Importance of Team Building & Online Games for Employees

November 7, 2022

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Whenever employees interact as one unit it raises their motivation and efficiency, just like in team sports.

It is more than just work. Colleagues become close friends and people enjoy going to work, developing positive team morale.

Some became friends over playing blackjack online games, others enjoyed the additional team-building measures on offer.

But sometimes it is a long way to go there for employers. So, this article aims at showing you the way but also solutions to possible issues.

Teambuilding: The five phases of group building

what-are-the-five-phases-of-team-building When putting together a team, important basic requirements must be taken into account. The size of the group or its technical focus is not the only key to the successful implementation of a project or the achievement of set goals. For the well-known team spirit to develop at all, a team must first grow together and learn to trust each other.

For this reason, many companies rely on team-building measures that are designed to achieve precisely this.

According to the model developed by psychologist Bruce Wayne Tuckman in 1965, five phases have been distinguished that lead to group formation:

1. Orientation phase

In this phase, the members of the group feel each other out. There is an initial getting to know each other with the attempt to create the first feeling of togetherness between the colleagues. Communication in a relaxed atmosphere is important in this phase.

2. Confrontation phase

This phase is characterized by self-expression and group formation. The team members of the group try to gain influence and power.

3. Cooperation phase

In the third phase, there is a clear distribution of roles. The goal here is to develop a cooperative environment and a “we” feeling in the group.

4. Growth phase

In this phase, the members of the group realize that they can achieve more as a team than alone. Each team member is given a task based on talent and ability, but cooperation is still the primary focus.

5. Dissolution Phase

It was not until twelve years later that Tuckman added this phrase to his model. In this phase, the team disbands, allowing feelings of farewell and departure to prevail. Knowledge and experience are carried over into later projects.

Tuckman’s model serves as a framework for many team-building activities: Depending on how far a group has already grown together, the corresponding activities and measures are specifically oriented to the needs of the team. These phases are also valid for remote teams.

What to consider for Online Games for remote Team Building?

“Play is not a gimmick. It has high seriousness and deep meaning.” This Friedrich Froebel quote originally referred to children’s play and applies to the adult world.

After all, in the history of mankind, play with all its facets has always played a supporting role. Nowadays, games have established themselves for team building and professional employee management in professional life.

If you are looking for ideas for team building, you will find a wide range of possibilities and offers. Among them are for example:

Movement-intensive games,
Cooperation games,
brain games,
role-playing games and strategy games.

Many of these ideas are easy to implement online with various interactive video and gaming software such as “Just Dance” for example. They combine competitions and collaborations in an active and fun way that makes the team building almost feel like a party.

On the surface, team events are dismissed by many employers as fun events. With such a half-hearted attitude, the team building success is correspondingly low. Of course, team-building games can and should be fun and have a certain entertainment value. Only then will employees play along willingly.

Ultimately, however, the activities should promote team development. Therefore, the team’s development phase must be taken into account when selecting and organizing team-building activities. The composition of the group, the average age, and physical requirements also play a not insignificant role.

Creative Online Game Ideas to play with Staff

creative-online-game-ideas-to-play-with-staff-for-team-building There are many online games you can play. Since the Covid pandemic, the online regime has become ever more important. So here are some suggestions for you:

Video Charades: this actually explains itself. This way it is just online, and you can even use a word generator. Including every topic or just some. But for sure you will notice how different your colleagues are. Which makes the get-to-know phase even more interesting.
Photo of your Life Challenge: Here every member can pick a photo of themselves, show it to the others, and explain why they think this photo summarises their life best. For sure one needs creativity for this one, but it is a lot of fun.

As you can see, remote team building doesn’t require a big budget or expensive software. Hopefully, you’re inspired to bring more fun to your remote teams with weekly online gaming and team-building sessions after work.

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Christy Bella: Blogger by Passion | Contributor to many Business Blogs in the United Kingdom | Fascinated to Write Blogs in Business & Startup Niches