After spending 40 hours a week with the same people, your first thought might not be to spend even more time with them. But after 14 years in the business of connecting people, our recommendation at cityHUNT is: do exactly this!
This is because members of happy and effective teams share three traits: familiarity, communication, and trust. Unfortunately, offices can’t always inspire these traits to develop: varying assignments and remote working can make it difficult to establish teams that work to the best of their ability.
Enter the team outing. Often thought of as a break for employees, these outings can actually hold the key to creating better teams! Here’s how team outings can strengthen and deepen team bonds:
1) Reimagine your environment.
In order for new topics of conversation and a fun atmosphere, the office environment has to give way to a new, less familiar location. Consider hosting your next outing in the park, a nearby city, or even a completely new location like an ice skating rink!
This way there will be plenty to talk about outside of work, and teams will get to know each other in a very different context.
2) Include a “challenge” to get everyone to participate.
By coming up with a goal for the event and weaving an entertaining challenge around it, people will feel compelled to join in the fun and make the most of your event.
At cityHUNT, we use the concepts of positive psychology to create clues and tasks that require the whole team to solve them. From unlocking a cryptex to dancing with street performers, the best challenges are the ones that lead to lots of strategizing, laughs and memories.
3) Don’t forget the keepsake!
At the end of the day, make sure that participants have something to remember the day by. cityHUNT loves to give out prizes for our top participants, but there are many ways to do this. A photo booth, team T-shirts, or a cheer that everyone comes up with during the outing are great souvenirs to end a great day.
With the right combination of imagination, intrigue, and memorability, your event can take your team to the next level. For more tips on building bonds and having a great time, check out all articles on our blog!
