Employee Mindset and Why it is Necessary to Fully Release Human Potential
- Teamwork, Virtual
- Author : Ian Cornett
- December 2, 2020
Teamwork occurs when individuals share information and work together to generate ideas and solutions to problems. A workforce that is teamwork-focused is less likely to experience organizational silos, and more inclined to collaborate on ways to meet company objectives. In fact, in a survey of CEOs, 86 percent named collaboration as a very important business skill in helping the company meet strategic goals.
Many organizations have realized this, and as such, have plans in place to encourage collaboration while working remotely. While some individuals are frequent collaborators who are naturally attracted to team-based work, others can be reluctant. While you can encourage teamwork while working remotely through collaboration technology, there is something else that can help take your efforts to the next level – virtual team-building.
To maximize the opportunity to build relationships and collaborate, it is important to find virtual team-building activities that are hands-on, interactive, experiential, and high-energy to boost participant engagement. With the right type of virtual team-building, the relationships built and lessons learned have an immediate impact, leading to more communication, better teamwork, and improved results. As virtual experiential team-building activities may be a new concept, we’re compiled some of our most frequently asked questions.
What Are Virtual Experiential Team-Building Activities?
Virtual experiential team-building activities combine immersive themed scenarios that mimic real-world challenges, with a tailored debrief that connects the lessons learned with the reality of the workplace – in this case, the benefits of collaborating while working remotely. Research has shown that learn-by-doing activities have a higher retention rate than most other presentation styles, meaning participants are more likely to remember the lessons of the activity and implement those while working remotely.
Why should I choose a virtual experiential team-building activity, which is new to me, over a speaker which I am very familiar with?
While speakers are typically storytellers and can be engaging in their delivery, a presentation is still a passive activity. As employees participate in a virtual team-building activity that is experiential, it creates an environment of learning that has participants actively listening, thinking, and solving problems instead of just passively absorbing information. With participant interaction and friendly competition, they are likely to stay engaged from start to finish.
What is the purpose of the theme?
While the theme of a virtual team-building activity makes it highly engaging and fun, it also serves to mask the connection to day-to-day work realities. This creates a safe environment for each person to bring their ideas and capabilities to bear on the team challenge, and learn more about one another’s strengths. Whether the theme is a space mission, a race through the jungle, or a challenge to solve a mystery, at the end of the virtual team-building session your participants will be shocked to find that amid all that fun, they learned something valuable and applicable to their lives at work while building relationships and trusts with their colleagues opening the doors to increased collaboration in the future.
How much time do you need to run an effective experiential activity?
Virtual experiential team-building activities range anywhere from 90-minutes to a few hours.
What is the typical response to a virtual experiential team-building activity?
Virtual experiential team-building activities are not only high energy, but the content is delivered in a fun, interactive, and relevant way that speaks to every learning style, appealing to everyone from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. Regardless of what your participant makeup is, there’s something for everyone to enjoy which means the response is typically very positive.
Conclusion
If ensuring collaboration takes place while employees are working remotely priority for your organization, virtual team-building can be just what your employees and leaders need to make a commitment to collaboration and teamwork. Not only are these virtual team-building activities fun and immersive, but they are a real opportunity to focus on building relationships and skills that can be used while working remotely.
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