10 Team Building Strategies To Strengthen Employee Ties

‘Teamwork makes the dream work’

Never tire to hire – This seems to be the chant-mantra of all HR teams. The demand for new hires may plummet or peak from time to time, but it never freezes. Choosing the right people for your business is similar to the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. You can pick as many as you want, but the real test lies in how well they fit into the team. So, rather than looking for good individual players, you should hunt for team players, that is how they will be working for you – Right?

From a sapling to a tree, it is how even businesses grow. The robust and resolute roots, though invisible, are indeed the powerhouse of all greenery. Similarly, a great team is what is behind all awesome businesses. The rhythm of all team members has to be synchronized with one another to pump volumes of efficient and effective business blood. Though human beings are social animals, to network within a team, isn’t smooth and breezy.

A great team is viable only when employees balance, support, motivate and appreciate one another consistently. That happens only when HR’s use effective strategies to fasten the emotional cords of team members. Some of them :

#1 : Network More, Collaborate More

• The spirit of togetherness and mutual understanding arises within a team only when employees take time and effort to connect more and on a frequent basis. Encourage your employees to socialize better, thereby enhancing employee morale and comfort level.
• Say no to closed cubicles and welcome workstations.
• Once a good rapport is established, working in close co-ordination towards a common goal isn’t mammoth at all. The employee engagement factor multiplies, encouraging creativity and productivity.

#2 : The Recognise, Reward & Repeat Ritual – Within Peers

• Appreciation is indeed simple and uplifting that no one gets tired of hearing. No doubt it is an employee’s greatest emotional need. We fancy when applauded by our managers or department head – which takes us nowhere close to team building.
• Appreciation is indeed simple and uplifting that no one gets tired of hearing. No doubt it is an employee’s greatest emotional need. We fancy when applauded by our managers or department head – which takes us nowhere close to team building.
• A great team is one where everyone recognizes other’s contributions and doesn’t wait for the manager to clap first. Be it small surprise desk notes or big congrats-cards for awesome work, encourage this art among team members.

#3 : Welcome Fun Into The Workplace

• Almost nobody would raise hands if asked, ‘Is work fun’?. But that doesn’t stop you from adding the fun element without disturbing work routine. This breaks monotony, simultaneously lowering stress levels and also creates an atmosphere where your employees breathe an air of cheerfulness and friendliness.
• Celebrating employees’ birthdays/anniversaries , games on a fortnightly basis, jamming on Fridays etc. can trigger better communication within the team and create everlasting bonds of goodwill

#4 : Everyone Matters

• Corporate culture has imbibed the necessity of every team, big or small, to be mentored by a leader. Many times, be it credits or hard times, it is this hero who rises above the rest. Let yours not be one such. A team has to be consistent with everyone in the limelight.
• Due recognition and the right amount of visibility factor is the fulcrum behind engaged employees. Focus on them all, proving that they are not one among the crowd

#5 : Know Where Everyone Fits/Show Them The Bigger Picture

• Long hours, days and months of doing what one does best blindfolded regarding other teams/departments can sprout moments of monotony. Giving your employees the chance to understand the entire business flow by occasionally letting them be a part of other teams is an appreciative move
• Shadowing a colleague, as it is called, gives a chance to peep into what’s going on in other teams and incorporate new findings/learnings. It also greatly helps in exploring different career paths as well as knowing each other better

#6 : Win Hearts To Win Love

• ‘A home is where the heart is’. Employees or managers or CEO’s – It holds good for everyone out there. Take time and effort to include employees’ families for any social cause/retreats/potluck lunches.
• Establishing a connect with one another’s families makes it very comfortable for employees to build on the same rapport and bond deeper.

#7 : Put Heads Together/Brainstorm

• Brainstorming is generally viewed as a platform for conceiving ideas. What many don’t realise is that it is an excellent team building strategy too. With fresh new ideas flowing freely and clearly, it promotes better communication and open talk within the team.
• Listen patiently to all the team members, with less/no criticism to absorb their views. Conduct regular sessions thereby boosting creativity and employee engagement

#8 : Prioritise Work-Life Balance

• Wondering how balancing work and life is a team building strategy??It is, though. Granting employees the much needed space to take on life and work at par with one another is a gift that no one says ‘NO’ to. The result is happy employees and you win a happy team
• When members of a team are content, they radiate positivity and friendship within them. It also helps them to balance one another and employee retention is achieved.

#9: Encourage Deeper Communication/Quick Morning Bites

• Let your workday begin with positivity and ideas. Bring everyone together on a common platform – it can be a conference room or even virtually. Nothing formal or nerve-racking happens here. Just a ‘meet-and-greet’ to take the day forward in the best possible way.
• The choice is yours – Either indulge in quick bites on trending news, thoughts worth sharing, constructive feedback etc. At the end of the day, it is about being candid and recharging teamspirit

#10: Feed Frequent Doses Of Motivation

• Work, however fun and exciting, doesn’t rule out occasional idle hours. The human mind is resilient indeed, when you boost it the right way. Spring positive vibes within the team by motivating them.
• Welcoming motivational speakers for a fortnightly session, constantly caring to motivate team members from time to time propels employees to imbibe the same in their relations with one another.

‘Less Me, More We’ – That is what a team is all about. An awesome team doesn’t mean everyone nods all the time. Each one has his/her own point of view, a different approach to solving problems and a unique personality. Rising above all these differences, if employees balance each other, support, motivate, appreciate, encourage and share a good rapport – that is when you have won a great team 🙂 🙂

Paddle your business with an excellent team of rowers. Relativity manages your payroll, accounting, taxation and compliance needs with utmost accuracy and timely delivery. Reach us on 0-93611-41436 or sales@relativity.co.in to know more about our customised services.