We get it. The phrase “corporate team building” doesn’t exactly elicit fuzzy feelings in most people. But we think that corporate team building really gets a bad rap. Because truth be told, your team could probably really benefit from some really quality corporate team building, when it’s done right.
Think about it: while corporate team building activities might seem like a drag, what’s really a drag is being part of a team that doesn’t feel like a team. Your team might be silently suffering, and incredible team building activities could be the perfect solution.
Why is it that team building activities can be the ultimate cure-all? When done right, these activities can re-energize teams, and help your people connect with one another. Team building activities can be great for employee retention and happiness, and just overall, are a great time.
These activities are even better for hybrid and remote teams, who probably need virtual team building activities most of all.
So how exactly can you tell if your organization can benefit from proper corporate team building? Here are signs and signals to look out for, which demonstrate that your team really needs corporate team building activities.
Your hybrid or remote team is feeling distanced
After many many months (dare we say years) of WFH and scattered squads, your team members might really be feeling the distance. Your people were used to seeing familiar faces in-person every day, and now, most days are spent with pajama pant bottoms and Zoom calls.
And don’t forget your newer team members, who likely have never met each other in person (maybe that’s you and you know exactly what we’re talking about).
We know for a fact that working from home is doing serious harm to our work relationships, with studies showing that we’re struggling with things like communication, passive knowledge sharing, and staying connected as a team.
If the distance is starting to get to your people, corporate team building can help build connections, and give your team that face-time they’re truly craving.
You’re getting a lot of cameras off and low-energy feedback
Collective team energy matters. If your team is leaving their cameras off during meetings, reluctantly only showing their faces when prompted, and really dragging their feet, corporate team building might be the solution.
If this is your team, it makes sense. Seriously, working from your home has real challenges. When your bed is that close to your “office”, there are bound to be problems.
Giving top-down instructions to “don’t worry, be happy” likely isn’t going to help a ton. Requiring everyone to keep their cameras on isn’t going to make everyone feel better deep down, ya know?
Instead, try an awesome corporate team building activity. It’ll be tough for your team to stay low-energy when everyone is belting out their favorite song during virtual karaoke, for example.
Your employee retention isn’t great
While employees can leave for a myriad of reasons, culture matters when it comes to employee retention. For example, one survey found that 47% of people on the hunt for a new role blamed company culture as the main reason for wanting to leave their current job.
And while there are plenty of good employees, it turns out that truly great employees are difficult to come by. That means that if you have amazing team members who are the perfect fit, you want to make sure your company is a place with great culture, which makes them want to stick around.
Excellent corporate team building can be huge for boosting company culture. Activities like our virtual DIY cocktail class are basically guaranteed to be an awesome experience for everyone, and give your company the exciting culture boost it deserves (and that your team will love).
Your team is under pressure
Sometimes, we need to hustle in the workplace. Whether it’s an exhausting sprint for a big project, “busy season,” or the workday is simply packed, if your people are feeling pressured and stressed, corporate team building activities might be the best way for them to unwind.
This is especially the case when it comes to health and wellness activities, such as our remote wellness retreat, where everyone can get their zen on with practices that help them relax and decompress. All from the comfort of their homes.
Honestly, who couldn’t use a little more self-centering in their day?
You want to boost psychological safety in the workplace
If there’s anything that’s crucial in the office, it’s psychological safety. Psychological safety is the feeling that you won’t be punished for making mistakes, voicing concerns, or asking questions. It’s super important because it helps spur innovation, creates stronger group dynamics, and strengthens relationships.
But that’s not all: teams with psychological safety are also the highest-performing teams (according to data from Google). When people feel like they can make mistakes, they’re much more likely to take chances, speak their mind, and are more likely to make better decisions as a whole.
Psychological safety is a big thing to tackle in the workplace, because while it’s incredible to have, it doesn’t just happen overnight. In order to really create a work environment where employees feel psychological safety, leaders need to take steps to make it so. Normalizing feedback, opening up the floor for discussions, and keeping “accountability not blame” in mind are all ways you can start.
But another great way to boost psychological safety at work? Put some awesome corporate team building activities on the schedule. When your people bond, unwind, and get to know each other on deeper levels, they’re bound to start feeling more psychological safety.
It’s been a while since you all did something fun together
Team happy hour after work might be a thing of the past in the WFH era, but team bonding doesn’t need to be (and really shouldn’t be either). If it’s been a while since your people all did something fun together, then putting a proper corporate team building activity on the schedule should definitely be high on your to-do list.
While work is obviously your top priority, the calendar shouldn’t only be filled with calls, meetings, and time blocking. Getting something genuinely fun on the schedule gives everyone something to look forward to. Think about how much more enjoyable the workday is when you have virtual standup comedy on the agenda.
Bring on the Corporate Team Building! Let Kabloom Handle Everything
Interested in organizing an awesome corporate team building activity for your team? We’re Kabloom?, virtual party planning experts who specialize in virtual events for hybrid and remote teams. Contact us today to find out how we can plan the perfect corporate team building event for your people.
