Picture this: Your team building activities are just around the corner. Attendees are starting to discuss plans and agendas with each other. Anticipation is building for the “big day”. But this doesn’t guarantee anticipation is positive. When you picture your employees discussing your event, are they excited or groaning? Are they sharing memories of past team building activities gone wrong (or worse, gone nowhere with the most boring of activities?) Or are they reminiscing about the excitement that accompanied previous events and eager for the day to arrive?
If you aren’t sure which feeling your attendees share or if you are pretty sure everyone is grumbling about the next boring activity the company dreamed up, it is time to right the ship and get everyone on board with a serious infusion of positivity. To ensure positivity in your team building activities–and in your workplace in general, make sure to include the following.
Worthwhile And Memorable Team Building Activities
It is hard to remain negative or bored when an activity is actually fun and worthwhile. Whatever your reservations have been in the past that kept you squarely in the “boring team building event” category, it is time to shake things up. One of the more common reasons for not creating engaging events is perceived cost differences. After all, exciting and fun activities usually include elements that have a larger price tag than a boring continental breakfast and a PA system. However, if you’re not getting the results you want from your team building activities, no cost savings will make up for no return on investment.
Identify Your Event Evangelists
Take a page out of the book of teachers and group facilitators and identify your key supporters immediately. There will always be natural detractors and natural supporters. If you can identify the people most likely to be excited about your upcoming event, you can enlist them to help spread positivity among others. Get them on board early so they can have the most pre-event impact on attendees possible.
Avoid The Mandatory Work Vibe In Communications
Yes, your team has to attend. Of course they do, otherwise it likely wouldn’t be particularly effective. But try to avoid stark or overly controlling verbiage in your communications. This will help remove the “must do this for work” feel from it and allow your guests to embrace the opportunity to enjoy the day rather than see it as a major obligation. If possible, limit the rules and expectations for attendees and reduce the pressure to balance other work by being out of the office for the day.
In short, keep in mind that the more positivity you can include in your pre-event communications, the more likely you are to have attendees engaged and willing to get the best results out of the day. Of course, the right event will also inspire attendees to attain maximum positivity as well!