one or two personal grudges, or team-wide conflict, you need to nip it in the bud. This is something businesses spend a lot of time working on during our corporate team building events, and we have seen first-hand the difference calm communication can make to teams in even the most high-pressure roles and industries.
Check out just a couple of our tips for keeping calm and communicating at work.
Internal Communication
If you don't understand where you're coming from, with a clear objective and clear direction, how do you expect your peers to understand?
Make sure you know yourself at work; your strengths, your weaknesses, your professional narrative (where did you start, where are you now, where are you going and how?). Also, make a conscious effort to keep your conversations and requests brief, concise and clear.
Everyone at work knows time is precious, and as long as you appreciate that, you shouldn't have any issues communicating and collaborating with your team.
Bonus: you won't get yourself all muddled up either!
In-Team Communication
Your team are those you will work closest with. You will often find that you spend more time with your team at work than you do with your friends and family at home. They are who you need to depend on in the workplace, and similarly, they also depend on you.
It isn't just about getting the job done. It is about driving individuals, teams, companies and industries forward. But you can't do that if you are always bickering or crossing wires.
So how do you communicate with your team? Be patient and listen. Once you have taken in what others have said, ensure you understand (maybe a brief verbal recap - or a follow-up bullet-pointed email if you've had a meeting) and if you don't understand, ask questions.
By admitting that you didn't quite get it the first time and putting pride aside for the sake of progress, you will find your team experiences less in the way of clashes, tempers and hot-headed moments. That can only be good for your work colleagues and the business overall.
Inter-Department Communication
Be realistic before you get frustrated with other teams and individuals following a cross-department request. No matter how big or small the company you're at is, no one will know what every person on every team does.
Explain your role, ask about theirs, try and come to an understanding of how each of you (and your departments) complements each other - and try to pre-empt any potential obstacles. This level of mutual respect and understanding will make work life and inter-departmental communication a breeze.
For bonus points, work towards cementing personal relationships across departments. Keeping each other in the loop on the job is one thing, but organising a team event and inviting other teams will boost the sense of camaraderie office-wide.
One last tip for all office communication. Bury hatchets, by all means, but don't bury the problems that caused them. Unresolved conflict can fester and intensify if left unchecked. It is always better to address an issue and work out a way to deal with it once and for all.
You don't have to make it a sombre affair. Enjoying a fun but constructive day out (or in!) with your team can work wonders to air out and clear up any misunderstandings, bringing the team closer together in the long term.
Work life is so much more enjoyable when you work as part of a team that is respectful of each other and working towards a common goal. If your team needs a nudge in the right direction, please give us a call here at Team Challenge Company.
