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Your team is the greatest asset that your business has. Without a diverse, motivated and driven team, the overall productivity of your company is likely to be seriously affected.
That’s why it is so important to ascertain that you have the right team behind you at all times to ensure your business is successful. One of the best ways to be sure that you are utilising your team members to their full advantage is to use team building events to fully harness the power of your workforce.
After all, if your employees aren’t motivated, then chances are they aren’t working to their full potential.
Motivation and productivity go hand in hand, and as the team leader, it is your job to make sure that goals are being met, targets are being achieved, and new ideas are constantly being generated.
If your personnel are in need of a boost to their levels of motivation, consider the use of team building events.
Put in the time and effort now and you will be sure to see the rewards further down the line when your team is easily hitting targets and achieving a lot more. When team members are motivated, they are likely to be more receptive to creativity and the generation of new ideas, as well as working together more effectively.
The real power of a team is in the way that people with very different personalities come together to create an efficient, multi-faceted team. Each member of your team is able to bring a different set of skills to the table, and when diverse skill-sets work well together, it means that the team is going to be all the better and stronger for it.
Need some inspiration for your team building events?
Here at Team Challenge Company, we offer a wide range of team building events, days and activities to help teams and businesses meet their full potential. We provide both indoor and outdoor team building activities, encompassing everything from interactive treasure hunts to traditional team games.
This means that you have complete control over your choice of activity, and the flexibility to choose events that suit your business’ individual requirements.
"If your personnel are in need of a boost to their levels of motivation, consider the use of team building events.
Put in the time and effort now and you will be sure to see the rewards further down the line when your team is easily hitting targets and achieving a lot more. "
For more information about our team building events, activities, and the range of services that we offer, please get in touch with us today on 03300 040903.
While we are all working from home during these uncertain times and have been forced to connect with our colleagues virtually, it's still possible to take advantage of the benefits that team building provides. Even though we cannot chat with the person sitting next to us right now, there are still many ways in which we can replicate that social interaction through well-designed virtual activities.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we have compiled a list of some of our favourite easy team building activities for remote employees that do not involve hours of preparation. We hope that these remote team building ideas can inspire you and your team to seek out and try new ways of remaining connected.
This first fun team building activity for remote employees involves your team doing nothing more than taking a picture of their workstation and sending it to a nominated event manager. One picture per day is then uploaded and shared by this event manager, with the team guessing whose desk they think they are looking at. Not only does this make for a fun distraction in the day but it also provides a little insight into the life of colleagues and coworkers, developing the trust and interpersonal relationships which teams rely on to work effectively.
It feels as though everyone has been taking part in a virtual quiz during this time, either with family or friends. Making time for a quiz with workmates is a fun way of energising the team, possibly making for the perfect Friday afternoon remote team building game before signing off for the weekend. Here at Team Challenge Company, The Big Quiz Live makes up one of our team building activities and has proved highly successful for both physically collaborative teams and remote ones.
This requires no prior preparation other than making a coffee or preparing lunch before turning the camera on. In the normal office setting, it would be common for colleagues to have lunch together or sit and chat on a coffee break during the day. Just because we are working from home, it does not mean that this socialising has to stop, so why not invite the team to a virtual break where you can have relaxed conversations and maintain a positive working atmosphere.
Just as virtual quizzes have become popular so, too, have fitness sessions (Joe Wicks, anyone?). These activties can be tailored to suit individual preferences or abilities and can even be turned into something of a competition with colleagues – the push-up challenge. With the camera positioned so that the remote team-building exercise is in full view, nominate someone to referee and set the time to two minutes as everyone else sees who can complete the most amount of push-ups in the allotted time. Pride is on the line and it will also help to ensure your team are getting some exercise away from their desk.
If you are a user of social media, then you have likely already used (or at least heard of) the popular app Words With Friends. The game is essentially Scrabble, allowing you to play with another person online. Colleagues can set up their games and, if there is enough interest, create a tournament amongst the team. As there is no time limit between moves, with users able to pick the game up from where they left off, there is no concern of this team building game getting in the way of more pressing matters and affecting productivity.
Many companies are utilising programmes such as Microsoft Teams and Slack as a means of working together, whereby ideas and collaboration can happen with dedicated project channels. Creating a channel that is dedicated to non-work-related topics, a social channel, encourages colleagues to engage in the water cooler conversation that they are no longer able to do so in person.
Sitting alone at a desk for eight hours a day is not fun or healthy. Give your team a reason to get up out of their seat for five minutes every day with a virtual dance party. Nominate a person every day to choose a song (ideally something with a good beat) that the rest of the team can dance to and show off their moves via video chat.
Within your team, are there those that fancy themselves as the resident stand-up comedian? Or perhaps they have been practising some intricate magic tricks? If so, arrange a virtual open mic session, encouraging anyone brave enough to step up and take the stage with their act. It does not matter whether it is comedy, singing, magic or anything else, as long as it's engaging. This type of occasion creates team unity by exposing the personal interests of individuals within the team, encouraging communication and developing trust.
Who has not played Simon Says at some point in their life? The rules are simple, nominate one person to be Simon and they give out instructions to the rest of the team. If that instruction begins with ‘Simon says’, the rest of the team must carry that out on camera. Should instruction be given without first saying ‘Simon says’, anyone who does that task is out of the game. This continues until one person remains. Simple, casual and relaxed - perfect as a pick-me-up game that gets everyone laughing.
If you are not familiar with the concept of shows such as Through the Keyhole or MTV: Cribs, the object is simple. A person gives a showcase of their home (not revealing who they are) and the team must work out whose home they are looking at. There will no doubt be various clues that participants must try to piece together – smaller teams may want to limit the number of guesses to keep this team building game competitive.
Ask everyone to send in their baby photos (not everyone may wish to do so) and challenge the team to guess who is pictured. This could be a game in itself or make up a round of a larger online quiz.
This team-building idea for remote workers could serve as a fantastic ice breaker for new starters, asking them to draw up their bucket list and share it with the team. By doing this, the team can learn about their colleague and what makes them tick, as well as providing various topics for conversation when it may otherwise be awkward without any information to work with.
If your team is a fan of watching movies and would often spend their breaks discussing new releases, why not nominate a movie on any of the popular streaming services available to watch one evening and dedicate 10/15 minutes to discussing it the day after.
This is another of Team Challenge Company’s offerings and one that we believe will make for a fun activity for the team to get involved in. Escape the Mob is an app-based escape room-style game where teams work together to solve puzzles and complete challenges in an attempt to get away from the mob and to safety. Demanding effective teamwork and clear communication, Escape the Mob is engaging, educational and fun, the perfect balance for any remote team building activity.
Virtual karaoke has the potential to be equally as disastrous as it can be successful. Not everyone is going to have the voice of an angel, and that is half the fun. This will make for a good time, especially if you can arrange for this to happen on an evening when no one has to get up for work the next morning.
Based on the popular BBC game show of the same name, Would I Lie to You challenges players to work out whether a statement is true or a lie. The game can be played in several formats, but a common one is asking players to make three statements, two of which are true and the other being a lie. Can the rest of the team guess which is the lie?
Lastly, simply downing tools for the last hour of the working week will be a welcome way of heading into the weekend. Set up a video conference with all the team and have a laugh and a joke with your colleagues because, after all, we must remain connected and human, even when working remotely.
At Team Challenge Company, we have a broad collection of online team building games for remote employees, all of which offer exceptional learning and development opportunities as well as engaging the team taking part. We believe that the most effective teams are those who feel connected, a trait which only becomes more important when team members aren't able to see or speak to each other as regularly.
For more information on how Team Challenge Company can help your team stay motivated and productive, please don't hesitate to get in contact with us today.
As much as 60% of the British workforce is now working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing organisations to reevaluate their entire business model and practices. While some may be used to remote work, for many more, this will have been their first time of working from home. There's no doubt that the change will have come easier to some and have been more difficult for others..
Team leaders faced with managing a team via a computer screen are now presented with the task of maintaining a positive working environment despite these teething problems and difficulties. A key part of this is learning how to build a strong culture with a remote team, ensuring that everyone is on the same page even when in different postcodes. The main concern that managers have is making sure productivity remains as high as it would do in the office setting, with the possibility for members of staff to take their foot off the gas without their supervisor watching over their shoulder.
Team leaders faced with managing a team via a computer screen are now presented with the task of maintaining a positive working environment despite these teething problems and difficulties. A key part of this is learning how to build a strong culture with a remote team, ensuring that everyone is on the same page even when in different postcodes. The main concern that managers have is making sure productivity remains as high as it would do in the office setting, with the possibility for members of staff to take their foot off the gas without their supervisor watching over their shoulder.
Whether working remotely or in the office, setting clear expectations of what is expected of the team is a must. This is especially true in present circumstances, where your business is likely to be working remotely through necessity. In this case, team leaders must instil a culture within the team where everyone is expected to communicate as much as possible with their colleagues – this can be done through various communication platforms that may have already been in place.
When the team knows what is expected from them, both in terms of productivity and communication, this goes some way to instilling a positive culture within your remote team. Without this, it can be all too easy for demotivated staff members to weigh down the team and the company.
Trust is the most important aspect for any team, especially those working remotely. Without trust, there is no team. Managers must be able to trust that their staff are working and not taking advantage of their remote workplace. Setting up a system where staff can make a note of what they have spent their time on and/or log completed tasks with as minimal admin time as possible helps to build that trust without the need for constantly checking in.
No one wants to be micromanaged. Not only is micromanagement completely counterproductive, but it simply does not make for building a healthy culture within your remote team. If and when employees feel as though they are not trusted by management, this is often the catalyst for a member of staff to seek other employment opportunities, especially if they feel that distrust will hamper their career development within the company.
We have already touched upon the importance of communication within this post, but as well as having somewhere that members of staff can ask work-related questions and share ideas, nothing beats talking face to face. Working remotely means that you cannot have the off-the-cuff discussions and meetings which you could do in the office; this is why setting a time once or twice a day where everyone checks in should be a priority when it comes to building a positive culture with your remote team.
For some, especially those that live alone, a video conference might be the only face-to-face interaction they have in a day. That can serve as a real motivation boost, as well as further helping from a team-building point of view, with members of staff better able to bond and feel connected with their colleagues, even if the actual call itself lasts for just a few minutes.
This presents a good means of discussing any action points that are perhaps better communicated verbally as opposed to in a written format. Even if there is nothing specific to discuss, allowing time to catch up helps to build and maintain team spirit, unity and connection.
As the world of business evolves so, too, has Team Challenge Company with our team working to offer specialised remote team building events. We have developed innovative programmes that champion teamwork, communication and connectivity, all perfectly placed to assist as you begin building a culture with your remote teams.
For more information on our range of team building events and how we can help your business, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us today via our contact page or call us on 03300 04 09 03.
Employee wellbeing is fast becoming an increasingly relevant topic in the modern working environment. As greater importance is placed on wellness, greater pressure is placed on employers in turn. Today’s employers are required to consider the mental health and wellbeing of their employees, making reasonable adjustments as necessary in order to support their team.
One way in which employers are choosing to boost the wellbeing of their employees is through team building. UK-based Team Challenge Company has a wide range of team building products and services that are well-suited to this purpose, and we are dedicated to helping businesses place a greater focus on the importance of wellness and wellbeing in the workplace.
Ultimately, every employer wants – and needs – a productive team. Motivated, diligent individuals are key to the success of the team as a whole, working together efficiently in order to reach business goals and targets. Additionally, employees who are happy, healthy, and satisfied in their working lives are more likely to bring a greater array of benefits to the organisation in its entirety.
Business growth and development are key, and these goals are core to long-term success and continued progression of the company. In short, employees are the driving force behind the success of a business; employees really do have the power to make or break a business!
Business team building provides a valuable way for organisations to achieve these goals, encouraging important skills whilst letting employees know that their employer values their wellbeing. Wellness cannot be taught – it needs space to grow and thrive, and team building provides the perfect platform to facilitate this.
In a positive, efficient workplace, wellbeing and team building go hand in hand. Here at Team Challenge Company, our own team building products are designed with core learning outcomes in mind. This enables us to provide events focusing on specific skills, promoting wellbeing and curating a positive, mutually beneficial working environment.
While there are many benefits to utilising team building as a method of boosting employee wellbeing, it’s also important to select events or activities that match the specific skills and learning outcomes you have in mind for your team.
Meditainment offers the perfect blend of relaxation and refocusing productivity, helping to boost mental health and wellbeing while encouraging employees to de-stress. In today’s fast-paced world, it can be all too easy to overlook the importance of wellness and even just taking time out of your busy schedule to focus on participating in meditation offers a brilliant opportunity to recharge and refocus employees’ energy on the tasks at hand.
Alternatively, Bridging the Divide is a versatile, adaptable team building activity that can provide a whole host of benefits to employees. Focusing on communication and unity within the team, this event also places emphasis on wellness by promoting the development of core skills and effective, valuable workplace relationships.
A third option is our Toy Factory team building event. This activity focuses on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) while providing participants with a valuable outlet to channel their creativity and imagination.
Collaboration and unity are also key to the success of this event, promoting strong community ties while also giving employees an opportunity to try something different, develop core transferable skills, and have fun while doing so!
Of course, these are just a few of the many different team building products that we can offer you and your team. We have an extensive variety of team bonding events available, all with different learning outcomes to benefit both your employees and the business as a whole.
The importance of wellbeing is clear to see, and it’s essential to effectively promote wellness in the workplace. Team Challenge Company organise and run business team building events in Scotland and across the UK, giving employers the opportunity to cater to employees’ needs while encouraging positivity and wellbeing.
Simply browse our full range of team building activities online today, or get in touch with our professional team for more information about how Team Challenge Company can benefit you and your employees.
As a business, it is only natural that you want to invest your resources in the development of your members of staff. After all, their success is your success and as they grow, so too does your business and its results.
Unfortunately, many businesses, big and small, neglect putting employee development ideas into practice which ultimately results in losing talented members of staff. Not only does this cost the company money as you search for a replacement, but there is a good chance that it is your competitors that will be the beneficiaries of this staff member's departure. Putting it simply, if you are not willing to invest in your employees’ growth and development, someone else will, which is why it is so important for the future of the business.
Your members of staff want to be the very best that they can be, both professionally and personally. As a team leader or manager, you have a key role to play in their development and, as such, should be willing to offer training where applicable. Although not every member of the team will be open to such opportunities, there will always be those who are keen to take up the offer of training where offered.
However, before you go around offering places on training courses funded by the company, you need to know that those places are not going to waste. That means ensuring that the courses you are paying for will benefit those going on them and, with that, the business. So, how do you go about picking which employee needs what kind of training?
The easiest way of doing this is, quite simply, to ask what training your employees feel they could benefit from. Are there any areas they feel they could develop? This conversation can take place as part of an employee appraisal. Alternatively, if employees are not forthcoming with training ideas, conduct a performance review and assess any areas where your team, not just the individual members of staff, are lacking and seek the relevant training. As a team leader, it is essential that your team, as a whole, has the relevant skills to achieve their common goal.
For your members of staff to develop and achieve as high a level of productivity as possible, the company’s culture must be a healthy one. When employees feel that they are working in a toxic atmosphere, their motivation drops, productivity dwindles and the only thing developing will be their eagerness to move on. High staff turnover is a warning sign of something being very wrong and this must be rectified as soon as possible.
Finding the root cause may not be easy as there can be numerous reasons behind any toxicity that your members of staff feel in the workplace. It could be down to a single member of staff, a disconnect with management or even feeling as though their workload and targets are unachievable. If this is the case in your business then you must act fast before it is too late. Identify the leaders within your team (this may not necessarily be those of whom have leadership positions) and talk to them.
Conduct an internal investigation and hold discussions with your members of staff. By working towards a better atmosphere and showing the company’s culture to be a positive one, staff a much more likely to want to remain and continue their professional development with the company.
Team building days, for many employees, are regarded as more of an inconvenience than an opportunity to learn and develop new skills. Here at Team Challenge Company, we believe that is because how their company has gone about setting up team building events could be better. Rather holding an event for the sake of ticking a box, look at the range of employee development ideas that can be utilised as a part of a team-building day.
Our team host events up and down the country, working with businesses who want to get the most out of their teams by encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zones and use skills they rarely exercise. By getting outside of the normal work environment, we find that any pre-existing barriers are broken down and, as the event continues (this could range anywhere from a few minutes to an entire day), employees learn not only what their colleagues are capable of, but themselves, too.
Businesses are lucky to have members of staff that are creative and specialise in coming up with solutions that make normal day-to-day work processes easier. In these instances, you should encourage these employees to hold workshops with their colleagues to not only share their ideas but also as a method of building their confidence.
When a member of the team has an idea and has put it into practice with good results, that idea needs to be shared, as it could change the way the business works for the better. Such a contribution should be recognised and, by doing so, develops confidence and a willingness to collaborate with the team.
Additionally, when a member of staff presents their ideas to the team, this is a good chance for them to take on feedback which they can go away with and improve on. Taking ownership and responsibility provides a fantastic opportunity to grow which, ultimately, can lead to that employee displaying that they are ready to take on other roles within the business.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we work with numerous businesses to help the growth and development of their employees. For more information on how incorporating our team building events into your employee development ideas can work to push your business to the next level, please get in touch with us by calling 03300 04 09 03 to send us a message via the contact page. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Educators always relay the message that there is a lesson to be had in everything and that you can never stop learning. That is true for everyone and, arguably, even more so for the educators, whether they be schoolteachers, coaches, or anyone else, who have a duty to be able to communicate with their audience.
No matter how good you are today, you can always be better tomorrow. Educators work with learners, striving to not only realise their potential but to exceed it. To be able to push the students in their class, they must push themselves to be the very best that they can be. Here, we will look at several staff development ideas for educators that focus on developing key areas such as communication, leadership and more.
Ask anyone involved in education and they will soon tell you just how invaluable experience is to better yourself, both professionally and personally. If you are a new educator who is just starting, you will no doubt have already spent plenty of time shadowing the sessions of highly experienced educators, noting their delivery and how they deal with certain aspects that arise in a lesson – such as questions, discipline and how they tailor their approach to the audience.
Whether you are teaching a class of young children or for higher education, you will soon learn that no two classes are the same. Your audience is different, either in terms of ability or values. This means that you need to find a way to connect and deliver in a manner that resonates with them and is easily understandable.
Attending workshops organised by your place of employment or elsewhere can do wonders for identifying key areas where development is needed. These can be peer-led sessions with a member of the group bringing forward a practice that they use and presenting it to the group. The exchanging of ideas is healthy for one’s development, helping to open your eyes to a different way of doing things. By refusing to sample the approach of others, this leaves little room for you to develop and evolve, which will ultimately hurt you in the long run.
Be prepared to share your own ideas and allow for your peers to offer constructive feedback that you can take on board to develop.
To succeed as an educator, you need to be able to think outside of the box. After all, if you are delivering a session to a group of individuals, all of whom have their different learning style, you need to be inventive with how you cover all bases. That means you cannot rely solely on a whiteboard, because kinaesthetic learners will suffer as a consequence, and neither can your lessons be purely practical as this will not help those that fall under the reading/writing category.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we offer a range of creative and collaborative events that can tap into your creative side, as well as working to develop your ability to work as part of a team, communicate and, where necessary, lead. Not all staff development programmes in higher education must be rigidly based on education, with various skills and qualities being transferable into the classroom.
Be willing to connect with other educators, both in and outside of your field. You can do so by networking at events and conferences, as well as online through any of the many social media platforms available. By doing this, you can discuss any session plans that you have, seek the counsel of your peers and ask for feedback.
Forming connections with other educators, no matter what stage of their career they are at, is fantastic for your professional development. Additionally, the connections that you form can stay with you, meaning that you can run by any new ideas that you may have with trusted colleagues before putting them into practice. Make sure, however, that you are prepared to give back to the community with your own feedback and advice where applicable, otherwise you will soon learn that a one-way relationship does not last very long at all.
Lastly, do not wait for your employer to book you onto a training course if you genuinely feel as though this is something that you could benefit from. If you have identified an area where you feel that you have room for development, then take it upon yourself to seek out the relevant training. Once you have done so, present the idea to your employer, outlining how this will benefit both you and them.
As well as offering a wide range of fantastic team building events, Team Challenge Company also can produce tailored events to suit your specific requirements. For more information on how we can work with you, please get in contact with us today.
As the leader of a team, your number one responsibility is to ensure that targets are being met and it is up to you how you go about doing that. Long-term productivity rests on your ability to develop your employees, bringing the best out of them to the benefit of the company.
The question is, though, how much time should you spend with each of your members of staff? Where is the middle ground between micromanaging and coming across as though you are disinterested? It’s a difficult balancing act that can easily take up more of your time than attending to paperwork that lands on your desk (or emails in your inbox, as is more likely in today’s digital world).
According to a study, it is claimed that team leaders should be willing to dedicate six hours of their working week to each of their members of staff. That may sound like a lot, depending on how big a team you are responsible for, but it doesn’t have to be as intensive as it may come across at first.
Interactions do not necessarily mean sitting across the desk from your member of staff analysing their every move for a solid six-hour period. That is too much and, if anything, is simply not being productive. There are better ways of utilising your time.
Making yourself available to your employees is a big step, which is why an open-door policy is always a plus for team harmony, as well as for maintaining a connection between you and your team. Having a conversation or chairing a meeting or brainstorming session (and therefore engaging multiple employees at once) all help to increase that interaction time.
It is one thing interacting with an employee, but it is another thing to make that time count.
When you consider how many members of the team there are and how you are going to go about spreading your time across them evenly, it is important to make every second count.
Every interaction you have with a member of staff should be with a view to making them a better worker in some way. Whether it is working together to solve a problem, discussing their responsibilities or simply offering a little bit of advice; it all work towards developing the person from both a personal and professional perspective.
Of course, there does also need to be a structured plan in place. Interaction with your team is good, but you cannot rely on conversations alone. Each member of the team requires their own unique staff development plan as, just like snowflakes, no two employees are the same. Everyone has their own motivations that get them out of the bed in the morning, so it is important to gauge what that is for each of the members within your team and work out how you can integrate that into your staff development strategy.
As the leader of a team, you have to be aware as to how each piece of the puzzle fits and, more importantly, know which pieces simply do not fit. Could it be that you have a member of staff that would be more effective elsewhere? Perhaps, as per your pre-outlined job roles and responsibilities, your team is missing a key skill on paper when you already possess someone that has the qualities that you are looking for.
For any team to perform to the very best of their ability, each member of staff must be able to realise their full potential. One means of unearthing a hidden gem is by enrolling on a team-building event that takes your staff outside of the usual workplace, which helps to break away any pre-existing barriers between colleagues and departments.
Staff are encouraged to step outside of their comfort zone and take on roles within a team that they might not necessarily adopt in the workplace. Not only does this help to showcase hidden skills, but also to develop key areas that can be transferred into the workplace, helping to improve both the individual’s and the team’s overall productivity.
So, how do you manage your time across all your members of staff, whilst still saving enough time to allow you to complete your own duties? While an open-door policy is always championed, there is not anything wrong with blocking out periods of an hour or two where you can focus on important tasks. Learning how to manage your time effectively is a lesson that all leaders must learn.
For more information on how Team Challenge Company can assist in your efforts to develop your members of staff, please do not hesitate to get in touch by calling us on 03300 04 09 03.
The goal of every owner or managing director of a business, large or small, is to develop an effective team that will guide and drive the company to the next level. That is often easier said than done, with even the best teams requiring lots of time invested in developing both the collective unit and the individuals themselves. However, there are a number of ways to develop employees which can help you on your way.
The best teams, regardless of whether they operate in business, sport or any other field, form habits that equal success. Every cog in the machine knows their place and role in the grand scheme of things, knowing what the next steps are in any eventuality. With nothing left to chance and teams operating on almost second nature, the most effective teams have a structure in place and do not leave anything to chance.
When you ask the question of "how do you develop your team?", the first port of call is to develop an established leadership within that team. That doesn’t mean simply bestowing a job title on an employee that sets them apart from the rest in terms of recognised seniority, however, because a true leader is someone that stands up to be counted, regardless of job title A leader is someone that other members of the team can look towards for help and inspiration during the good times as well as in more testing experiences.
Good leaders are not just simply found but are developed over time. While many employees possess natural leadership qualities, that potential has to be harnessed and given the opportunity to grow. It is up to business owners and management teams to recognise the budding leaders within their walls and grant them the level of responsibility they need to put those qualities into practice. When an employee takes ownership over a project, department or even their own team, a true leader will become even more driven and focused to succeed, setting an example to their colleagues.
As well as recognising the leaders of tomorrow, the best teams also see the potential in all employees. While not everyone is a leader (and that is okay), everyone does possess unique qualities and skill sets that they can bring to the team. Some may be effective communicators, others may thrive under pressure and you may have those team members that can lend a hand in pretty much every department of the team.
When it comes to knowing how to develop your staff, the first thing to realise is that no two people are the same. Offering tailored development programmes offers a higher chance of success in helping that member of staff to realise their potential. Employees that are unable to progress and cannot see a clear pathway within the company are a risk; they may become feel less of an essential part of the team and, in turn, exert less effort into the team when they so easily could have been a shining light given the right training and development. Eventually, if the correct action is not taken, the two parties could separate one way or another with that employee potentially leaving to ply their trade at a competitor who is willing to invest time and money into their professional development.
Building a positive relationship not just between the members of the team, but also between yourself as a leader and your staff, is another key aspect of how to develop effective teams. Positive relationships breed good communication within the company, making for a well-oiled machine where each member of the team has their colleague’s back.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we offer a wide range of team building events that focus on developing relationships between staff members. We recognise that some people require a little extra push when it comes to building relationships. Corporate events and ice breakers help to breakdown any pre-existing barriers that may exist in a fun and relaxed environment away from the traditional workplace. This can then be transferred into the office, making for an effective professional relationship that benefits the business.
Effective teams do not allow poor morale levels to affect their productivity. There are several reasons why individual employees may be suffering from poor morale, which include both professional and personal reasons. As a team leader, it is important to identify when individual members of the team are suffering from poor morale not just to improve their productivity levels, but before it begins to affect the rest of the team. It doesn’t take long for poor morale and/or a negative attitude to spread.
At the first sign, take the employee in question aside and speak to them on an informal basis. Don’t give them a warning straight away before you know what any underlying issue is. Speak to them not as a manager talking to an employee, but on a human level. Managing your team runs deeper than simply demanding they put in 100% effort every day, but it is also having their best interests at heart and showing that you and, with that, the company, cares for their emotional wellbeing, too.
Teamwork is arguably the most important aspect of any team. A team has the potential to be more as a collective unit than the sum of their individual parts. Without this, the team falls apart and that is when issues arise. This is why any effective team needs a system in place so that even new starters know exactly who they can turn to in any eventuality.
Developing staff competencies through regular training and team building days helps to form an understanding of your company’s processes. This also has the potential to highlight where improvements can be made to your processes when seen in action.
Setting ground rules in your department sets a precedent for how each member of the team should hold themselves as they, even when in the office, are representing the company. All employees should recognise their responsibility to upholding the business’ values and, without any ground rules in place as to how employees should act around their colleagues and their superiors, this is when standards can and often do slip.
It is the business owner and team leader’s collective responsibilities to enforce these ground rules; while the best teams feature numerous leaders (not just in job title), having set rules and guidelines in place from the top down will ensure that everyone maintains a certain standard.
Finally, in order to know where your key areas of development are, you need to know exactly where your team are at in terms of their personal progression and development. This can only be done by monitoring and reviewing how the team works and its output. When you have a better understanding of the team dynamic, you can begin to look at how to develop staff within the workplace. This way, you can track the progress of your team and the individuals in it, offering something tangible that you can refer to when it comes to any future staff appraisals and/or pay reviews.
Team Challenge Company, we work to deliver bespoke events to aid the learning and development of your team. For more information on our range of events and how our team can help yours, please get in contact with us today by calling 03300 04 09 03 or send us a message via the contact page.
As the dregs of winter finally begin to clear away and spring starts to arrive, things seem to be looking up. However, summer is still a long way off, and as we reach the middle point where we are in neither one season nor the next, levels of motivation can start to wane.
This results in decreased productivity and can lead to issues with keeping your team focused and working to their full capacity.
Corporate activity days are the perfect way to help your team overcome the mid-season slump. Allow them to feel refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to tackle both daily goals and future targets with renewed vigour.
After all, at the end of the day, a fully motivated team is the driving force behind a successful business, so it is essential to ensure that your team is always on top form.
Each individual is able to bring a different set of skills and knowledge to the table, which is why a team consisting of diverse personalities is likely to accomplish more than a group of people with similar personality traits.
Likewise, a team that works well together is always going to be a success.
The key to effectively managing a team and ensuring that each individual’s unique characteristics are used to their full advantage is simple – it just comes down to understanding and communication.
If your team members are communicating well and recognising their own individuality, it means that they are then able to assign tasks according to personal strengths and weaknesses far more effectively. For example, if a member of your team is struggling with a particular task, they should feel comfortable enough to ask their colleagues for help.
When a team works together, they are also able to bounce ideas off one another - which can assist in generating new ideas and adopting efficient ways of working and completing tasks. This not only promotes creativity but also contributes to fostering a greater spirit of unity within the team. Each individual should be able to feel completely comfortable with their place in the group, and if your employees aren’t happy, the results will clearly reflect this.
Choose corporate activity days to overcome this issue and ensure that your team is happy, motivated, productive, and most importantly, working together. We have a wide range of corporate activity days for you to choose from; featuring activities as varied as high-tech interactive treasure hunts to traditional Highland games. With such a vast array of events to pick from, it is easy to select an experience that suits the requirements of your team.
"A team that works well together is always going to be a success.
The key to effectively managing a team and ensuring that each individual’s unique characteristics are used to their full advantage is simple – it just comes down to understanding and communication."
Get in touch for more information about the corporate activity days that we can offer you and your team.
Each member of your team is an individual with different goals and different personalities, so accordingly, there are many varying sources of motivation for the workplace. Corporate team events can be suited to fit the individual business needs and there are a lot of activities aimed at assisting every member of the team with their skills in communication, project planning and problem-solving.
Here are some activities that are bound to motivate everyone!
Do You Have a “Need 4 Speed”?
For those who are poor at time management, “Need 4 Speed” will help to improve this. A group of people will need to work together to build various different cars before time runs out. Each car also has its own specific features and bolt-on extras; a small mistake can result in being sent straight to the bottom of the leaderboard.
Build Relationships, “Trade Winds”
Work in teams to accumulate treasure - this is perfect for those who struggle with working as a team. Build relationships with the traders in order to gather vital market information. This competitive game works to improve customer service, help those who struggle in networking and also improves skills in risk management.
Get “In the Picture”
Everyone in the office wants to feel valued and included. For those who might be feeling a little left out, “In the Picture” will soon change their mind. Each attendee will have their photo taken at the beginning of the conference and throughout, plus there will be a logo or company message displayed using all the employee images.
This will make those who may feel excluded feel more comfortable and will also present a united, strong vision of the business.
These are only some of the activities that Team Challenge Company offer for corporate team events - there are some designed to be done inside and out, meaning that they can be done all year round. Available across the UK, team building can improve any workplace.
Contact us for more information on booking the perfect team building experience for you.
