Using Team Building Activities to Reward Your Staff

Team building is a term that’s been tossed around within the workplace for decades, but with recent studies indicating that “socializing between team members improves communication patterns more than 50 percent,”  we are seeing more and more organizations prioritizing team building.

But what is Team building, really? Team building can be anything from hosting a hackathon to going camping with your company, or something as simple as playing board games in groups. You can utilize incentives–such as the winning team receiving a gift card or prize–or you can do it for the sole purpose of giving your employees some downtime to have fun together.

Team building is a crucial element when it comes to creating balance and encouraging collaboration in the workplace. There are tons of activities you can employ to activate your team and help them connect on a more personal level, and it ultimately pays off for everyone.

Giving your employees a safe space to bond and be themselves not only sparks inspiration, but also allows for leadership and communication skills to shine. In providing an environment where everyone can work together and participate, you are allowing for organic conversation to flow naturally within your infrastructure, whilst showing appreciation for your employees' work ethic and dedication. This can have a major impact on work performance and can break down barriers, especially if there is any tension, stagnancy, or competitiveness in your place of work. Collaboration is a gateway to increased comfort, which can translate to improved transparency and efficiency within your entire company.

Showing Appreciation For Your Employees

Since we were infants, we learned the power of positive reinforcements. They encourage us to keep up the good work and motivate us to keep trekking. This has no doubt stuck with us through our adult lives: in the workplace, in relationships, friendships, and how we interact with each other fundamentally. When we use positive reinforcements as a means of recognition, it sends a strong message that can shift behavior and perspective in a meaningful way.

When employees don’t feel recognized or rewarded for their hard work and effort, it can create distance and unfruitful outcomes as a result of not feeling seen. If you begin to notice employees slacking off or losing faith in your business, take a mental scan and reflect on how you as an employer or supervisor have been rewarding your employees for their labor.

Gifting coworkers an experience as a way of saying “kudos” can extend beyond digital badges, merits, and employee of the month certificates. It not only shows your gratitude in an intimate way but also gives your colleagues a chance to let loose and form friendly alliances without feeling judged or criticized for their participation.

Team building is a surefire way to retain existing employees, as rewarding employees for their achievements ignites serotonin. When people feel good and feel seen, they are generally more motivated to keep crushing their goals and become more loyal to their place of work. If your team is fully remote, team building has the power to build stronger relationships with employees who don’t often get face-to-face time with each other. Taking virtual relationships into the real world will help cultivate deeper connections and improve overall engagement.

Team building Through Cooking Classes

Certainly, there is a myriad of ways to encourage conversation and teamwork amongst your employees, but we believe cooking classes allow people to really tap into their leadership and participation skills and perform together in new ways or with people they haven’t had an opportunity to work with before. Because we understand the importance of team building, we designed team building cooking classes to build bridges across different departments within your company in a non-intimidating social setting.

The most exciting part about the experience is that your team will have something tangible to show for their hard work, and they’ll get to share that experience with everyone. That’s right, they’ll be able to have their cake AND eat it too. If you’re looking to indulge and giggle with your team and want to try out food-related team-building activities, there is plenty in store for you at Selfup.

If you want to nurture company culture and boost morale within your organization, why not do it over beverages and yummy homemade eats? Your employees will leave Selfup feeling satiated and accomplished with a newfound skill and irresistible dishes under their belt.

How Team Building Activities Build Morale

Introverted and extroverted employees alike have an equal playing field in the kitchen classroom. Cooking together can provide those who are more reserved with the space to come out of their shell. People become more accepting and less judgmental when everyone has baking flour on their elbows and juicy dumplings below within arm’s length, just waiting to be eaten.

Cooking classes are also an opportunity for your employees to develop new skills in a less stressful environment. You can put tons of personalities in a room together, and it will help foster creativity. People in different departments can overcome obstacles or challenges as a united force.

While the atmosphere at Selfup is playful, cooking requires everyone to practice active listening, as strategizing and decision-making as a team are aspects of the culinary experience. There is something unique about problem-solving over a glass of wine, with freshly made pasta on the horizon.

Encourage Collaboration at Selfup’s Cooking Classes

Whether you sense that there could be improvements with internal communication within your organization, or you want to spice up company conversation and get out of your cubicle or home office for some stimulating activity, cooking classes are a great way to promote teamwork in the workplace.

In doing a company-wide cooking class, you’ll be able to show recognition for all of your employees, get out of your comfort zone, build trust, and improve interpersonal relationships between colleagues and employers. To top it all off, you’re gifting all of your employees with a delicious five-star meal, leaving everyone with several new recipes to recreate in their own kitchen.

Ready to boost team spirit and celebrate your employees? Let your employees know that they are valued, worthy, and an important part of the success of your organization. Book a cooking class with your whole team and fuel healthy competition, so you can progress as a company and crush company goals.