Spring is in full swing, and you know what that means — eating on patios, soaking up the extra hours of sunshine and going through the process of spring cleaning. It’s the perfect time to declutter and refresh your house, car or workspace to start the season with a “fresh start” when the time changes. But your closet isn’t the only place that can benefit from a reset. Taking some time to refresh and recharge with corporate team building activities can do wonders for your employees as well.
The cold, dark winter months are deadly to company morale. It’s common for people to feel sad or down during winter, and this feeling can impact all areas of their lives. When people aren’t feeling the best, they aren’t doing their best work — feeling run down, tired and moody causes stress levels to increase and attitudes to be more negative. Not to mention, many companies see a decrease in new business and productivity in the winter months due to multiple holidays, the very real effects of “vacation hangovers” and a general decline in sales.
All of this is bad for your business. But when springtime rolls around, you can expect to see a slight positive shift in attitudes. When temperatures begin to inch higher and the daylight hours start to stretch on a little longer each day, it’s the perfect time to bolster employees’ spirits with a fun bonding event. Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity to get out of the office and enjoy the beautiful spring weather while you’re working toward building a better, more cohesive team.
Corporate team building activities help employees shake the winter blues by bringing them closer together. It’s easy to feel less excited about your job when you, and your co-workers, are suffering from higher-than-average stress levels. Participating in a fun group event will recharge your team members and help them remember what it is they love about their jobs. Best of all, these events can be tailored to suit your company and your employees’ needs. That means no matter what size your business is or what goals you’re trying to accomplish through team building, there’s a corporate event that’s perfect for you.
Some of the best team building events in New York let you get out of the office and have fun in a purposeful way. You can also find plenty of outdoor activities to help you soak up some vitamin D while you’re at it! Sand sculpting events help build better relationships between employees by utilizing each person’s unique strengths and capabilities. These activities require creativity and input from all team members, which promotes better communication and a stronger flow of ideas. These are all excellent skills your team members can take back to the office with them, along with the bonds they form with each other along the way!
Participating in community service events is also ideal for your company during the spring. Not only are co-workers giving back to the community they live or work in by supporting neighborhood growth and local initiatives, but these events are also perfect for building robust relationships with your business and the community. Helping with environmental projects like roach or beach clean-ups, community gardens, and charity race events feels good — it brings your employees closer together and increases your company’s visibility in the community. Who wouldn’t want that?
Another good corporate team building event for spring is a photography lesson. When your team learns the basics of capturing a good photo, they also learn skills that help them focus their energies at work (pun intended). You’ll also learn some practical tips that can help you take better photos at any time in your life, from black-tie corporate events to your son’s first little league game. Plus, it’s an excellent excuse in the spring to snag a few shots of the beautiful green trees and blooming flowers that surround you.
Corporate team building events, like the ones here at Rock Paper Team, truly do help to refocus and reenergize your employees by creating closer bonds between co-workers. They help each team member feel more valued and respected, which in turn leads to more open communication during business hours. This trickle-down effect also results in better ideas and increased productivity. And on top of all that, your employees will really enjoy coming to work, because they’ll see their co-workers as their friends and teammates, rather than just a few people with whom they work.
At Rock Paper Team, we’re passionate about setting your business up for lasting success by bringing your employees closer together. We’re more than happy to answer any questions you might have about spring team building events, and we can even talk you through creating the perfect event for your company. Contact us today to learn about all the events we have to offer and how we can tailor them to suit your needs and exceed your expectations.
Refresh Your Team with Spring Team Building Activities
Team BuildingSpring is in full swing, and you know what that means — eating on patios, soaking up the extra hours of sunshine and going through the process of spring cleaning. It’s the perfect time to declutter and refresh your house, car or workspace to start the season with a “fresh start” when the time changes. But your closet isn’t the only place that can benefit from a reset. Taking some time to refresh and recharge with corporate team building activities can do wonders for your employees as well.
The cold, dark winter months are deadly to company morale. It’s common for people to feel sad or down during winter, and this feeling can impact all areas of their lives. When people aren’t feeling the best, they aren’t doing their best work — feeling run down, tired and moody causes stress levels to increase and attitudes to be more negative. Not to mention, many companies see a decrease in new business and productivity in the winter months due to multiple holidays, the very real effects of “vacation hangovers” and a general decline in sales.
All of this is bad for your business. But when springtime rolls around, you can expect to see a slight positive shift in attitudes. When temperatures begin to inch higher and the daylight hours start to stretch on a little longer each day, it’s the perfect time to bolster employees’ spirits with a fun bonding event. Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity to get out of the office and enjoy the beautiful spring weather while you’re working toward building a better, more cohesive team.
Corporate team building activities help employees shake the winter blues by bringing them closer together. It’s easy to feel less excited about your job when you, and your co-workers, are suffering from higher-than-average stress levels. Participating in a fun group event will recharge your team members and help them remember what it is they love about their jobs. Best of all, these events can be tailored to suit your company and your employees’ needs. That means no matter what size your business is or what goals you’re trying to accomplish through team building, there’s a corporate event that’s perfect for you.
Some of the best team building events in New York let you get out of the office and have fun in a purposeful way. You can also find plenty of outdoor activities to help you soak up some vitamin D while you’re at it! Sand sculpting events help build better relationships between employees by utilizing each person’s unique strengths and capabilities. These activities require creativity and input from all team members, which promotes better communication and a stronger flow of ideas. These are all excellent skills your team members can take back to the office with them, along with the bonds they form with each other along the way!
Participating in community service events is also ideal for your company during the spring. Not only are co-workers giving back to the community they live or work in by supporting neighborhood growth and local initiatives, but these events are also perfect for building robust relationships with your business and the community. Helping with environmental projects like roach or beach clean-ups, community gardens, and charity race events feels good — it brings your employees closer together and increases your company’s visibility in the community. Who wouldn’t want that?
Another good corporate team building event for spring is a photography lesson. When your team learns the basics of capturing a good photo, they also learn skills that help them focus their energies at work (pun intended). You’ll also learn some practical tips that can help you take better photos at any time in your life, from black-tie corporate events to your son’s first little league game. Plus, it’s an excellent excuse in the spring to snag a few shots of the beautiful green trees and blooming flowers that surround you.
Corporate team building events, like the ones here at Rock Paper Team, truly do help to refocus and reenergize your employees by creating closer bonds between co-workers. They help each team member feel more valued and respected, which in turn leads to more open communication during business hours. This trickle-down effect also results in better ideas and increased productivity. And on top of all that, your employees will really enjoy coming to work, because they’ll see their co-workers as their friends and teammates, rather than just a few people with whom they work.
At Rock Paper Team, we’re passionate about setting your business up for lasting success by bringing your employees closer together. We’re more than happy to answer any questions you might have about spring team building events, and we can even talk you through creating the perfect event for your company. Contact us today to learn about all the events we have to offer and how we can tailor them to suit your needs and exceed your expectations.
Team Scavenger Hunts Can Transform Your Business
Team BuildingAny number of situations can throw off the successful dynamic you’ve worked hard to create between your employees. Moving to a new part of town, welcoming new hires, forming a new team for a particular project — all of these can add stress to your team and lead to a lapse in productivity or morale. And the typical happy hour or office lunch won’t always cut it when you want to get the group back on track. What you need is a New York scavenger hunt.
Scavenger hunts are a great team bonding activity for businesses. Getting out of the office and participating in an activity together can lead to strong ties between your employees that can completely transform your office environment. When your team participates in a scavenger hunt in NYC, they build valuable skills that are just as useful for making an impact during business hours as they are for finding every item on the scavenger hunt. These skills can translate into the working world in a few different ways.
A New York scavenger hunt also promotes communication and creative thinking among employees. Everyone is working together to reach a common goal like they often are at work, but with less pressure and fear of failure. A scavenger hunt in NYC creates a unique opportunity for a free exchange of ideas and more open communication. When there’s nothing to lose, people are more likely to speak up and share an opinion. The level of interaction that develops during team building activities carries over into the office, and you’d be amazed by how many more ideas are shared, and opinions are voiced after participating in these events. And someone who hasn’t previously spoken up might be the one to come out with the next great idea your company needs.
But perhaps the most important thing that will come out of your scavenger hunt in NYC are the new bonds between your employees because it’s these bonds that will serve as the foundation for a more productive and enjoyable work environment. When people get outside for a scavenger hunt, hilarity always ensues. Before you know it, your team will be laughing their way through the event, and they will become more like friends than coworkers. Building these relationships eases tension, lessens anxiety and increases productivity.
People are always looking for purpose in their work — for a reason to get out of bed and for a team they enjoy working with, especially when they’re with those people for 40+ hours a week. Taking time to build employee morale paves the way for success for your company. Job titles and responsibilities can sometimes get in the way of that free-flow of ideas we mentioned, but working together during a scavenger hunt allows people from different departments and job titles to work together, and soon enough your employees are goal- and people-focused instead of role-focused. And this leads to greater employee retention and productivity because people are happy with their jobs, which means greater success for you and your business.
Give Rock Paper Team a call if you’re ready to start seeing all the benefits a New York scavenger hunt has to offer. We’ve done all the hard work for you with endless scavenger hunt ideas for any business size. Let us give your employees a fun and interactive experience they won’t soon forget!
Team Activities
Team Building, UncategorizedHow to Combat Employee Disengagement
Team BuildingDisengaged employees aren’t difficult to identify. A few of the telltale signs include: an overall lack of enthusiasm for new projects, frequent complaining, stagnant growth, lack of initiative, and an unwillingness to collaborate with team members. While the negative implications on a disengaged employee’s own career are obvious, this disengagement can have a very serious impact on a company’s productivity. If you find that your employees frequently display these behaviors, it’s time to institute immediate changes in order to keep your business growing and thriving.
Fortunately, there are very easy adjustments you can make starting today to combat employee disengagement. Below are just a few of the ways you can proactively adjust your work environment to keep employees invested, dedicated, and excited about your company:
Show you Care
Taking the time to get to know staff members on a personal level is key to demonstrating their value to the company. Try to get to know the hobbies, interests, and goals of each employee. There oftentimes exists a disconnect between upper level management and their employees. However, taking the time to ask questions will bridge this gap, allowing you to build a stronger connection with your team while also gaining valuable insight into how best to motivate each member of your staff.
Reward Creativity
Employees who go above and beyond by contributing ideas on how best to increase productivity and improve efficiency should be recognized and rewarded for their initiative. By fostering an environment that welcomes and encourages such creativity, your employees will see that their opinions are truly valued. Further, staff members are likely to remain more engaged and committed to projects that they came up with and have some role in managing. If an idea doesn’t work out quite as planned, don’t be discouraged. Instead, use it as a learning experience, applying lessons learned to future projects.
Make Team Building a Priority
In order for a team to thrive, it is essential that members understand and respect one another. By learning the skills, capabilities, and synergies of co-workers, employees are better positioned to approach projects in ways that best utilizes the individual strengths of each team member. Through the use of team building activities, you’ll build a sense of community and camaraderie among a group with a singular shared goal: the success of the company. Whether held each week, month, or as part of a specialized retreat, team building has been shown to enhance enthusiasm and productivity in the workplace. The internal connections built among co-workers will leave them more satisfied with their work environment, making those dreaded Monday mornings a bit easier to bear.
Clearly Define Expectations
If an employee is unsure of their specific responsibilities in general or for a project, maintaining excitement can be a chore. When assigning tasks, make sure you give clear and direct instructions so as to avoid any confusion around the execution and/or goals of the assignment. Also take the time to explain how each project coincides with the company’s larger goals, further demonstrating the value of each staff members’ contribution to the success of the company. Let your employees know that you’re open to and encourage questions should they require more information.
3 Ways to Facilitate Communication in the Workplace
Team BuildingThough the act of communication, whether through talk, text, or e-mail, may seem easy, communicating effectively requires a high level of attention and effort, particularly in the workplace. When working in teams, communicating well is crucial in order to eliminate misunderstandings and maintain a peaceful work environment. It is imperative that all team building activities and opportunities include discussions around how to cultivate strong communication among colleagues. But what can you do starting today to communicate more effectively? By utilizing the following 3 ways to facilitate communication in the workplace, your team will remain a cohesive unit equipped to complete projects, meet targets, and work productively.
Be a Good Listener
Throughout any given day, we each engage in a number of conversations. But just how closely are we listening? If you walk away from a conversation with a clearer idea of your dinner plans than your conversation partner’s message, you may need to fine-tune your listening skills.
Just like any other skill, listening takes practice. One way to improve your listening abilities is to keep a mental checklist of the important points the other person makes. When the conversation ends, try to recall as many of these points as possible. Engaging in each conversation this way will instill in you the ability to pay close attention and listen effectively so as to avoid repeat conversations or meetings.
Learn to Read Others’ Body Language
One of the most obvious ways we communicate with others is not through our words, but through our body language. How we stand, sit, move our hands, and express our faces all indicate how we’re feeling on the inside. By learning to recognize the signs and signals of body language, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively. Let’s use presentation giving as an example.
When standing in front of a room to share performance results or a personal anecdote, how do you know if you’re maintaining 100% engagement? If you find that your audience often displays the following signs, you likely have a disengaged group that needs revival:
• Shoulders are slumped, or they’re sitting low in their chairs
• They’re doodling on their notepads, instead of taking notes
• Hands are fiddling with hair or clothing
• Eyes are glazed, or gazing elsewhere around the room
• Heads are facing downward, rarely looking up at the presenter
We all say a lot with our bodies, it’s up to you to recognize what others are trying to say.
Empathize with Others
Everyone has bad days. Whether the family dog ran away or your alarm was 30 minutes late going off in the morning, these stressors have a direct impact on our mood and ability to interact with others throughout the day. If you feel that you’ve been personally criticized or attacked unjustly by a coworker or boss, try to understand the full scope of the other’s feelings and situation before responding. It may be that they’re having an unusually bad day, and as a result taking their emotions out on others as a way to cope. Responding with equal negative emotion will only result in a further breakdown of communication. When tension has lessoned and the other person has calmed down, reach out to your coworker and revisit their criticism. You may find that their overreaction had nothing to do with your work at all.