In most business environments, employees are expected to perform at max capacity at all times. Managing deadlines, client calls and big projects are enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed and burnt out from time to time. In order for your employees to continue performing at high levels all the time, it’s important to give them times to relax too. One way to do this is to facilitate opportunities for your employees to bond with each other outside of the office.
Even though you work with the same people day in and day out, it can be hard to truly bond with your coworkers, especially if the only time you get to interact is at the coffee machine. Not only will getting your employees out of the office help their morale, it often helps them come up with better ideas to bring to work as well.
Team outings let the brain relax and promote collaboration and creativity. Often, getting outside of your normal space helps your brain to think in a new way. Coordinate your outing with your employees to find an activity that appeals to the majority. It could be an office-wide luncheon, a karaoke night, happy hour or family BBQ. Whatever the activity, make sure it aligns with the needs and wants of your employees.
Not only do team outings help to increase creativity, they also increase office cohesion. If your employees get along with each other outside of work, chances are they’ll work better together at work. Give employees the chance to get to know one another in a casual setting and they’ll use those bonds to help each in the office. At company outings, the normal hierarchy disappears and employees feel free to talk and laugh with their supervisors, even if they’re normally time around them.
Providing opportunities for your employees to interact with each other outside of work time helps to boost creativity and your employees to develop stronger relationships with each other. Though these out-of-office outings can be expensive, it’s a necessary investment that will pay off in time. Plus, it will make your employees happier, which will want them more productive.