Why Team Bonding is Crucial For Your Business in 2021
No matter what industry you're in, your company is fighting a battle every day.
Whether it's a battle against your competition or a battle for the attention of your target market, there's always been goals for you to reach.
But with the COVID-19 pandemic, your team has had a new challenge to face entirely.
- Lockdowns
- Social distancing
- Flattening the curve
- Working from home
- Ordering Uber Eats every night (or is that just us?)
These are some of the new terms and behaviors your staff have been faced with.
With so much change to the typical office workplace happening in the blink of an eye, it's natural for your team to feel unsettled or out of sync. And when your team is disjointed, your business suffers.
Team bonding is your company's superpower
While this can all sound very 'doom and gloom', the challenge of uniting your team to face 2021 becomes much easier when you're working towards a common goal.
The secret? Team bonding.
Team bonding is more than after-work drinks or setting a funky dress code every other Friday. It's a crucial feature of successful businesses - now more so than ever.
Feelings of isolation - which are common when your team works from home - can reduce productivity by 21%. Finding ways to bring your staff together, especially if they've been working from home for a period of time, can boost morale, improve communication, foster problem solving, and increase productivity.
At Oz Buggy Tours we support positive mental health strategies in the workplace. Read on to discover why team bonding is important, how team bonding is linked to mental health, plus explore the team bonding activity guaranteed to have your office buzzing on Monday morning.
The importance of team bonding in 2021
No matter where your business is located, 2020 served up a range of challenges.
From months-long lockdowns in Melbourne to border closures in Queensland, your business deserves a medal just for getting through these unprecedented times. But with life getting closer to 'normal' again, your team may still be feeling the effects of COVID-related challenges.
Team bonding can help overcome these challenges and give your team the focus and productivity boost it needs to get on the same page moving forward.
If your business has spent time working from home, it's natural for employees to lose touch with one another's working habits and personalities - there's only so much bonding they can do on a Zoom call wearing pyjama pants.
Team bonding activities make up for time apart and supercharge interpersonal bonding, socialising, and communication. More than buzzwords, these improvements have real-world benefits for your company, as communication is key to solving the everyday problems of your business.
How does team bonding improve mental health?
It's easy to assume your workplace is immune to these types of figures, but after the challenges of a pandemic and the ongoing uncertainty around when office life will go back to 'normal', your workplace is at risk of employee burnout and absenteeism.
The average Australian employee works a fraction over 40 hours a week, so your team will spend a large chunk of time at the office. If your working environment isn't fostering collaboration and inclusivity, that time can quickly become a drain on employee mental health which hurts productivity and morale.
The end result? Your business isn't operating at optimal capacity.
The problem with encouraging teamwork in the office though is that your team may not work directly together. If you have multiple departments you may find it tough to implement team building strategies outside of 'Fun Shirt Fridays' or after-work drinks. In fact, forcing individuals to bond at work can take them away from their core duties and HURT your productivity.
The solution? Encourage team bonding that gets people out of the office.
How to choose team bonding activities that put health and safety first
Although Australia moves towards the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, it’s unlikely anyone will be rushing to jump on a plane or stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a busy crowd as part of a team bonding exercise.
Here are a few simple tips to help you choose the right team bonding activity for you:
- Get out of the office: Going off site can help people interact more freely
- Encourage collaboration (not competition): Competition may lead to the goal of ‘winning’ instead of learning
- Make it irresistible: Team building is typically optional, so choose an activity so fun that people will want to turn up
- Call in the pros: Opting for a ready-made team building activity means jumping into an exciting activity designed to get your team in sync
The key to bringing your team together is to embrace the ‘new normal’ and understand your employees may have concerns about health and safety going forward.
If your team is dealing with feelings of anxiety relating to health (which is normal following the pandemic) it helps to organise an activity that is outdoors and physical without being overwhelming (for example not everyone will want to go rock climbing or abseiling).
Corporate 4x4 Buggy adventures and glamping
At Oz Buggy Tours we offer corporate bonding activities away from the crowds, out among nature. Our jungle safari adventure takes your team out of the office and through the heritage listed Scenic Rim rainforest on 4x4 Buggies, with a luxurious overnight glamping experience.
Designed to foster communication and build positive relationships after a long year of lockdowns, Zoom meetings and working-from-home, we’re proud to support Australian businesses who are ready to take on 2021 with renewed excitement and unity.
A break from the city, our corporate packages are perfect for fostering new relationships, getting your team on the same page, and giving people something to bond over for months to come.
But whether you opt for a corporate getaway combining 4x4 buggies and glamping, or another activity, the most important tip is to have fun.
Playfulness leads to creativity, and when your team enjoys being around each other, your business benefits.
Looking to organise your own corporate team bonding experience?
Request a FREE information pack from one of our friendly team members here