Team incentives are a great thing for a company to offer. Many incentive programs include activities that help teams bond with each other, which has a range of benefits for overall morale and camaraderie within the group.

Here are our favourite benefits of team bonding and some ideas for team-building exercises to do with your staff.

Better communication

Team bonding days are all about communication. One of the major benefits to come out of these activities is the communication that occurs within your team. Certain activities will allow team members to communicate with each other both verbally and non-verbally.

Increased productivity and motivation

Collaboration and communication within your team during team-building days have a knock-on effect on the workplace. Often, teams who have had a positive experience at one of these events have better outputs of work from each staff member. By working together on a common goal, duplication of work is decreased, and there is less friction and resistance between staff members.

By participating in something new and exciting, team members are re-energised, and their motivation increases. This increase in motivation should help improve productivity, morale, and confidence in each other’s abilities.

Improved morale

When team morale is at a high, the quality of work increases. An enthusiastic and positive workforce that feels that they are cared for will radiate that feeling throughout the workplace, creating a happy working environment. It can assist in breaking down any barriers or challenges present on-site and give team leaders ideas as to where there may be areas of difficulty.

Teamwork

As they say – teamwork makes the dream work! The main benefit of participating in team building activities is that your team can focus on the importance of teamwork and what is needed to make yours a better group. Through these group activities, you find ways to work together efficiently and learn how to manage each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Identification of emerging leaders

One of the most underrated benefits for managers and site supervisors during team bonding is to identify leadership qualities and emerging leaders within the group. Sometimes it might be from someone who hasn’t shown these qualities onsite yet. Team-building days – especially activities that require teamwork – are great opportunities to showcase leadership skills. Who takes charge? Who helps others who may be struggling? Who helps pick up the slack? Watch for who takes control of the problem-solving situations and encourages other team members. This information will be priceless when it comes to developing your business and selecting staff for management roles.

Improved mental health

Let’s face it – tradies work hard. The job often exposes them to gruelling weather conditions and dirty worksites, and unfortunately, there is commonly a ‘toughen up’ culture present, where mental health isn’t openly spoken about. In fact, a startling statistic shows that construction workers are at least six times more likely to die by suicide than in workplace accidents. As well as that, the suicide rate among young tradesmen is three times higher than for other men.

Having regular team building days encourages them to have some fun and take a break from the site. It also boosts people’s confidence and self-esteem by proving they can complete challenges.

Increased confidence levels

When employees succeed in team-building exercises, they may develop more confidence. This helps them feel more comfortable with their co-workers and encourages them to share more ideas at work, which may improve their team’s overall workflow.

By putting your team in an activity with a non-threatening outcome (that is, any mistakes won’t result in unhappy customers or a negative customer image), you’re encouraging them to make mistakes and build their confidence. This can then be transferred to the site.

Builds trust

Team-building days help you get to know your colleagues better on a more personal level, therefore, developing trust. This is a major benefit of team building activities as people in the workplace will know each other capabilities and interests, leading to better collaboration with tasks and improved morale. It’s also a great way to develop relationships with new staff members or team members who don’t work together often.

Showing employee appreciation

As a business owner or manager, showing your workers that you appreciate them is paramount to creating a positive workplace culture. A positive workplace culture means staff retention is more likely than those workplaces with a hostile culture. Team-building days and offering awards among the team can be a driving factor in motivation, as they’re encouraged to participate in a bit of friendly competition onsite. The potential for reward is a great way to increase productivity on site.

Fosters internal relationships

We’re not saying that everyone has to like everyone on site – that’s a highly unrealistic expectation, as different personalities can clash. However, it’s essential that each team member is respectful of their colleagues and can work with them harmoniously. It’s through teamwork on these team-building days that your staff can interact with each other in a more relaxed setting and develop stronger relationships. With these friendships, more positive work patterns develop, with one report finding that having friends at work can lead to being twice as engaged in tasks.

Develops conflict resolution and problem-solving skills

The great thing about team-building activities is that there’s often a significant emphasis on teamwork and collaboration. Whether it’s an escape room or specific problem-solving activities, team members need to work together to figure out a solution. The problem-solving skills that are used on these team days can be applied directly to problems in the workplace. For example, participating in a fun, time-based challenge forces your team members to quickly work together to find the best outcome – one that is agreed upon by everyone.

Team bonding is an integral part of every workplace – especially on construction sites where there are often tight deadlines to be met and problem-solving that needs to occur. Great teamwork and positive workplace culture happen when team members feel valued. A team uniform is another way to include everyone and present a united front. Head into your closest Syzmik stockist today.