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Team building
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Team building
Amidst handling finances, operations and clientele, small businesses often consider team building a low priority. But the increased engagement and cooperation forged between colleagues could actually positively impact your bottom line.
These businesses also see 87% higher employee retentioni. Here’s how you can cultivate a stronger sense of belonging in your business, and retain the top talent:
Team sports are a proven way to foster camaraderie and team spirit. There’s nothing like some healthy competition to get your team going, and the occasional Sport’s Day can be a welcome change in the office.
If you’re unsure of how to organise such an event, consider initiatives like Sport Singapore’s TeamUP. TeamUp conducts corporate team development activities aimed at building trust and commitment within teams. This allows teams to connect with familiar, fast-paced games like Netball, or learn less common games like Tchoukball as a group.
You can also deviate from the usual games at one of Singapore’s many Laser Tag arenas, or kick it up several notches with Siloso Beach’s new gravity-defying thrills, set to open in March.
A throwback to puzzle video games, escape rooms bring these problem-solving thrillers to life. In an escape room, your team is trapped in a fixed location and must explore the room for clues to break free.
Not only is it a good chance to spend time with colleagues outside of work, escape rooms require logic, collaboration and strategy. This therefore gives you a new, interesting way to promote teamwork and facilitate better communication.
In Singapore, there are a host of highly engaging escape room options to choose from, ranging from zombie apocalypse-themed adventures to murder mysteries.
Like, speed dating, this activity lets each member have one-on-one time with each colleague. This is especially useful in bigger teams where not all employees are familiar with each other. Encourage your team to ask each other questions that are interesting and engaging. Human Resource expert Susan Heatherfield recommends the One Word Icebreaker, a game that facilitates spontaneous discussions and interaction.
At the end of a taxing day, dedicate some time for team relaxation and well-being activities like yoga or pilates. This option is cost-effective, can be done in the office, and can even improve your team’s focus and creativity.
Regardless of the activities you choose, the key to effective, even profitable team building is consistency. Local success foodpanda makes team bonding an integral part of its culture with regular activities like football and weekly “Beer O’Clock” unwinding sessions.
“To ensure we are gaining a solid ROI, we plan to implement more structure into how we organise these activities. Some activities are for fun, but others can play a bigger part in overall performance and identifying issues, obstacles, systems and skills that need to be developed”ii.
A vacation is the ultimate way to get to know your team better. You get to spend time with colleagues in a relaxing environment, away from the responsibilities of work. This gives you the unique opportunity to see them in a different light, forging stronger bonds.
For smaller businesses, an overseas trip might not be a financially viable option. Staycations—mini vacations where you don’t travel overseas—are a fun and cost-effective substitute. The overwhelming variety of hotels and resorts in Singapore make it a perfect place for a staycation.
To keep entertained, your team has a host of activities available, from a relaxing day at the spa to getting in shape at the fitness centre together. Hotels like M Social even have meeting rooms, should you wish to get a bit of brainstorming done during the break.
