Team-building exercises are essential for enhancing collaboration and combined productivity between your employees. During the COVID health crisis, though, companies have decided to move their team-building activities to the virtual world. Many report excellent results, but it does come with certain disadvantages too.
In this article, we’ll explore the different pros and cons of virtual teamwork exercises, so you know whether to implement them at your company or not.
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So, without any further ado, let’s get to the bottom of it!
Advantages
1. Save on costs
Perhaps the biggest advantage of moving your team-building activities to the online world is that you’ll be able to save on costs. You don’t have to invest in team-building tools, nor you need to drive to the office to do this. Besides that, you can include your remote workers too, and you don’t have to do it all again once the shift changes! All of this reduces the time “wasted” on the process, and allows you to stay productive and generate profit while still working on improving the quality of teamwork inside of your company.
2. Help remote workers feel a bit less isolated
You likely have workers who belong to the high-risk category in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of them are forced to work from home, which can be quite stressful to get used to. People spend a lot of their daily time in the office, which is, more often than not, a place where they get to socialize and build meaningful relationships with their colleagues. So, letting them feel included in these uncertain times can be an incredible way to increase their overall productivity and satisfaction. Virtual team-building activities are the best way to ensure everyone is on the same page, no matter if they’re in the office or not.
3. Developing mutual understanding and creating a healthier work environment
Virtual team-building activities help your employees learn more about each other, which helps them function better as a team. Knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses can contribute to a more efficient workplace and increased productivity. Besides, it helps your team grow and evolve by letting them learn from each other.
Virtual events hosted by event companies such as www.firebirdevents.co.uk are a fun way to get your team working as one to reach a common goal. It’s something that can easily be incorporated into your office life afterward, so it’s undoubtedly worth the effort!
4. It can be a motivation booster
Now, the current pandemic had us all feeling quite anxious and demotivated. People are afraid of losing their jobs, which creates tension at the workplace. Providing everyone with a day from work to enjoy a fun activity can be a complete game-changer. It instills the feeling of security and it deepens bonds between coworkers, thus motivating them to work harder later on. So, be creative and let your team do the rest!
After just one team-building exercise, you’ll be able to see incredible improvements in overall productivity at your company, so make sure to consider doing it!
Disadvantages
1. It keeps your team from work
Hosting an effective team-building event will take some time off your regular business operations. While it’s healthy for your company in the long-term, you might still suffer some short-term losses at the beginning. So, if you’re in a tight spot financially, it might be better to cut-off those short-term costs until you’re back on your feet and ready to work on the teamwork aspect of your company.
Overall, as beneficial as virtual teamwork exercises can be, they’ll still keep your team away from their daily tasks. All of this can potentially slow your business down, thus creating some short-term financial issues.
2. It might worsen the existing tensions between your employees
If there are existing misunderstandings or tension between your team members, it might make sense to tackle them before making them all work together. Some people are naturally competitive, and their dislike towards their coworkers can turn a fun team-building activity into something completely different. Keep this in mind while you’re planning your next event, and make sure to come up with an activity that fits your team’s specific needs. Otherwise, it could be a giant waste of your time and resources.
3. Return to baseline
Studies show hat the effects of these exercises aren’t everlasting. They can keep your team motivated and productive for a while, but they’ll probably return to their old ways if not managed properly. So, it’s an ongoing process that you’ll need to repeat quite a bit to truly see advancements. We suggest you do these types of exercises at least once in two months for them to be effective.
Also, make sure to consider your team’s individual weaknesses and strengths and create these exercises based on that. If not, you’re likely just wasting precious work-hours on something entirely useless.
4. Some people need more time to get used to these activities
Not everyone on your team is an extrovert. Some people prefer working alone, and that’s where they shine the most. Still, they’re the ones who also need to learn teamwork skills the most. Creating an environment where they feel comfortable to participate in collective exercises can be a difficult (and lengthy) process. That’s why these activities sometimes need to last an entire working day to be effective. Again, this can negatively affect your daily business operations.
Make sure to talk things through with your introverted employees, and seek their inputs on how to make these activities enjoyable for everyone. If not, you’ll just have a bunch of introverts dreading the team-building days, which negatively affects their productivity in the long run.
The bottom line
Incorporating virtual team-building activities at your company comes with specific advantages and disadvantages to your business. We believe the advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantages since most of those negative aspects can be avoided with proper management. Still, deciding whether these activities fit your company’s needs or not mostly depends on your specific circumstances. Consider these pros and cons before making your decision, and you’ll undoubtedly make the right choice.
