The pandemic has shaken up the way many businesses function and has had a profound impact on social relations within these companies. Ties between team members are sometimes stretched thin by home working and it is not always easy for managers to maintain a team spirit. How can you maintain ties in spite of the circumstances? Discover some team building ideas you can use remotely.
Remote team building is now more vital than ever
Team building aims to create ties between members of a team or to strengthen group cohesion in an informal manner. Team building is achieved through daily interaction at the office, and through special events like after-work drinks or company seminars.
The Covid-19 pandemic has made it impossible to get together in person. Which can cause work relations to break down. Every individual works alone at home and there are fewer and fewer opportunities for interaction.
It is vital that managers find solutions to maintain existing ties and prevent feelings of isolation. Team building is also important for new employees joining a company during the pandemic. They need different ways to get to know their new colleagues.
Further reading: Six tips for welcoming a new colleague remotely
Four online team building ideas
There are many solutions for online team building. Here are a few ideas that your colleagues might like.
- Organise collective games or challenges
At certain times, it may be of interest to suggest games to play in small groups. It could be a quiz, an escape game (there are online escape games), a blind test or even a form of online “Pictionary” (with Skribbl for example).
- Invite colleagues to share on-the-spot photos
You can also create times for sharing by suggesting teams post photos according to a given theme. Your pet, the latest meal you cooked, your work space, music of the moment, screen shot of the latest film you watched: there are plenty of ideas out there! Every shared photo is the opportunity to get to know other team members better.
- Create a virtual break room
New technology offers plenty of opportunities to communicate remotely. Some of the solutions available offer the possibility of creating a virtual break room. This is the case with the Glowbl solution, for example. In practice, colleagues can hook up via video link during their breaks to chat, like they would at the coffee machine or when they meet in the corridor.
Another solution is the virtual office. For those who wish, webcams are activated all day long. Why? So people feel less isolated and to encourage colleagues to communicate freely, like they would if they were sitting next to each other.
Good to know
With Glowbl, you can create a virtual work space and customise it with your company colours.
Further reading: Teleworking: Rediscover office life without leaving home
- A cookery workshop
To shake things up and get away from the work environment, why not try a relaxing activity like a remote cookery class with a chef, a mixology workshop or an introduction to wine tasting? It will give colleagues a chance to relax together and will provide an informal topic of conversation.
You could also organise after-work drinks remotely. At the end of the working day, everybody gets themselves a drink and something to eat.
Further reading: All you need to know about online seminars
| Glowbl offers an innovative virtual spaces solution. To find out more, please contact the Glowbl team. |