Building a sense of cohesion within their team is something a lot of businesses are trying to achieve. Some will invest thousands in mentoring or coaching, while others will try to do it through company culture. But few realize how powerful of an impact simple activities can have on team building.
Sports, in particular, are one of the best ways to bring employees from different groups together, and form bonds with people they may have never considered before. Sports can play a major role in building team morale and collaboration, which will increase efficiency as a result. Let’s take a look at how sporting events can bring employees together.
It Encourages Teamwork and Cooperation
Many of us have been encouraged to participate in sports since our early years, and it has always been known as a great way to learn teamwork, honesty, and respect to others. Most organizations today rely heavily on teamwork, and those same lessons can be taught to your employees. They will not only learn how to communicate with each other, but do so with respect. It will also teach the team how to cooperate and show leadership as well.
It Can Foster Healthy Competition
Not only can sporting events help employees cooperate better, but it can also be used to foster healthy competition, and strengthen teams as a result. You could have a special tournament between your morning, evening, and weekend teams, for instance. Or between different departments. This will allow you to build a stronger bond within those teams, which they will carry back to the floor with them.
Sports Can be Inclusive
Another great thing about sports events is that they can be as inclusive as you want them to be. Baseball, for instance, is one of the best sports if you want to have everyone involved.
You don’t even have to go down to the field every time you want to play, either. All you need is a patch of grass and a portable fence. If you have the space, you could hold impromptu games whenever you want, or your team members might spontaneously decide to play from time to time. Portable fences pay for themselves, and could work wonders for team spirit.
Your Employees Will be Healthier
Another benefit of sports for employees is that they’ll learn how to appreciate physical activity, and be more likely to be healthy as a result. Healthier employees are less likely to call in sick, and will perform better. This is why you should not only hold sporting events, but make sports a part of the work environment. Even something like a ping pong table could be a great way to boost morale and give your employees a bolt of energy after lunch.
Using Major Sport Events to Boost Engagement
Another thing you can do is use major sporting events to boost engagement. Some workplaces will hold their own fantasy football leagues, for instance. This can be a great tool for building camaraderie and a healthy sense of competition. As a matter of fact, more than 30% of US employees stated that they were playing fantasy sports during work hours, and 54% said that fantasy March Madness leagues had a beneficial effect on engagement and company culture.
You don’t necessarily have to set up a fantasy league at work, however. Doing something as simple as holding a Super Bowl party could be a great way to bring people together and unwind outside of a work setting.
Conclusion
Sporting events, in general, can be a great way to strengthen your team’s bonds, and help your employees discover themselves. They can also be a great way to boost productivity, and will have an effect on morale as well.
