“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” This mantra surely applies to any business, corporate or production venture. No two team members can be at loggerheads with one another, and make valuable contributions at the same time. Animosity between teammates accomplishes nothing, and simply disrupts the workflow. Common vision and thought is essential for a team to collaborate effectively. Of course, conflicting opinions is inevitable on several levels, considering that people come from diverse backgrounds. However, it is far from impossible for a heterogeneous workforce to be unable to strike a common chord. All it takes is a little opportunity for bonding to give birth to a new and beautiful friendship. For an organization striving to achieve its goal, these bonds must be strengthened. Members learn to compromise, develop their own skills, and utilize each other’s abilities to their maximum potential. Companies around the globe resort to team bonding activities to motivate and encourage team members, thus instilling in each one of them a strong sense of commitment. This will ensure that the productivity of the team doesn’t flag down. Below you will find a few activities of this sort.
Team Bonding Games
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Music always brings people together. Whether it’s the Fifth Symphony by Beethoven or a new hot track by Shakira. Put two temperamental workmates in a room with their favourite music, and they will automatically cool down. Of course, music doesn’t create magic, but if two people share a common passion for a particular music style, they are bound to get along. Organize a social gathering and blast the stereo. Let the party begin. Before you know it, teammates will be grooving and swinging their hips as if they’ve been friends forever! It has the fantastic attribute of binding together people from diverse backgrounds.
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Competitions not only boost self-confidence but open the windows of opportunities for intense social interaction amongst team members. At the end of every month, leaders could host singing and art competitions or a few game events, which encourage everybody to enjoy one another’s companionship. Prizes are great incentives, and lure people into participating even if they weren’t too keen in the beginning. Workshops that test creativity foster an intriguing spirit of enthusiasm between employees. Incidentally, competitions help diminish stress levels, and motivate the workforces to explore their talents.
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Arbitrary leadership and team bonding games can be hosted where employees are divided into various teams, and asked to engage in certain group activities. The activity can be as simple as “Dog and the bone” or “Dumb Charades” as long as participants have fun, get to know their colleagues, and develop a liking towards the company.
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How about team members experimenting with new cooking techniques? They could all gather and break up into separate teams, and finally treat themselves to the delicacies. A chef can be hired to guide them with expert culinary skills. This can be quite helpful as fatigued employees can always take back their share, and savour it for dinner. At the end of the day, it’s an enriching experience that instigates them to interact with the rest.
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A team can have a wonderful time outdoors. Outdoor tournaments can be organized on weekends. Mini-football, basketball or cricket tournament or any other team sports can be held in any outdoor spot. This concept does wonders to the essential notion of team bonding. Arguments and conflicts will arise, but will be sorted once the spirit of the game overcomes them. Sports are fun, and if you’re good, you are bound to be admired by your mates!
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'Truth or Lies' is one of the most popular games which ultimately trigger loads of laughter as well. Here, every team member writes two true facts and a lie on a piece of paper. The sheet is then handed over to the team lead who reads out these facts. The team members have to try, and guess the person once the facts are read out. It’s fun! Scavenger hunts are frequently used as a team bonding activity. Here, teams are formed, and a list of clues is given to each. The team which completes the given tasks within the time frame win.