With summer having only just passed and Halloween still a couple of weeks away, most companies and people are just starting to focus on the upcoming Christmas and the festive holiday season.
If your organization is planning on hosting a corporate team building event for your employees, now is the time to act.
Christmas Day is now just a little over two months away, and, to realize all the benefits that a Christmas team building exercise can bring your company, it’s essential that you start planning now.
A well-planned out team building event over the festive holiday season can improve communication within your company, increase collaboration among employees, encourage the flow of ideas and innovation, strengthen relationships between your staff, ensure employees are working towards a common goal and reduce workplace conflict.
Whether you have a vague idea of the type of team building you want to host this Christmas, or if you have no idea at all, Teambonders has created a list of six team building exercises that are a great success throughout the holiday season.
1 - Team building for a charitable cause
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is, rightfully so, a huge driving force of company culture in the modern era. In fact, CSR initiatives are not only highly rewarding for the businesses that undertake them, but also for the employees that are involved in them.
That’s why giving your employees the opportunity to give something back this Christmas, is a fantastic way to strengthen relationships within your office. Corporate events such as bicycle building, building toys for children and wheelchair building are all amazing ways to bring your team together and give something back to your local community.
2 - Decorate your office
This may sound simple, but decorating your office is a great way to lift your employee’s spirits during the festive season. Not only will it show that you value every member of your team, but it’s also a great way to celebrate your staff’s hard work over the past year.
By giving your staff members a few hours off to decorate the office together, you’ll not only create a company culture in which employees look forward to the festive season each year, but you’ll also help workers connect with each other on a personal level outside of daily work-related communications.
3 - Head out for a Christmas meal
Restaurants across North America all host corporate events during the holiday season. Taking your team out for a festive dinner will allow you to show them just how much you value the work they do for your organization.
It doesn’t need to be anything too formal or expensive. Taking your team out for a meal before the Christmas season will reinforce and encourage them to connect with each other on a more personal level, outside of the office.
4 - Secret Santa
It’s one of the cheesiest events you can hold during the festive period, but whether it’s Christmas jumper day, watching a Christmas movie or listening to your favourite Xmas song, there’s something cheesy about Christmas in general. That’s why secret Santa is a great idea.
Of course, you shouldn’t force everyone in your team to get involved if they don’t want to. But by encouraging your employees to pull a name out of a hat and buy a cheap (but fun) gift for that person, you’ll be allowing your team not only to have fun - but also bond with people they might not usually talk to outside of work conversations.
5 - Host a corporate event
There’s no more effective method of bringing your team together to bond than a corporate team building event. Hosting a day-long event will help improve communication, nurture friendly competition, develop confidence among all your staff members, build loyalty for your organization, improve your company culture and much more.
The benefits of a team bonding event will be huge for your organization, leading to improved employee productivity, better collaboration, establishing your company as a top brand to work for and, ultimately, higher profits.
Are you looking for a professional event planner that can help you create a world-class Christmas team building event, that will raise the spirits and productivity of your hard-working employees? Teambonders is here to help. Contact us today, we would be more than happy to answer any team building questions you have.
