What drives your business? Is it strategies, methods, operations, management? No! It is people! People are the key to all successful businesses. There is so much truth to the phrase “No man is an island entire of itself: every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” (John Donne 1624). Your staff must work together to create a growing dynamic business. For your business to thrive your employees must be happy and engaged. This blog post will explore team building employee engagement ideas to encourage and motivate your staff. Many of these themes can be done as Virtual Events. By learning to identify both good and poor performance and learning how to encourage your staff to optimize the goals and mission statement of your company will maximize your growth in the marketplace. You will be presented with the tools necessary to create a safe and trusting environment to keep your employees productive and content. By investing in employee wellbeing your company will take on a new life!
1. Employee Engagement Initiatives for Personal Growth
Personal development is essential to career growth. There are many employee engagement games that can be used to enable your staff to attain and sustain personal growth. For instance, public speaking is scary for most people. This is the ideal scenario to bring in a life coach to teach the art of public speaking. Each team member is assigned a task of delivering a 150-word speech to the rest of the group. This team building event takes place in a safe, non-threatening environment thus giving each member of the staff an opportunity to practice public speaking.
2. Creative Ways to Engage Employees through Feedback
Let’s circle back to the personal growth of employees. Feedback is necessary for growth. Have your group sit in a circle with the coach moderating and ask the team for feedback for each speaker both negative and positive. This critique should be constructive thus encouraging individuals to attempt public speaking on a regular basis.
3. Make Work Fun with Employee Engagement Games
Setting aside some time during a busy and stressful day relieves stress and monotony. One of the most popular team building games is Two Truths & a Lie. In this classic game each person must state two things about themselves that are true and one that is believable but made up. You will be amazed at your staff’s imagination. So much fun!
4. Reward your Staff with Employee Engagement Ideas
Picture this. November 1, 2019. Your sales staff is stressed with trying to meet their quotas. The warehouse people are frantic trying to get the orders out in time. The accounting department is under pressure to get invoicing completed before the deadline. Dressed in white lab coats and carrying special chairs are the “stress busters”. Every employee will receive a 20-minute rejuvenating neck and shoulder massage. Is this not the best creative way to engage employees and thank them for a job well done?
5. Staff Engagement Ideas Outside of the Office
It is difficult to focus on team building ideas at the office with the distraction of emails, conference calls etc. Plan a work-free day at an Escape Room. Transport your staff into a different dimension in time. Teams must work together to find clues to release them from being stranded in a foreign space. This team building outing engages employees to work together towards a common goal and in turn will build a stronger bond in the workplace.
6. Engagement Ideas for Work with Themed Office Days
Having fun at work encourages employee engagement. Let one department choose a different theme once a month. Allow a budget that the department must work with. For example, the theme could be “The Circus is in Town”. Everyone must wear something relating to the circus and with the given budget the department can hire a Balloon Twisting Clown or a fabulous Circus Stilt Walker. At the end of the year the staff can vote on the best Themed Idea and award a prize to the winning department.
7. Team Engagement Ideas with Challenging Games
Nothing brings people together better than games. These activities can be a simple as setting up a spare office as a games room with various board games to something much more complex such a Family Feud or Ultimate Trivia. These are just a few of the exciting team building games that challenge people’s knowledge and skills. Electronic games such as Strike a Light or the fast-paced Warp Speed draw crowds with flashing lights and great sound effects. These games may be played at a venue or onsite!
8. Engagement Ideas for Work Focusing on Movement
We spend so much time sitting doing our jobs that we need to remind ourselves to get up and move about. Consider bringing in activity type of games to the office to encourage your staff to get some exercise in a competitive but fun way. A portable mini golf course is perfect for avid golfers to practice their putting skills to the novice golfer who just wants to goof around! Another great idea is rock climbing. If you have the space a rock-climbing wall can be rented and installed onsite. Alternatively, this could be a marvelous outing for your staff at a rock-climbing venue. Either way, your employees will have a great time.
9. Prevent Staff Burn Out with Employee Engagement Programs
Employee burnout is a serious threat to productivity in the workplace. However, with continuing programs designed to make your staff feel appreciated and needed this problem can be eliminated. Bringing in a civility trainer in the workplace on a regular basis can help overcome burnout. The cost of such programs is far negated by the positive results in fighting burnout.
10. Team Engagement Initiatives Through Pay Back Days
Giving back to the community is a powerful tool to encourage camaraderie and teamwork in the workplace. Bike building is a relatively new program where employees work in teams to build bikes which will be given to charity. The teams will be judged by creativity and the length of time it takes to build a bike. The winning team will be given a prize! However, the real prize is in the satisfaction that each team member feels when the bikes are donated.
11. Staff Engagement Ideas with Micro Events
Come on! You know you want it. We all love treats. And what a better way to show your staff that you appreciate all their hard work by treating them to some sweet and savory temptations. Ice cream carts and bicycles are always popular in the warmer months. Did you know that they can be branded with your logo? The smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies drifting up into the corporate offices tells your staff that you appreciate all you do for the company. If you prefer something savory try Lolly Waffles with melted cheese centers and marinara dipping sauce served on a stick. Is your mouth watering yet? For even more ideas try cotton candy/popcorn carts, a Vintage candy station or a mini donuts station to say, “Thank You folks for all your efforts”.
12. Physical Activity is a Great Engagement Idea for Work
An active workforce is a productive workforce. According to the World Health Organization, physical activity improves social relationships, work performance and reduces absenteeism from work. Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to set aside an unused area of the office and set up a yoga room where employees can enjoy a ½ hour of yoga led by a professional yoga instructor? Please don’t scoff at the next suggestion. Try dance lessons with a professional dance teacher. There is something about music and dance that elevates one’s mood which in turn will spill over into the workplace. Your staff will feel energized, creative and happy. That is what employee engagement is all about.
All the above employee engagement examples sound awesome. However, for them to be truly successful they are not just for staff. Owners and upper management should also partake in these programs. You and your entire staff work hard all year round. Show your appreciation by making sure that everyone can participate to the fullest. Hiring a professional Event Planner enables everyone to enjoy without having to do any planning and executing. The expenditure of money will pay back in priceless ways!
Eventfully yours,
Elayne Isenberg
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