Team building has a bad rap. In most companies when a supervisor says, “We’re going to do some team building!” employees start re-running old episodes of The Office. It’s one thing to see it on TV but getting a real-life taste of your manager mimicking Steve Carell’s insanely-awkward-try-hard leadership style just isn’t as funny.

Despite its reputation for being lame, team building is the most important investment you can make for your people. It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration. Effective team building means more engaged employees, which is good for company culture.

Year-over-year, Duke earns a spot as one of the country’s best places to work and team building is a big part of that. Here are some ground rules to consider when it comes to planning activities for your people.

Don’t force the corporate stuff. The most successful, memorable team-building events are the ones that don’t feel like a day at the office. Activities that overtly aim to draw in leadership lessons or practical takeaways are less powerful. Spending time together, sharing an experience or working towards a common goal allows bonding to happen more organically and far more effectively.

Ditch the company picnic for a unique activity. It turns out that happiness and learning are tied very closely together. Trying new things with your staff can generate good vibes among employees, which in turn benefits the business itself. Choosing something unique and slightly outside of people’s comfort zones can encourage them to come together in new ways.

It’s not a splurge – it’s an investment. You don’t have to book fancy, expensive trips or experiences, but don’t skimp either. Be willing to make a real investment. At the end of the day, it is a totally worthwhile investment, and the team will feel appreciated.

Keep the positive energy going at the office. Most team-building falls flat because it’s a one-time activity – done and then forgotten. It’s key to find ways to keep the excitement going. The challenge is creating opportunities for people to connect and interact in meaningful ways, outside of regular meetings or presentations.

One way to do this is to take a gratitude break. Save a few minutes after a team meeting for team members to share a quick appreciation. Don’t overthink it. It can be as simple as, “I’m grateful to Sarah for making the coffee extra strong this morning,” or “Thanks to Tom for helping me organize my presentation files so I could be more efficient during our training.”

How do you know you’ve gotten team building right? If there was laughter, a sense of excitement and accomplishment, and maybe a few Instagram moments, you’re definitely on the right track! Still feeling stuck? Contact Learning & Organization Development for more ideas.

References:
Forbes (2016, Mar 9) Brian Scudamore: Why Team Building is the Most Important Investment You’ll Make

Effective communication is crucial to fostering a positive relationship between leaders and employees. It can show employees they are valued and heard, improving employee satisfaction and retention. Conversely, poor communication can lead to workplace inefficiencies, foster employee discontent, and create engagement and retention issues.

There are many ways for leaders to connect with employees to enhance engagement, and productivity. The most effective communication strategy is tailored to align with an organization and its employees’ unique goals and needs. Try out these tips and see what a difference a focus on good communications can make.

Communicate what you can. Whether it’s an emerging opportunity, a tricky issue, or an upcoming change, communicate early about what you know – and what you don’t yet know. If you can’t talk about a specific element, say what you can and explain why you can’t say more.

Respect the privacy of others. When sharing sensitive information, make sure it is only passed on to relevant people, and that they understand it is not meant for further distribution internally and externally.

Check for understanding. We make assumptions that we have communicated clearly, and at the same time we’re reluctant to check for understanding for fear of being seen as condescending.

Don’t over-play the upside. When you need to deliver challenging news to your team, play it straight and don’t sugarcoat the facts. Be sensitive to the effect on individuals, but don’t try to shield them by vagueness or making the positives bigger than they really are while not explaining the potential downsides.

Identify the goal. Overloading employees with information that isn’t relevant to them can irritate or confuse them, decreasing engagement. Instead, craft pertinent communications by asking yourself who your desired audience is, what information they need and what, if anything, you want your employees to do differently after the communication.

Understand the audience. To engage employees, you must communicate to your desired audience, focusing on tone, transparency, and delivery. Also, consider your audience when determining the appropriate channels for communication (e.g., meetings, emails, etc.).

Create avenues for employee feedback or questions. Boost employee engagement by creating two-way communication channels. This shows employees their opinions are valued and may have the added benefit of providing you with new ideas for future improvements. Foster open communication by:

• Allowing time for employees to ask questions or discuss things at the end of meetings.
• Conducting periodic and anonymous employee opinion polls
• Having an open-door policy at all managerial levels.

The more openly and effectively everyone in the workplace communicates, the less likely you are to sit with conflicts arising from misunderstanding. This translates into better morale and higher levels of motivation; and a highly motivated workplace is a productive workplace.

References:
Hausmann Group (2024, Feb 2): Common Employee Communication Mistakes to Avoid
CEO Magazine (2024, June 19) Neryl East: How to Avoid the Five Most Common Communication Blunders
NetGuru (2023, Oct 17) Chris Meier: Avoiding Common Workplace Communication Mistakes

Employee engagement has taken a hit over the past few years. Since the pandemic–and likely predating it – trends such as quiet quitting and coffee badging have plagued the workplace, affecting company culture and productivity.

A recent Gallup survey found that in 2023, only 33 percent of employees were engaged in their work, while 50 percent of employees surveyed were not engaged and 18 percent were actively disengaged.

Increasing motivation and engagement hinges on a basic understanding of why employees are disengaged in the first place. Here are a few tips for enhancing motivation and engagement backed by behavioral science and tailored to today’s trends.

1. Elevate intrinsic motivation and fuel behavior from the bottom up. Being “intrinsically motivated” means being motivated by internal factors–one’s values, connection to a mission, a sense of meaning and purpose, or pure enjoyment of the work–rather than external factors such as fear of ridicule, losing one’s job, social judgment, or even positive factors such as raises or bonuses.
   • Find out what’s important to them. How do their values overlap with those of the company or the work they’re doing?
   • Give employees some degree of input and autonomy over their work. The greatest way to engage people is to include them.
   • Collaboratively form a plan and follow up. Keep them connected to the “why” behind their plan connecting it back to values.

2. Supercharge connection and team collaboration. Positive social relationships at work are important contributors to job satisfaction and engagement. Consider engaging your team in team-building exercises specifically designed to enhance collaboration.

3. Make your employees feel cared about.
   • Say it outright. Simply tell your employees how much you care about their well-being. You might be surprised how far this can go.
   • Listen deeply. Create space for employees to express their concerns.
   • Implement feedback or say why you can’t. It is important for employees to feel heard and that you empathize with their concerns, even if nothing can change at the moment.

4. Be transparent to deepen trust. Be honest with your employees and keep them informed about what is happening in the organization, even if it’s news they won’t necessarily like.

To have an energized and motivated workforce, organizations need to shift their emphasis from getting more out of people to putting more into them. By turning up the dial on transparency, empathy, social connection, and intrinsic motivation, you are more likely to create an atmosphere where engagement is high, and your organization can move closer to its higher potential.

References:
Inc. (2024, March 4) Matthew Goodman: 4 Ways to Engage with and Motivate Your Employees in 2024
CEO Magazine (2024, July 16) Lisa O’Neill: How to Keep Your Team Energetic and Engaged