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Employees that play together, stay together.
So far, you’ve learned about the importance of incorporating play and fun into the workday, and into meetings (add links). But what do you do if your team never came back to the office after COVID? Many companies opted to remain remote, forgoing traditional offices and allowing employees to work from anywhere with a strong internet connection. This is wonderfully convenient and saves tons of money in rent, but at what cost to the relationships within your organization?
Quarantine forced us to get creative, and you can continue that spirit by using imaginative ways to incorporate fun and encourage camaraderie among your employees.
How to Incorporate Fun When Your Employees Work Remotely
1. Organize in-person meetups. If you’ve got a pocket of employees in an area, organize an outing for them. From dinner to escape rooms, or axe-throwing to guided art projects, mix it up so there’s something for everyone. And remember, some of your employees may choose not to drink alcohol. Happy hours can be nice every once in a while, but you’d be better off finding something that everyone can enjoy.
2. Encourage volunteering and then schedule a debrief. If your employees are centrally located, you can set up a group volunteer day with a local nonprofit. However, if your employees are in different cities and time zones, allow them to volunteer on their own and then set up a virtual chat to discuss the experience and get others excited about their cause.
3. Host a game night. There are more virtual games than ever and getting your team together for a fun, no-shop-talk evening, can help foster teamwork and allow employees to get to know one another on a different level.
4. Play Show and Tell. Turn your Monday morning meeting into an opportunity for employees to share their lives with one another, rather than hosting a traditional “rah-rah” sales meeting. Learn about their families, their hobbies, their travel, their hopes, and their dreams.
5. Encourage “coffee dates” where employees can get to know each other either virtually or in-person on a more personal level.
Finally, pay. I know it’s kind of a blanket statement, but hear me out. You can’t expect people to hang out with coworkers without incentive. If you are hosting a meetup, cover the cost of the activity. If your employees are meeting for in-person coffee, pick up the tab. If they are getting together virtually, provide gift cards or send them specialty coffee beans so they can prepare their own beverage. If you’re going to volunteer route, give them paid time off to work a shift or two at their nonprofit of choice. The more you support their out-of-office activity, the more eager they’ll be to participate.
It’s time to turn up the fun and foster rockstar creativity within in your organization. For more tips on teambuilding and leadership, visit https://www.marvellessmark.com/.