It is in the nature of company directors, managers and team leaders to bounce back with resilience in crisis or challenging times. That goes for most situations, be it an office maintenance issue, a cyber-attack or the most recent extreme, a global pandemic.
You are ahead of the game and adapt with chameleon-like prowess.
Remote working is the new normal. Only through unrivalled communication systems have we managed to power through it and keep those tight-knit teams moving forwards.
With a wide range of communication apps available (and no doubt pinging up across your screens as you read), not only can companies stay connected while working hard... they can also get together and play harder!
What can we do?
With the roadmap to exit lockdown now in full flow, we've included activities that are just as fun face-to-face and easy ways to adapt them to suit both working situations.
We've got you covered with everything from full evening events to quick-fire ways to level up your team meetings in a bid to boost togetherness when "apartness" is all we've known.
Here are our top 10 team-building activities to keep your remote teamies engaged, entertained and energised...
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Quiz Night
Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour
How To: Team up your employees, log on to your video conferencing platform or get them set in the office for a game show evening. There are many free quizzes to download online. Simply choose a topic or host various rounds to challenge your team.
Separate your employees into groups to battle it out head to head.
Bonus points can go to the best team name!
Objective: Collect points for correct answers
and award prizes to the winning team. A quiz night encourages teamwork, fast-paced information recall and unleashes their competitive streak, driving them to get their heads together for maximum results.
Murder Mystery
Time: 1 hour +
How To: There are many online platforms offering murder mystery packages which you and your team can enjoy remotely and tonnes of online resources helping you to host your in-person event too.
With clues to uncover, questions to be answered and evidence to examine, your team can dig deep and expose the killer at large. Putting their teamwork to the test, delegating and debating, can your team crack a code to halt an international incident with cataclysmic consequence?
Objective: Encourage collaboration, conversation and code-cracking in your team as they draw on each other's strengths to uncover the killer.
Photo Swap
Time: 15-30 minutes
Type: Virtual via video conferencing or in-person
How to: Each person can share a photo of something in their life, anything that represents them or tells a story of an area of their life - a pet, their children, a favourite holiday destination, an achievement. Then, in turn, team members can share the story behind their photos. To shake it up, you could add a particular theme to photos (e.g., childhood, travel, collections, etc.).
Objective: This game is a great ice-breaker. It can help identify common interests, or using a theme can be an entertaining way to discover areas of each other's lives you've not yet uncovered.
Virtual Games
Time: 30 minutes+
Type: Virtual but based upon in-person games, so perfect for both!
There are some great games available online to be played as a team while connecting via Zoom or similar. Alternatively, you can adapt them to be played virtually via your video call platform, such as:
Charades video chat – The classic party game, using cam and mics or chat function to allow team members to guess what is being acted out.
Draw the picture – a hilarious communication game where a team member describes an object and players draw it based on what they hear. It leads to a brilliant laugh when everyone reveals their arty creations!
Aliens have landed!
Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour
Type: Virtual via video conferencing or in-person
How To: Divide your team into small groups; you can make use of the breakout rooms on your video conferencing platform if you're working remotely.
Break the news to them that aliens have landed!
These aliens are desperate to learn all there is to know about your company. There's one problem – they don't speak English, so your team needs to tell them all about the company using just five images or visuals.
The groups must work together to develop the best visual representation of the business. These can be uploaded or shown on camera.
Objective: A great way to encourage the team to gel, strengthen their outside-the-box thinking and creativity. It is an excellent way to test their knowledge of the company and seek common themes in the images they present. It is also a good way to integrate new or quieter team members, making idea sharing less scary for the future.
Movie Night
Time: 1.5-2 hours
Type: Virtual via video conferencing or in-person
How To: Host a poll to decide on a favourite movie to watch and stream the film through a video conference call, or provide employees with a link to stream from their TV/device directly. Keep open the instant messaging function on your chosen platform to allow team members to chat throughout the film, sharing jokes, comment on the action and discuss opinions. If you're hosting in person, make it a pyjama party, pick up the popcorn and dim the lights for a relaxed get-together!
Objective: A chilled night out for all, requiring less commitment and interaction but still encouraging togetherness and talking points following the film in your next meeting. A friendly, cost-effective in-person get-together with a relaxed vibe, perfect after a busy week!
Healthy Lifestyle Challenge
Time: Ongoing team building!
Type: Virtual or in-person
A monthly health challenge is a great way to encourage teamwork and target setting. It is especially beneficial during the lockdown, supporting you and your team to focus on their lifestyle and creating healthy habits. As a team, choose a goal for the month, such as a number of steps to aim for, water to drink each day, or similar. You can track this on a spreadsheet or use one of the many online free tracking tools to add accountability.
Objective: At the end of the month, the team member who has reached the highest or smashed the target wins. Alternatively, it could be a collective goal that all team members are responsible for hitting as a collective, with an incentive for your whole team to reach this. It's a win-win, as regardless of the outcome, everyone is one step closer to their personal health goals.
Scavenger Hunt
Time: 1-2 hours
Type: Virtual or in-person, two fun variations.
How To: Divide your team into groups of 4 or more. Provide each group with a fun list of items with different points value per task along with a time limit to complete them. These activities could range from selfies with strangers, clues to follow, a dish to rustle up using staffroom ingredients, or photos/actions to take at local hotspots to get your team out and about. This can also be completed remotely with virtual tasks, items to find around the house, and riddle to answer. The team returning with the highest total points – wins!
Objective: A scavenger hunt is great for team bonding, building togetherness, problem-solving and camaraderie in employees. Expect some hilarious selfies, random answers and some creative thinking to secure those points.
Cocktail Masterclass
Time: 1.5 hours +Type: Virtual
How To: This is where we come in – quite literally! We offer virtual cocktail masterclasses suitable for teams of all sizes, tuning in from all locations. Our expert mixologists host a workshop to put you through your cocktail-making paces. It is a fun-filled evening, including games, activities, and getting your team's creative juices flowing as they try their hand at shaking and stirring classic cocktails with our signature twists.
You and your team will be delivered all you need to participate, direct to your door, with a whole box of ingredients to follow along as we work with you live online.
Find out more from us...
If our Virtual Masterclass tickles your fancy, we would love to hear from you. Book a call with us where we can get your plans flowing and wash away the worry of entertaining your employees. Whatever your team size, wherever you are – we can be right there with you for a get-together with a twist.
