Strong teams build strong associations. For an association to thrive and work in an organized and productive way, its staff need to be aligned, inspired, and share a common passion for what they do day in and day out.
There are several methods to create a solid working bond between staff. One of these methods is ‘team building exercises.’ This might be silly, awkward and annoying at first, but when time passes and the teams start to get to know each other and create a connection, it will soon be their favourite activity to do. And most importantly, it’ll bring them closer together.
What are Team Building Exercises?
Team building exercises help teams to develop and improve the overall workflow in the association. The team can work together on different tasks, allowing them to boost their work. Also, these activities can be an excellent icebreaker for new staff, having the opportunity to know other teammates, their work process and new skills and problem-solving techniques.
The Importance of Team Building
At first, they might be considered pointless or a frivolous time-suck for some staff because they are not used to this dynamic or type of exercise. But these exercises are carefully designed to stimulate teamwork, and they may have short-term pain for some but will ultimately produce long-term gain for the association, as it’ll build stronger, happier, and more productive teams.
Types of Team Building Exercises
Here’s an example of some common team building exercises that have produced stronger and more cohesive teams within an association.
Problem Solving Exercises
Currently Escape Room challenges are all the rage. Having staff work together in a crisis (i.e. locked room!) to collectively come up with a positive solution is key (excuse the pun!). Exercises like this show staff the importance of working together in a timely manner and how it can produce an ideal outcome.
Creativity
Associations often are tasked with developing creative ideas for members for upcoming events or digital marketing. A great way to keep ideas fresh is with team building. One exercise you could do with your team is Pictionary. Divide your team into smaller groups and give them something random to draw. The team with the most guesses wins. The more you engage in creative thinking, the better they will find an innovative solution to the association’s challenges.
Communication
Communication is key to optimal performance for any team. Most of the team building exercises involve communications and encourage the association staff to create professional relationships with other people including members, the Board and other key audiences. This not only helps to enhance their interpersonal skills but also helps to take them out of their comfort zones. A scavenger hunt is a great way to create communication between the team. Provide them with tasks or objects they need to find and the first team to finish the hunt wins.
Motivation and Trust
Motivation is vital for a great work environment. When you create an atmosphere of positivity, your association staff will perform better and have fun doing it. When you do team building exercises, be sure to focus on exercises involving motivation and trust like “blind retriever”. This consists in dividing into small groups, and one member of each group will be blindfolded. The others must work together to get the blindfolded member to the final prize. This creates an opportunity for staff to work together as a whole and inspire one another.
To conclude, team building exercises are a great way to help and enhance your association staff’s professional skills. You should consider developing these kinds of activities on a regular basis to keep the momentum going!
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