Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have started working from home. After three years, it is evident that remote work is not a temporary pivot but a viable future scenario for movirtual lunch meetingsst companies.
However, remote and hybrid working puts an awful lot of pressure on company culture. As employees are no longer gathered in a physical working environment, it becomes harder for managers to maintain good communication and relationships and keep productivity levels high.
So, companies must be creative and regularly implement virtual team building activities to keep their teams engaged, productive and united. From Escape Rooms to Virtual Bingo, fun online team exercises are vital to creating a cohesive and strong team that works towards a joint (business) goal.
Let’s look at the trends in virtual #team building that can help your #businesses build successful teams. Click To TweetSetting Up A Virtual Team-Building Activity
Before choosing a team-building activity for your team, you need to define your purpose and objectives. For example, what is the goal of the team-building exercise? Do you want to improve communication, increase productivity or enhance creativity? Defining what you want to achieve is vital as the outcome of your team-building activity needs to meet your goals and promote individual and team growth.
Second, think about your employees’ expectations and individual personalities. For example, introverts may find it harder to open up during team discussions. On the other hand, extrovert personalities may tend to take over the floor quickly. Remember that it will be up to you (or the person leading the team-building) to manage this aspect and secure equal participation for everyone.
Next, consider the technical aspects of the exercise, such as how much time you will need for each activity. For example, collaborative problem-solving exercises will take longer than a relaxed, happy hour team activity. In addition, make sure you allow enough time for introductions through ice breakers, as some participants on your team may not know each other.
Trendy Ideas For Virtual Team-Building Exercises
Let’s look at some of the most used team-building activities that continue to bring teams together in 2022:
Activity 1: Escape Room
An Escape Room is a challenge game where participants collaborate to find clues, complete tasks, and solve various puzzles within a time limit. This team-building activity improves communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills. It is typically suitable for three to six players and requires a significant creative setup. If you want this exercise to run perfectly, you must invest the time to understand and prepare the game properly.
Activity 2: Online Murder Mysteries
Virtual murder mystery games are online social events where participants act out a murder story and figure out the killer character.
The purpose of this team-building game is for your employees to have fun, develop problem-solving skills and encourage teamwork. The great thing about this exercise is that there is no particular limit to the number of players.
Activity 3: Virtual Team-Building Bingo
Bingo is a well-known game played across retirement homes and summer camps everywhere. It is familiar and fun, and it works exceptionally well if you want to increase team engagement. But, most importantly, it is an activity that is easy to prepare and execute.
So, distribute the online team building bingo board to your remote employees, decide on a timeline, and let the fun begin.
Activity 4: Who Are You?
Each of your employees has a unique personality. Bringing their uniqueness to the team is indispensable for building a healthy relationship.
Hence, another excellent team-building exercise you can host online is Who are you?. This activity encourages your employees to share their stories with everyone, positively impacting them by scaling up their self-confidence and inspiring others to open up about themselves.
As a result, you will be able to build trust among your employees and take your company culture to new heights.
Activity 5: Virtual Lunch Meetings
If you want to give your team an opportunity to get together and socialize in a non-work capacity, consider hosting virtual lunch meetings. The idea behind it is simple: give each team member a predetermined budget to expense back to the company and let everyone grab whatever they want for lunch.
Then all they have to do is sign on to Zoom and together enjoy their lunch while chatting, catching up, and enjoying each other’s company.
Make Your Virtual Team Building Excercise Work
For your team-building exercise to work, you must ensure that you opt for an activity that promotes inclusion, interaction, and open communication. Moreover, make sure you engage your employees in team activities as much as possible. That is the best way to ensure your virtual team stays connected and becomes more cohesive, even when they are not physically sharing the office.