Team Building Activities for Managers

With this transition comes new opportunities for team building. As many of our staff members have used video conferencing platforms for the past year in order to connect with team members, a return to in-person brainstorming sessions may be a welcome addition! We have put together this list of quick team building activities that supervisors and staff members can utilize.

Walking meetings. Think of new ways to conduct your meetings, which may appeal to different colleagues. If they are amenable, invite them to a “walking meeting,” where you may take a short trip around campus. This type of meeting is best conducted when it is between only two people, but can have a significant impact. Walking has been shown to provide a critical boost to your well-being, engagement, and overall health.

Build in a consistent timeline of virtual and in-person meetings. While many of our staff members may move away from primarily virtual meetings, these types of meetings may still have a place. In order to support staff members that may be either in the office or working remotely, ensure that meetings have a flexible virtual option, if possible.. Additionally, if you are a supervisor, try to create a consistent schedule of virtual meetings, so that staff members are always together on a video call at least once a month.  

Create an office game happy hour. Creating an in-person office happy hour may help your colleagues become comfortable within the office space again, if they have been primarily remote. Scheduling an office game happy hour may help to relieve stress, and build community among your staff. Helpful games include trivia or Jeopardy. 

Build in coffee talks. Ensure that your team has a “watercooler chat” scheduled, whether in-person or virtually. These informal chats can help employees feel less isolated if they are working remotely often, or can help create a space for employees to connect frequently, if the team is a mixture of employees remote and in-office.

Celebrate “two successes, one goal.” At least once a month, gather your employees together and ask them to highlight two successes they have accomplished that month, and one goal for the coming month. These successes and goals can be however big or small needed - the focus is on celebrating the work, and giving employees room to highlight their accomplishments.