Team Building is not dead. But with everyone doing more with less these days, it certainly is on life support. When every day is about meetings, hitting deadlines, and working 10-12 hours, the last thing managers and leaders across corporate America are thinking about is how to keep their teams energized and happy. But they should be.
The economy is ever so slowly picking up. As is the job market. Which means employees have more opportunities to test the "grass is greener in any other company but mine" theory. HR professionals across the the country are fretting about losing key talent. As a manager, I can tell you employee retention starts with yoU.
Team Building is a bit of a misnomer. It should really be called Team Keeping. Because without recognizing those that keep the team successful, you soon will watch them walk out the door.
In late May, I sensed my team of 10 was getting very stressed. Due to a reduction in force, we had four less people than we did in January but the work remained the same. People were frazzled and work was getting sloppy. Tempers were shorter and laughter was light.
We work together 50-60 hours per week. We see each other more than some of our family members and closest friends. It was time they knew how much I appreciated them and their contributions to our work "family." I realized I needed to do something fun to put some pop back in everyone's step.
So I declared June as "I HEART MY TEAM" Month. I laid out a calendar of events, realizing that it would cost me some money but convinced it was the right thing to do. I called everyone together and explained how grateful I was for all of their hard work. I then told them the plan. They were pleasantly surprised and excited. An instant buzz filled the room and smiles were on faces.
The month was a wild success. Morale has soared, focus is back, productivity is up, and the ties that bind the team together are stronger than ever.
Here are the 10 Things I learned during the month.
1. Give time off.
I started the month by "requiring" everyone take Friday, June 1st off. No work could be done and they were encouraged to have a fun weekend with no thoughts about deadlines or the accompanying stress. I also gave periodic half days off on Fridays throughout the month.
Allowing for unexpected time off and extra vacation time is usually an easy and cost effective way to reward your employees.
2. Have random casual clothing days.
Many companies allow casual Fridays, but it still never ceases to amaze me how excited people get when they can come to work in jeans. If your HR department allows it, and its warm, possibly even consider allowing shorts (just be sure to lay out what is and isn't appropriate).
Again, this one requires little cost.
3. Do a virtual Scavenger Hunt.
Believe it or not, this was one of the most fun things we did. I would encourage you to use the app called Scavenger Hunt with Friends Lite edition. The app has many pre-made lists of items for you to use, but you can also add your own creative items if desired. You can make it as long or short as you want and set your own time frame. People then take pictures of them completing the item/task and upload it to the site. They are automatically awarded the appropriate number of points and it keeps track of the leader board.
We had some crazy items (getting a picture with a policeman, someone eating a stick of butter, someone lying face down in a grocery aisle). EVERYONE on my team participated and took it very seriously. We had two people get all items during the week's contest.
This was also cool because it allowed people to reveal their fun and personal side, with some of the items asking about pets/kids/house/etc...
The only downside to this is that everyone needs a smart phone to participate.
NOTE: The news of this spread across our company and now many people use this app with their own friends and family for fun.
4. Have a Carry-In
Again, this sounds mundane but you can definitely make it fun and competitive. Be creative. We had a bake-off where everyone had to bake from scratch their favorite dessert (no Twinkies here). We then had a taste test and people voted. The winner received a prize.
Another variation could be a chili cook-off. Another team heard about this and recently did an "Appetizer" challenge. There are many ways to be creative with this - just be sure everyone gets involved and be aware of potential allergies!
5. Have an outing outside of work
It could be putt-putt, bowling, a concert, a baseball game, or many other options. We chose to have a cookout on the last Friday of the month.
Whatever you choose, make sure it is something everyone will enjoy. As a team, you should decide if spouses and children should be included. You will also need to determine budget and whether or not you are paying for everything or if it will be split among the team.
6. Have Individual "Surprise" Time!
Everyone loves good surprises. Find a way to do something nice and unexpected for every individual on your team. This may be taking them out to lunch or buying them a gift card just to appreciate their efforts. For this month, I gave everyone at least a $25 gift card to their favorite establishment, in addition to some surprise lunches. In the past, I have randomly surprised people with fun events like golf tournaments and concerts.
7. Do Group Charity Work
This is a particularly good idea because it helps everyone bond, makes an impact for others, and allows your team to feel good about helping those less fortunate. For my team, we decided to volunteer for a day at Habitat for Humanity. While it was a HOT day, it was very fun and enriching.
8. Involve your Team's Ideas
While it is up to you to initiate a team building focus, all the ideas don't need to come from you. Nor should they. They hear you barking orders enough during the day. Collaboration is key to effective team building. Be sure to ask your team for fun and helpful ideas and watch them become much more involved.
9. Virtual Team Members count
It is very important that you include all your team members, as much as possible, in your team building events. For my team, we have several in other states. While they unfortunately couldn't participate in Habitat for Humanity or the cookout, I was sure to include them in everything else.
During our group lunches, we skyped them in and I picked up the bill for their food. The Scavenger Hunt was easy because they all had smart phones. For surprise time, I mailed them each handwritten notes with gift cards and then followed up with a phone call. We even had them mail in their baked goods so they could participate in the bake off.
While it may take some imagination, there are ways to include all of your team members in these types of events.
10. Keep it Going!
While the month was a huge success, and I'm already seeing major changes in attitude and performance, I realized something very important. I messed up. I should have started something like this a long time ago.
It doesn't have to be every month, or even every quarter, but it does need to occur. People need to hear thank you and they need to have fun.
Our batteries are not like that iconic Bunny's - they don't necessarily keep going and going and going. Take the time out of your hectic schedules to recognize all the hard work and to enjoy yourselves as the team that you are. The re-charging will follow.
10.5 Final Thoughts
The month cost approximately $500 from my own pocket. Was there ROI? Every time I see my team smile a little broader and work a little harder this month, I realize the answer is unequivocally yes.
