A guide to keeping your team bonding going inside work hours.
No good machine works without well oiled cogs, right? I’m sure you’ve heard that one a thousand times at those corporate events. We’re agreed, it doesn’t. Studies show team bonding activities increase positive changes within the workplace and can contribute to 50% of these positive changes. But the question is how do you keep your machine working after you’ve oiled it? That’s what we’re interested in. Team bonding is all good outside of work but when you get back in that office, and everyone’s annoying little ticks start creeping back in, what are you supposed to do to keep the good will going?
Chocolate
Let’s start with most people’s favourite. Not only is chocolate good for your skin and reducing cholesterol, it’s also great for releasing endorphins which make you feel happier. Always a bonus when you’re having that afternoon lull or its been a tough day. Everyone loves to receive a gift and getting a chocolate button or two with that next round of coffee is just going to reinforce that idea that your work colleagues aren’t uncivilised buffoons. This small gesture will bring back that team bonding you did a few weeks, plus it helps to be nice to your work colleagues with the odd gift or two.
Everyone loves to receive a gift and getting a chocolate button or two with that next round of coffee is just going to reinforce that idea that your work colleagues aren’t uncivilised buffoons.
5 Minute Game
If your office is in need of something more than a goodwill gesture like chocolate, what about a quick 5 minute break to relieve the tension? A simple 5 minute game will get people out of their seat and help to relieve some tension, rather than leaving their troubles to boil beneath the surface. Not to mention a quick break helps them to focus on their task better! It doesn’t even have to require much preparation (although we definitely recommend Buckaroo if you get the chance!). The game could be as simple as a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors or a game of Guess Who where everyone pops a name on their head and has to guess the name of their person.
A Round of Positivity
Ever feel like the things you do go under appreciated at work? Statistics show that around 76% of employees don’t feel like they get enough recognition for their hard work and that they would work harder if their efforts were better recognised. A technique that we use here at MoJo is at 5 O’clock every day we have a ‘Gong of Positivity’ where we ring a gong and you pick one positive moment of the day to share with the team. It doesn’t have to be a gong you choose but taking those 5 minutes every day just to share your positive moment with the team will help employees to feel more motivated and appreciated by not only management, but their team as well.
These are only small tips on how to keep your office ticking over as a team but when you put them all together, they help to create a more friendly and united environment within the office. Team bonding outside of the office may initially bring you all together but, at the end of the day, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
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