The rise of modern-day technology has allowed people to work from almost anywhere. Remote work has become increasingly popular, offering employees greater flexibility and autonomy. However, with this flexibility comes certain challenges, particularly in team dynamics and morale. It can be challenging for remote teams to maintain a sense of camaraderie, company culture, and motivation. This is where team-building activities come in.
Team-building activities have been shown to be effective in building a strong organizational culture, improving communication and collaboration, and boosting productivity. Remote teams require different kinds of activities to build camaraderie and encourage teamwork because they don’t have the opportunity for in-person interaction. In this article, we will explore some of the best practices you can use to build a strong remote team, including fun remote activities that can help team members bond and foster camaraderie.
Virtual Happy Hours
Virtual happy hours have become popular ways for work teams to connect virtually during the pandemic. They offer a chance for team members to unwind, share funny stories, celebrate milestones, and bond over a drink. Virtual happy hours don’t have to be complicated. Choose an appropriate time that works for everyone, and use video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype to host your virtual event.
Fun and Exciting Virtual Games
Virtual games or online team-building activities are another excellent way to engage remote teams and build camaraderie. Several online platforms offer interactive games that require multiple players, such as virtual pub quizzes or interactive team-building games. Games can be tailored to your team’s specific interests and help foster friendly competition and team bonding. They can be played during virtual meetings, lunch breaks or game nights.
For example, online puzzle games, trivia games, and team-building games that require collaboration and communication can make for an excellent team-building activity. You can also create your own customized games using online design platforms like Canva. For example, you could create bingo boards with team member names, work objectives, or company references.
Virtual Book Clubs
Virtual book clubs offer an opportunity for team members to develop deeper connections through shared interests in literature, and this will impact positively on remote productivity. Good books can be chosen based on the interest of team members, and they can come together during virtual meetings to discuss the book. Virtual book clubs can foster a sense of community among team members that may not interact much otherwise and provide a shared experience to discuss that doesn’t relate to work. Choose a book that interests your team and assign a chapter or two to be read before your virtual book club meeting. Encourage team members to share their thoughts and insights, ask questions and offer suggestions for the next lesson.
Virtual Cooking Classes
A cooking class can be a fun and exciting team-building activity for remote teams. Organizing virtual cooking classes can emerge from interests in food, culture, and creativity. Choose a recipe that is simple enough for everyone to follow and purchase the necessary ingredients and kitchen utensils in advance. Using video conferencing software, the team can cook together step-by-step while enjoying each other’s company. At the end of the session, everyone can share pictures of their finished dish, ask questions, and offer suggestions for the next lesson.
Virtual Wellness Activities
Encouraging activities that promote wellness can help boost morale and promote a healthy work-life balance for team members. Activities such as virtual yoga or meditation sessions, fitness challenges, or even mindful coloring activities can be a great way to keep team members healthy and connected. Encourage employees to share their wellness plans with other team members and provide resources to help them achieve their goals. This can include online tutorials, newsletters, and virtual challenges.
Remote teams often struggle with work-life balance and mental wellness due to the blurred lines between work and personal lives. Promoting wellness and self-care among team members can help reduce employee turnover, absenteeism, and health-related issues. It can also highlight the organization’s commitment to creating a positive work environment that supports employee well-being.
Online Learning Courses
Online courses can assist remote teams to develop their skills and become more productive in their roles. By investing in online learning resources for team members, you can help them develop new skills, understand the latest industry trends, and become more adept at their jobs.
Digital Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is an excellent way to lift team morale and help team members interact. With physical scavenger hunts off the cards, a digital scavenger hunt can be an alternative way to approach the activity. To make the game more interesting, teams can be broken up into smaller groups, and each group can compete for the highest score. The scavenger hunt can involve identifying random objects or answering tricky industry-specific trivia questions.
Online Trivia
Trivia is popular, and it can be a choice for a remote worktime. This activity does not require a lot of effort to organize, and it can stimulate competition between colleagues giving room to inform discussion after the sessions. For remote trivia, you can choose to play preexisting games on online platforms, or you can create your own customized questions using online design platforms.
Virtual Game Night
A virtual game night can be a perfect team-building activity for remote teams. Online platforms like Pogo, Chess, and others can offer various team-building games, including card games or board games which can encourage healthy competition and team bonding.
Benefits of Team Building Activities for Remote Teams
Several benefits come with actively engaging your remote team through team-building activities. They include but not limited to:
- Improved communication and collaboration: Regular team-building activities can improve communication and collaboration among remote workers.
- Promotes teamwork: Team-building activities encourage teamwork by highlighting the importance of collaboration and promoting a sense of belonging.
- Builds trust: By participating in team-building activities, remote workers can build trust through shared experiences, common goals, and understanding.
- Boosts productivity: The effects of team-building activities can trickle down to improved productivity by improving communication, trust, and teamwork among remote team members.
- Enhanced creativity: Team-building activities can unlock innovative ideas and solutions by allowing team members to think outside the box and explore new ideas.
- Reduced stress: Incorporating activities that promote wellness can reduce stress among team members.
Conclusion
Remote work has become more popular than ever before, and it is essential to create a positive work environment for remote teams. Building a strong remote team requires intentional effort to promote a sense of community and boost morale. Virtual activities such as happy hours, virtual games, book clubs, cooking classes, and wellness activities can help team members bond over shared interests, learn new things together, and boost morale. Remote teams need the opportunity to interact with others and build a sense of community, and team-building activities can help deliver this. By regularly engaging in team-building activities, you can create a positive and productive work environment for remote teams.