by Jerry Mooney

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When we think of team building, the first gut reaction most of us will have is to sigh and roll our eyes. The methods of team building which have been used for decades simply aren’t that effective and if anything, they just cause us to be embarrassed. However, you can break away from this stigma this year and find new ways to bond as a team that everyone will enjoy rather than dread.

Ditch the corporate stuff

No one likes to sit in a circle and talk about themselves in front of a bunch of people. Our human nature just doesn’t make this a good idea and we simply won’t get the benefit out of it. Sticking to corporate team building is boring and you won’t reap the benefits that you would if you tried something new. If you want your team to bond beyond the workplace, you need to take them away from that environment for a while.

Have a sports day

If you want to inject some fun into your workplace and you have a large outdoor space on your premises, the perfect thing to plan is a company sports day. Bring back those childhood memories and have some fun as you set up egg and spoon races, obstacle course, shot-putting and the sack race. Let your employees know a week ahead of the event and pick the teams from a hat. This will force your workers to get to know other people and learn how to work as a team. You can provide a buffet or a barbecue if it’s a hot day and have a genuinely fun time with your team.

Think adventure

If you want to celebrate your team and spend some money on a residential trip, you can stay at an outdoor adventure park for a few days and have your workers complete different team activities like raft building, orienteering and pub quizzes. Bring your team to a new area and force them to learn about each other outside work. It will strengthen the bond you all have and will allow your team to try some fun new things.

Don’t overspend

A team building day doesn’t always need to cost the earth, and you can find some great activities to do closer to home for much less money. For example, if you want to have some fun in your local city you can book an Escape room for your employees to work on for an hour, and then book yourselves for dinner afterwards. An escape room is a unique experience and could be just what your team needs to pull it out of a creative rut.

Once it’s over… keep the energy flowing

One of the things that happen often with team building is that you will all share an amazing experience together and vow to change the way you carry out work in the office, and then as soon as you sit back at your desk it is like this day never happened. If you want to reap the benefits of a team building day, make sure you bring that happiness and positive energy back with you. Take a photograph of the day and have it hung on the wall to remind you of the time you spent together.