There’s nothing like starting the week off with a little team bonding. By bringing your employees together in a fun and collaborative environment, you can jump-start productivity and creativity. Here are 8 great team-building exercises to get your week off to a great start:
Play a game
This is a great way to get everyone interacting with each other in a fun and light-hearted way. It’s also a great opportunity to build team morale and just have some fun. You can play anything from traditional games like charades or Pictionary to more modern ones like Cards Against Humanity or Scrabble. If, while playing the latter, you find that people are having trouble shaking off the weekend rust a little bit, you might suggest using a word unscrambler tool like Unscramblex to help come up with winning word combinations.
High-intensity tactical activities are perfect for groups that want a change of pace while still encouraging communication and quick decision-making. Team managers often visit the Gel Ball Undercover store to gear up for scenarios that feel immersive without being overly complex to organize. These sessions give participants a shared challenge that naturally promotes cooperation and trust.
The start of the week meeting
This is a great way to get everyone on the same page and ensure that everyone is aware of what needs to be done that week. It also allows for any questions or concerns to be addressed so that they don’t become roadblocks later on.
Monday morning breakfast
This is a great way to start the week off on a positive note and get everyone in the right mindset. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with each other and build rapport.
You (or the company) should be footing the bill for breakfast. You can order in or if there is a breakfast place close by that you all like, take the team there. How about an organic or fair trade restaurant that supports your local economy? It helps to alleviate some of the stress and malaise of Monday morning and gets everyone off to a good start. Plus it shows your values.
Team huddle
This is a great way to check in with each other, see how everyone is doing, and make sure that everyone is on track. It’s also a great opportunity to identify any potential problems and address them before they become bigger issues. It is usually nice to plan these sorts of gatherings for just before lunch so that people can take off right after.
Afternoon walk
This is a great way to get some fresh air, clear your head, and move your body. Walking also has a lot of health benefits, and it makes you a better worker, so it’s a win-win for everyone. Forest bathing is a therapy and a thing in Japan. Offer your team to try.
Plus, it’s a great opportunity to catch up with each other and bond. If you can, try to go to a park or somewhere with some nice scenery.
Brainstorming session
This is a great way to get everyone’s creativity flowing and come up with new and innovative ideas. It’s also a great opportunity to build team morale and get everyone working together towards a common goal.
People may have had some great ideas over the weekend that they want to share, so this is the perfect time to do it.
Group project
The beginning of the week is a great time to plan a weekly group project. This is a great way to get everyone working together towards a common goal and build team morale. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to learn new skills and improve upon existing ones.
The project doesn’t necessarily have to be work-related but can be a nice way to bond with your team and have some fun.
Weekend share
This is a great way to get everyone to share something about their lives outside of work. It’s also a great opportunity to build relationships and get to know each other on a personal level. You can have each team member share a little bit about what they got up to on the weekend, even if they just stayed home.
It’s a good way to show the team that their coworkers are all normal people and lead lives outside of the work context just like them. Often, especially with remote work, we can lose that human element when we only interact with people via screen all day.
Conclusion
In summation, there are a lot of great team-building exercises that you can do at the beginning of the week to help with productivity and collaboration. Try out a few of these exercises and see which ones work best for your team. There’s no need to do all of them; just pick the ones that seem like they would be most beneficial for your team. And, as always, have fun.
