Why quality team building is the most important investment you'll ever make

Team building is one of the most rewarding investments you can make. It boosts company culture, and leads to measurable improvement in core skills. So next time a colleague rolls their eyes when you mention team building events, remind them of these long-term benefits.

Build trust

If done effectively, team building can create trust, improve communication, and encourage collaboration. And testing out different types of team building events, many of which offer fun, challenging ways to promote these skills, can generate positive vibes amongst employees. Better-engaged employees are good for company culture, and we all know what culturally engaged employees mean for the bottom line. A big boost.

Remember: don't enforce the corporate stuff

It's important to ensure that team building doesn't feel like just another day at the office, albeit in a different location. Activities that aim to push corporate objectives can be far less powerful and effective than employee - focused away days. The ultimate aim is for your employees to spend time together, share an experience, or work towards a common goal that allows bonding to happen organically. At Off Limits Event Professionals we have a host of activities on offer that encourage fun and laughter. It's a Knockout is still one of our clients' best-loved corporate team building events - it's unique, totally unforgettable and a real scream. We own all of the original inflatable costumes and games from the original TV series, and can put on an It's a Knockout challenge anywhere there's a suitable outdoor space. It's the ultimate throwback event for a whole generation of our corporate clients!

Foster creativity and imagination

Employees tend to have greater imaginative reach when they're surrounded by other employees with whom they feel comfortable. Creative team building events bring people closer together, and encourage imaginative thinking: this can lead to successful and innovative workplace ideas. The Picasso Picture Show event, for example, allows clients to unleash their inner artistic flair while illustrating how individuals can contribute to the bigger picture.

Improve mental health

According to the leading provider of adult and social care services Making Space, 1 in 5 people take a day off work due to stress. The topic of mental health problems is a hot button: with stress on the rise, and stress-related absence becoming increasingly common, it's important to keep mental health in check: particularly when spending long hours in the work environment. Low workplace morale can lead to poor co-operation, low productivity and unhappy employees. At Off Limits Event Professionals we have designed a number of Mindfulness and well-being-based team building activities to help combat stress, increase awareness and improve the work-life balance. The activities cover a whole array of Mindfulness topics, from nutrition and body scanning to artistic expression. Try Balanced Bites, Bollywood Boost, Comedy Class, Health in Mind, Stress Buster Session, and The Art Of Being Arty to inspire employees to focus and think more positively. 

Keeping the momentum from a team-building event

To get the best from your team building event, it's important to avoid thinking of it as a ‘one-off' activity. Keep the momentum going after the event. At Off Limits Event Professionals, we live what we sell. Team building is a priority for employees, and every week we celebrate with our ‘Friday Fun' session. Employees participate in testing new team building events and we all have plenty laughs along the way! We recently tested ourselves on our new Quiz Master game, Zorbing, and Blindfold Synchronised Swimming. We're not going to tell you who won, but suffice to say we in the Marketing Department were not ashamed of our performance... 

Ultimately it's no surprise that improved communication and collaboration skills are the biggest sell for people looking at team building events. A successful event and solid follow-up, make for a more comfortable and prosperous workplace environment for any company. 

So the big question is: how do you know if you've got your team building right? If there's excitement, accomplishment, and laughter during and after the event then a positive response has been achieved. And that's worth its weight in gold. Team building events are worth the investment as they can provide upbeat and powerful experiences for individuals at all corporate levels—and satisfied individuals make for a better company. 

Have you experienced positive outcomes from team building investment? We'd love to hear from you on LinkedIn or Twitter.