Companies who invest in staff relationships find success in terms of happier employees, more productivity and profits, and the ability to attract and retain top talent.
Investing in fun team-building activities on a regular basis is an effective way many firms create an energized, cooperative company culture. Strong staff relationships drive company success. So long as your staff overall love where they work, your company will likely be successful.
Here are some fun interactive activities ready for 2017, many of which were inspired by clients who came to us seeking something different, or something new.
Humans Vs. Zombies
If you or your staff sometimes feel like the walking dead, this interactive game not only offers parallels to tedious work projects, but team players get energized and ready to face the next work challenge. Zombie wars began on American college campuses. A corporate version of the game evolved when a client came to us seeking a zombie game for her sales team. Armed with Nerf guns, corporate execs are fearless when facing the walking dead. In this game, if anyone on the team is captured by the zombies, they may become one unless the team finds the antidote to the zombie virus.
Escape the Room
Problem-solving and performance under pressure take center stage in this interactive activity. Your team will be “trapped” in a meeting room, under deadline pressure to solve a mystery in order to escape to freedom. This game is popular with meetings involving classroom sessions. It breaks the tedium and allows teams a fun game to solve problems in new ways.
Zero G Shenanigans
From wind tunnels to skydiving, nothing says “get out of the office” like getting out of your gravitational comfort zone. This game is often part of a series of activities for annual meetings, and involves that gravitational machine you’ve seen at carnival events.
Paintfest
Painting bars are trending – you know, those little shops where you can bring or buy wine and sit at a bar supplied with canvas and paint to create your own masterpiece? Well, this idea has gone corporate. In Venture Up’s case, an expert painter leads the way as team members, supplied with all the finest tools, create their own design, or one that’s company-inspired. Companies often use in-house artists to outline a large mural, or set of canvasses to be combined. Finally, everyone can relax and enjoy creating art, without an ounce of competition.
Jam Session
You don’t need a bonfire and bongos to find the musical genius in your team members. Jams Sessions can involve a mix of instruments or just a few, and can be held indoors or outside. No music experience is necessary. The program can be designed with a fun rhythm in line with a popular tune, or one that supports the company’s purpose for the meeting.
Engineer-off
You’re never too old to build go-carts or to be a kid again. Building things brings out the inner child in everyone. This program, designed to challenge techies of all types, challenges teams to build cars, hovercrafts, robots or other gadgets to display at the meeting and bring home for exhibit or play.
Field Day!
In elementary school, field day was like all-day recess. Field Day activities can range from athletic to silly. When’s the last time you hopped across a finish line in a burlap bag? Even the shyest team member lightens up when it comes to games they played at summer camp. There’s nothing technical about having fun, which is what every — and we mean every — client wants.
Giving Back
The importance of giving back cannot be over-stated when it comes to a positive corporate culture. Venture Up offers countless CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities to engage your staff with your community. Hands-on service activities are filling the schedule for 2017. These programs range from food packing events, to litter removal, to projects for kids in hospitals. Making a positive difference is always a meaningful team activity that profits everyone.