Teamwork offers many benefits, from increased creativity and closer relationships to less stress and higher morale. Unfortunately, the events of the last few years have made in-person team exercises a lot less common.
This leaves us with a very important question–how are we supposed to do team-building if we’re not in the same room? Being in the same room or even the same building isn’t a requirement. While distance does make things a bit harder, there are still ways to build an efficient team.
We’ll discuss remote team building and a few exercises that can help in the paragraphs below.
Online Games
Regardless of what you decide to play, online games are a great way to encourage cooperation and raise morale. There are even some websites designed specifically for remote team building.
However, some of the most enjoyable ways to strengthen your team are popular social games like Werewolf, one of the Jackbox Party Pack games, or board games on an online tabletop simulator.
Some games don’t require anything at all to play, like 20 Questions or Never Have I Ever (Clean version, of course.)
Mini Hangouts
The simplest way for teams to get to know each other is also among the most overlooked. Setting aside time to talk to each other often goes a long way toward creating bonds and fostering teamwork.
Try to create opportunities for your employees to talk to each other. You could share a document with your coworkers and work together on a list of questions. You can then get to know each other by answering these questions.
These hangouts don’t even have to be specifically set aside for socializing. Having lunch together via video chat can help coworkers unwind and have conversations. Setting up an office book club is another potential way to bring employees together.
Virtual Picture Board
Who doesn’t love sharing photos and stories with those around them? These days, the answer seems to be almost nobody. Captioned pictures and short, funny videos have become a cornerstone of many people’s typical day.
Sharing little jokes and stories is a huge part of online interaction, and setting aside a special place for such things at work can make the office a lot more friendly and fun. You could use a virtual whiteboard or a pinboard.
There are also apps like Discord where you can create your own channels. This will give you a private space to interact with employees and coworkers. These can also be a great organizing tool, because you can create channels within channels for whatever purpose you need.
Remote Team Building and How to do it
Remote team building is a challenge that many industries have been dealing with since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to make it work. We’ve offered a few suggestions in this article, but your options are only limited by your creativity.
If you want to know more keep browsing the rest of this section.
