During the past few decades, corporations have changed the environments of their workplace; they have switched from a very competitive environment to a cooperative one. Why would they want to do this? Competition sparks motivation, which means more productivity, right?
This may very well be true; however, the benefits of having a cooperative work environment outshine those of a competitive one any day.
A cooperative work environment leaves room for team building activities and personal effectiveness. In return, team building activities lead to many amazing changes at the office.
1. Increases Creativity
Often times, employees are stuck in a groove where they perform the same type of tasks in the same manner from week to week. These actions allow for little to no creativity because they create a cycle where the employee feels stuck.
Team building activities have the ability to change this because they remove employees from their regular day-to-day tasks by giving them a not-so-ordinary project, which gives them the ability to use their imagination to find a solution.
In the end, team building activities show employees that creativity is welcome at the office. Letting employees know that creativity is not only welcomed but also encouraged at work should be a goal for employers because creativity can lead to innovation, which leads to higher productivity.
2. Team Building Activities Will Boost Employee Engagement
Communicate is key to success. If you want to have a successful relationship with your family, significant other, or friends, you need to foster communication with them and the same goes for a successful workplace.
Moreover, team building activities lead to employee engagement, which leads to increased productivity. Employee engagement and effective communication go hand-in-hand. Those who feel like they can communicate effectively with their co-workers will be more likely to promote employee engagement.
Often times, firms experience the opposite of this and the result is catastrophic; co-workers end up working against each other, which puts the company in jeopardy. However, when paired into teams, co-workers work together to reach the same goals.
3. Increase Profits
The end goal for a company is to make profits, right? Most likely the answer to that question is yes; however, if a company solely focuses on that aspect, they will be destined to fall apart. Instead, firms can focus on employee satisfaction and their happiness.
When firms focus on activities that promote employee satisfaction and engagement, they are more likely to have a smaller employee turnover. Having a high employee turnover is bad news for a company; it means that they are losing thousands of dollars in recruiting and training and it also means that their employees are unhappy.
Employees are more focused on productivity when they are satisfied with their work environment. Therefore, it is key to ensure a creative and healthy company culture that promotes effective communication through team building activities.
What Are Your Thoughts?
There are tons of other reasons why team building activities benefit companies. Can you name a few? Leave your suggestions and questions in the comment section below!
Jeffrey Fermin is Officevibe’s cofounder and is in charge of all marketing efforts and business development for the company.
Image courtesy of ratch / Fotolia.com
