After a Long Winter, Throw a Spring Team Building Party

Whatever industry you are in, chances are the winter was a rough one. Not only are there holiday-specific stresses like Christmas sales and New Year’s slumps, but also the season itself can be a real morale deflator. The frigid winds and slushy roads make going to work just that much more difficult.

It’s important therefore, to celebrate the beginning of better things. The sun is just start to peak out from beneath the clouds, and the snow has all but melted from the roads and sidewalks. What better time to express your gratitude and reward your employees with a fun team building exercise.

Team building exercises don’t need to be corny; they don’t need to be the old “trust fall” or “sharing circle” of yesteryear. In fact, they definitely shouldn’t be. A team building party should bring people together in a fun and constructive way, to celebrate a job well done and look ahead to a productive summer.

Why You Need a Team Building Party

Team building isn’t just about rewarding your employees – it’s also a smart investment. Employees who feel they are part of a fun culture, one that takes care of them and rewards them for their hard work, are more likely to stick around. They’re also more likely to remain productive. Expressed another way, if you neglect to focus on team building, you risk employee turnover and reduced productivity, both of which will cost your business way more than a simple party.

Spring is the Perfect Time for Team Building

As mentioned, you have to look for the times at which morale might be the lowest – the times at which a party is most needed. Sure, Christmas parties and mid-summer parties are great, but they don’t address low morale directly. Throwing a team building party just as the weather starts to improve means you get ahead of low morale, and ensure a more productive – and positive – second and third quarter.

Activities for Spring Team Building

When you think spring, think fun. More specifically, think of something that’s trendy, unconventional and exciting – axe throwing is an awesome group event for this reason, since it combines the edginess (no pun intended) of an extreme sport with the baseline likeability of something like bowling. Your employees are forced to learn a new skill, which teaches them to act on their toes, and they get to compete with one another in a safe, acceptable atmosphere. There’s a reason why the new sport has caught on like wildfire.

Another activity worth trying, one that really celebrates the season, is a scavenger hunt. Weather permitting, you hide various goodies across town, or in a designated park, and your employees have to work in teams to track everything down. Again, there’s a light atmosphere of competition, but you’re also getting outdoors and rewarding employees with earned prizes. There are a number of premade scavenger hunt ideas online, just be sure to search specifically for teambuilding exercises.

The winter is finally over, and the sun is out. To boost morale, show your appreciation, build camaraderie and boost productivity, throw a fun team building party this spring.