How can remote teams bond through team building games?

As the world continues to evolve, remote teams have become widely accepted in many organizations. Working from home or any other location has become the norm for many employees, but it’s not without its challenges. One of the primary challenges of remote teams is building a strong bond among team members. This challenge is due to their lack of proximity to each other and the isolation that can come from working in separate locations. The good news is that there are team building games that can help remote teams bond and foster better relationships, which will ultimately lead to increased productivity and success.

Why Team Building Games are Important for Remote Teams

Working remotely can be lonely, and team building games are crucial in helping to foster collaboration and meaningful relationships. Without team building activities, remote teams often have no means of connecting beyond work-related tasks. As a result, employees become disengaged, feeling undervalued, and without a sense of camaraderie that in-office teams have.

Furthermore, remote teams need specific strategies for building, maintaining, and strengthening their bonds that in-office teams already have. The challenge is that remote teams don’t have the luxury of impromptu meetings in the break room or at the water cooler, which can contribute to relationship building. In light of this, remote teams must find ways to bond with team-building games that will help them create and sustain working relationships.

These games also help employers ensure productivity and a harmonious team. When teams members get to know each other better, they connect deeply, creating a sense of responsibility for their work. They want to succeed together and put their best foot forward in everything they do when they have strong interpersonal relationships.

The Benefits of Team Building Games for Remote Teams

1. Improves Productivity-When a team is engaged, and group morale is high, they tend to be more productive. Team building games serve as an avenue for keeping the team excited about their work, which leads to an increase in productivity levels.

2. Encourages Communication- Communication is paramount for any team working remotely or on-site. Team building games are a perfect way to develop communication skills within the team. These games encourage members to communicate more effectively, collaborate better, and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

3. Fosters Trust- Trust is vital for any team. When team members trust one another, they work better together, collaborate more efficiently, and communicate more openly. Team-building games serve as a perfect platform for building and fostering trust within the team.

4. Facilitates Creativity- When team members have an excellent relationship, they feel more comfortable to be themselves. This level of comfort allows them to think boldly and creatively, contributing new ideas to their work. Team-building games help to unlock this creativity.

5. Rewards Positive Behavior- Team building games offer a great opportunity for rewarding positive behavior. This incentive model is a powerful way to motivate team members; they see that their good behavior is acknowledged, leading to more and better behavior.

Best Team Building Games for Remote Teams

1. Two Truths and a Lie- This game is an exciting icebreaker that can help team members get to know each other. Each team member writes two true statements and one lie about themselves. The other team members then guess which statement is the lie.

2. Virtual Scavenger Hunt- This game involves creating a list of virtual items that team members must find or identify on their computer or smartphone. The first team member to find everything on the list wins.

3. The Great Egg Drop Challenge- This game encourages creativity and teamwork. Each team receives an egg and limited materials to protect it from breaking after being dropped. The team that protects the egg and prevents it from breaking the most number of times, wins.

4. Trivia Games- Trivia games are a fun way to learn about each other while keeping things light and entertaining. Design a customized trivia game for the team based on personal and professional interests.

5. Virtual Escape Room- Virtual escape rooms are an excellent way for teams to work together and solve problems collaboratively. With many escape rooms to choose from, teams can select their preferred difficulty levels, themes and work towards solving the puzzles.

The Importance of Reinforcement

After team-building games, it’s essential to reinforce previously instilled behavioral patterns. Leaders can use a reward-based system to encourage a culture of positive behavior among the team. Positive behavior reinforcement works as a motivator moving forward. The best way to ensure that team building games’ positive impact continues over time is by building a daily culture, that is reinforced through ‘out of work’ activities like team-building games, in order to generate relationships that will foster a lifelong bond among the team members.

Conclusion

Remote teams are increasingly becoming popular, especially in the era of COVID-19. Building successful remote teams requires effort from both employees and employers. Building team relationships is a continuous process that requires time and effort. Team-building games are great tools for creating, maintaining, and strengthening relationships within remote teams. However, it’s crucial that there is a full realization of the importance of team-building games in engendering trust, developing communication strategies, and creating an engaged team. By fostering these crucial relationships, remote teams can collaborate with equal or even greater effectiveness than in-office teams, generating real success and productivity.