T is for Team Building

T is for Team Building

We’ve all participated in team building activities at some point or another — whether it was a puzzle you solved with your classmates as a kid, or an obstacle course you overcame, or perhaps like me, you bonded with college mates over the infamous ice-breaker, “Ninja.” Building great teams is all about building trust — and yes, team building activities have their place at work too. 

It’s all about bonding over a shared experience. Fundamentally, it gives team members an opportunity to get to know each other and “break the ice.” But team building activities can also remind folks that work isn’t just about them — it really is about how a team comes together to succeed as a collective. The good news is that team building activities can range from a quick ten minutes to all-day activities. All you have to do is decide what’s right for your team. 

Here are some of our favorite team building activities you could use to build stronger bonds on your team: 

1. Ready, Set, Go Board games are a great way to bring people together — and at Veery — we love keeping just a few games around the office for teams to enjoy together. Whether it’s a short game of Boggle or a longer game like Monopoly — there are many office-friendly games that can bring teams a little closer together. You could even bust out your phone, and play a game like Heads Up or Celebrity that don’t require a physical board at all.

2. Volunteer Together, Stay Together It feels great to give back! And one great way to bring your team together while making a positive impact on your local community is to volunteer. Find opportunities near you where your team can do a little good together. Whether it’s serving up some food at a local soup kitchen, picking up trash at the beach or planting a few trees — we know this — teams that volunteer together, stay together.

3. Book Club, anyone? Reading books relevant to your field (or just something fun) can be a great way to build common ground with your colleagues — and it’s sure to spark great conversation. Find some time to meet as a team and chat about what you’ve read, share ideas and inspiration with each other.

4. Food is the Way to Everyone’s Heart Ever hear the phrase that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach? Well, there’s some truth to it — and what better way to break bread than to cook together? Cooking classes are a great way to bring teams together because they quite literally require TEAMWORK. Plus you can enjoy the delicious fruits of your labor together! And everyone will walk away with a full tummy!

Beyond having a great times, activities like these (and more) will encourage your team to show great camaraderie, unity and trust amongst each other. Plus, it’s always great to offer up alternatives to happy hour for employees to come together.