Teambuilding During Meetings: How to Make It a Reality

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Hello, Ken Lear here!

Team building is an important part of creating a thriving work culture and an efficient team. However, it can become difficult to find a time when the entire team is free to participate in teambuilding exercises—so how are you supposed to bond with them? One trick you might try is taking advantage of the times you are all together, such as meetings, to hold teambuilding exercises and get to know your team.

Given that you’ll have a limited amount of time immediately before and after your meetings, your teambuilding activities should be short and effective. Below are a few examples of quick teambuilding exercises that are also really fun!

Two Truths and a Lie

This game allows you to get to know your team better in quite a few ways. The rules are simple: one nominated person will think of three things about themselves, two truthful and one a lie. Then, everyone else must attempt to pick out which of the three items is the lie.

This game is best played when the nominated person chooses ridiculous and unbelievable things for the game. Not only is this game a lot of fun, but it also allows your team to bond with each other and share exciting facts about themselves with the entire team.  

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Board Games

The short periods of time before and after meetings are perfect for playing one or two quick board games with the team. The biggest trick to accomplishing this without it devolving into a distracting exercise is to intelligently choose board games that are fast to play and where teamwork is present.

Keep in mind that there should be a set time limit for games, and that playing them isn’t appropriate before every single meeting. Most importantly, choose a game that can teach your team something that they can use in their work in some way. Some examples might include Checkers, Connect Four, Mancala, and Zombie Dice.

Just Talk!

It sounds obvious, but simply talking with your team can be one of the most effective teambuilding exercises. Try asking your team about their weekend, recent movies they have seen, or their hobbies and interests.

Think of this experience as similar to trying to make a new friend. Remember that you are still in a professional setting, but don’t be afraid to let your guard down and share a few chuckles with your team from time to time.

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Planning for Employee Motivation

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Hi, I’m Ken Lear.

Many employees go to work just to keep the bills paid, while others may love coming to work daily. For managers, this is information that we’re used to. There always will be people that don’t care much for their work, while others put in extra effort that isn’t necessary. There’s always an unpaid intern that works harder than paid staff, or the executive that works to the bone for nothing much in return. Putting effort into understanding what motivates your employees can be beneficial in the long run. Mainly, it will help you get the most out of the people that work for you.

As a manager, it’s not all about building motivation within an employee; it’s also important to build a motivating environment. Your business should cater to professionals, and have factors that make them enjoy working for your company. Make the atmosphere of the company Motivating employees for success requires enthusiasm and drive. An environment that promotes this is the key to retaining great employees.

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Although it’s common to think that employees leave companies due to low morale or dissatisfaction with the work itself, most of the time it is their relationships with management. Through understanding how to motivate an employee and nurture their strengths, customer retention can be easy. Employees love coming to work and not having to stress about bad managers or leaders. Make an effort to create relationships that last with your employees; if you don’t, you can run the risk of losing your best employees.

It’s very important to let your team know that you value them. Whether in a casual conversation or a formal performance review, be sure to express positive feedback long with the constructive criticism. You never want to come across as a strict boss that only values hard work and success. Be the kind of manager that an employee feels comfortable talking to about anything, especially problems they have that might hinder their work ability. Good relationships with employees will ensure motivation.

A great way of motivating employees is aiding in developing their skills while still working. An employee wishes to grow and become a better professional, and providing training and advice is a big part of this. An employee will not be motivated to work for companies that they see as a dead end. With the appropriate support, employees can be motivated to be more knowledgeable and willing to put in the hard work.

Managers should be working toward motivating their employees on a regular basis. Even when we think that our employees are enjoying working for our company, they might be be hiding problems or their dissatisfaction. Developing deep relationships with employees while still creating a professional environment is key to motivating the work team. Keeping your employees motivated should always be a part of the daily work schedule.

How to Recruit a Talented Team

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Putting together a great team for a company is no easy task. If it was easy, everyone would have the best professionals working for them. Many people are not aware that the right people aren’t looking for a job, the job is looking for them. By practicing great ways to attract the best, you will be surprised at how quickly and effectively you can create an all-star team.

Build the Perfect Company Culture

It’s widely known that the best way to hire and keep top talent is to create a company culture that will draw the ideal employee. Set high performance standards for everyone, even those on the top of the food chain. Focus on avoiding the notion that work should be dreaded every day. If you can create a place that people are excited to come to every day, then you will have a chance to find the best talent around.

Network, Don’t Headhunt

Focusing on networking is key to land talent that fits a company’s culture better. Ensure employees really believe in your mission statement, and want to see it being fulfilled. They will then act as your company ambassadors, bringing in more professionals and commitment to growing your team.

Be Flexible

When discovering an professional that fits your company well but may not work out for the position, still put an effort into finding them a different place on the team. Understanding how to be flexible with hiring can fill in your different needs. Building cornerstones is the first step to putting together a crew that can succeed.

Learn How to Handle Your Competition

Know how to get the best talent to choose you over your competition. Showcase incentives of why working for you company is the better choice. Understanding and respecting competition is key to winning over the more talented; don’t just assume people will always choose you. Do everything possible to ensure that joining your team is the right decision.

Understand Exactly What Talent Wants

Attracting the best means having what the best wants. Make it known that your company is the best place to go to reach success. State your benefits and work expectations. Nobody is looking to be underpaid or overworked, no matter how great the job title might.  An undervalued employee will instantly undervalue your company.

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