How Team Building Impacts Employee Morale


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As a leader, you will need to devote time to developing your team. This should be done not only because it is your duty as their manager, but also due to the importance of teamwork in the workplace.
Teamwork is an essential part of our society that we must promote. In fact, studies show that there’s a positive correlation between employee morale and business success.
When employees work together towards a common goal, they’ll enjoy coming to work more and feel more motivated. This increased motivation can lead to higher productivity and quality of work!
It’s easy to forget how important teamwork is when you are a senior leader who has been working for awhile. For newer leaders, though, this message needs to be spread so people do not assume that leadership is all about being a big boss.
But what if I told you that one of the most effective ways to develop trust and collaboration within your department or organization was to organize a group activity with just your friends?
You would probably agree that inviting just your roommates over for dinner is much better than having an open-house party where anyone can come. So why not use this principle to invite some colleagues over for a movie or bowling night? Or maybe you’re both free at the same time, then why don’t you join each other for lunch instead?
The best way to achieve this is by planning ahead and doing it systematically.
Employees are more productive
As mentioned before, team building can have many benefits. Not only do they enhance productivity, it also has an incredible effect on employee morale. When employees feel like their company cares about them as people, that internal motivation is at its highest.
They will go above and beyond for your business because they want to see you succeed. They’ll strive to meet your standards and achieve greater things than they could alone.
When individuals work together, they develop relationships. This often includes finding common ground and sharing experiences. It may even inspire them to pursue similar careers or hobbies.
Team building activities don’t need to cost a lot of money to be meaningful. Some ideas include hosting a potluck lunch, having an informal meeting in someone’s office, or holding an open house event.
Employees are more creative
As discussed earlier, team building is an excellent way to boost employee morale. More than just having fun together, group activities also inspire creativity.
As we know, creativity is an essential skill for professionals in today’s workplace.
A few years ago, employees didn’t necessarily have to be trained in creativity, but that’s no longer the case.
Thinking outside of the box can save your company lots of money, while at the same time improving productivity.
By giving people opportunities to work in teams, with different personalities, you unleash their creativity.
They come up with new ideas that they would never think of alone.
Research shows that groups of individuals working together use unique skills and techniques that wouldn’t occur if everyone was isolated from each other.
This isn’t limited to creating products either – this includes finding solutions to business problems, enhancing communication strategies and educating others about certain concepts.
Team-based exercises don’t just help promote creativity, although they certainly contribute to that. They also increase trust which is important when getting things done.
Employees are more loyal
As mentioned earlier, team building is not only important for employee productivity, but also employee morale. When employees work in an open environment where they feel like their ideas matter and people trust each other, it creates a supportive atmosphere that keeps them coming to work every day.
This loyalty can even go beyond just the workplace; these individuals will show similar loyalty towards you by supporting your career goals. They may even actively promote you if you move up within the company!
Team building activities that focus on collaboration and communication help create this sense of trust. This includes having lunch or coffee with one another, sharing stories, and holding brainstorming sessions.
It’s easy to see how powerful teamwork is when you watch sports. Teams of people working together to achieve a common goal is something we all admire and enjoy witnessing.
Employees are happier
When you invest in your team, they will show up to work every day feeling appreciated and needed. They will feel motivated to put their best effort into performing their jobs well because they know that someone is watching out for them.
This motivation can even go beyond the workplace; this sense of teamwork can be extended to things like volunteering or donating money to worthy causes.
Not only do these altruistic acts boost employee morale, it also raises awareness about issues that matter to you and your company.
By investing time in others, you create an environment where people want to connect with each other. This creates a supportive atmosphere that’s conducive to productivity and creative thinking.
It's all about creating relationships — not just among colleagues, but between employees and superiors, and staff members outside of work as well.
Employees are less distracted
As mentioned before, your organization’s success depends heavily on the people that work for you. If these individuals don’t feel like their voice is being heard or they feel like no one is listening to them, then it will have an adverse effect on the workplace.
Unhappy employees may very well go somewhere else where they perceive they can make a difference. This creates a situation where the company loses valuable talent and potential profits.
It also puts additional pressure on those who remain as they try harder to satisfy their colleagues instead of motivating them.
Team building exercises help mitigate this by bringing together different groups in the workplace. This happens through activities such as team-building days, group lunches, or offsite meetings where everyone comes together.
These events give people the chance to chat with others in similar positions so that they feel more included and valued. They also promote conversation, which is always a good thing.
Employees are more engaged
Over the past few years, employee engagement has become one of the biggest talking points in business. Companies strive to increase their employees’ levels of engagement, hoping to reap the benefits that come with it.
Engaged employees are more likely to put in extra effort towards meeting deadlines, going above and beyond what is required of them, and being loyal to your company. They may even talk about how they could be part of another team within your organization, highlighting the importance of workplace relationships.
It is very difficult to measure just how important employee engagement is to a firm, but there are some ways to assess this. For example, research shows that higher employee engagement leads to lower turnover, better performance, and greater productivity.
When workers feel valued and understood by their colleagues, department, or employer, they are much less likely to look for opportunities to leave. When people work together, spend time outside of the office, and go out of their way to help each other, these opportunities reduce. This reduces overall staff turnover – making it possible to retain experienced professionals and recruit new ones later.
Employees are less stressed
When people work together, they tend to feel more connected or at least like they know each other. This reduced stress comes from feeling that you are not alone in this world, or that there is someone else around to help you when things get tough.
For employees working under pressure with little time for rest, this can be particularly helpful. Not only do colleagues take breaks, but they also keep an eye out for one another, helping each other out when needed.
This isn’t always possible in every setting, but investing in team building activities helps promote relationships within your workplace.
Team-building exercises don’t necessarily need to focus on producing fun times, though! More often than not, participants will leave events enlightened about certain topics, improved confidence in themselves, and inspired by what they have learned.
Impact number two: It boosts employee morale
We’ve discussed before how important it is to maintain a positive mental attitude in the workplace, but what if I told you that having group conversations, going on educational trips, and doing active projects is an excellent way to boost staff morale?
It’s true – spending time developing teamwork skills is very effective in creating a happier workforce. That means lower turnover, longer term investment in the company, and higher productivity and efficiency.
But why should we care about employee morale? Because poor morale can lead to bad performance, and eventually quitting.
Employees are more satisfied with their jobs
As mentioned earlier, employee satisfaction is a major factor in determining how much morale an organization has. If employees feel like their job does not give them enough credit for what they do, or if they feel that they are being overlooked, promoted, or paid less than others doing the same thing, then it can have a negative effect on both individuals and the company as a whole.
When people work together, there is always going to be some kind of relationship built up between each other. This could be friendship-like relationships, or it could be business acquaintances, but no matter what type of bond exists, there is usually at least one person who feels left out.
This feeling is very common in workplace settings. Some examples of this include when someone gets a promotion over you, or when a new hire is given a higher position than you. In these cases, it can create a sense of jealousy or lack of confidence in yourself and your own skills.
Team building activities help mitigate this internal struggle by bringing everyone else into your group and creating strong bonds with them. These types of interactions make employees feel good about themselves and their career opportunities, which helps promote overall worker happiness.