More and more companies focus on building a strong company culture since the benefits of creating a connected and engaged community within the workplace are too tempting to pass on.

When organising a team-building activity our goal is to replace the natural processes of group bonding. The best results will occur when the participants let down their guards and engage – a few fun games outside will quickly make them forget it’s a work event and allow them to connect more effectively.

However, the more we tried it, the worse it got, didn’t it? According to a survey by Citrix, 31% of office workers would rather give team building games a hard pass. Even if we can’t ask them whether their attitude is based on an episode of The Office watched at home or personal experience, we already have a guess.

So… how to make team building games work? Our advice is (apart from giving it a lot of thought and being creative) – take it outside. Here’s why!

Well, it’s… outside!

The best reason is right in the name! Team building shouldn’t feel like another day at the office and there’s no easier way of getting there than taking it as far away from laptops and conference rooms as possible.

Taking your team outdoors gives them more space (literally) for social mingling and sets this perfect neutral setting that makes a group of people feel less like colleagues and more like friends.

This brings us to the second reason…

It’s casual

When organising a team-building activity our goal is to replace the natural processes of group bonding. The best results will occur when the participants let down their guards and engage – a few fun games outside will quickly make them forget it’s a work event and allow them to connect more effectively.

It boosts communication

Taking our minds out of the office makes it easier to engage in a non-work-related chit-chat and learn some facts other than the KPIs for this month. Research at the Kenexa Research Institute showed that 50% of the positive changes in communication patterns within the workplace can be accredited to social interaction outside of the workplace! (And taking your employees outside is the perfect first step.

While we’re at it – outdoor activities allow you to work with a bigger group! Mix the teams together a bit and allow different departments to get to know each other, opening the magical doors of communication between them and… enjoy the results.

It creates great bonds

According employee engagement specialists at Herd Wisdom, 27% of employees who plan to leave within the first year say that feeling “disconnected” from the organisation is one of the reasons. The feeling of not belonging is also common amongst relocated new hires that often don’t feel like home, even months after moving. On the other hand, the same survey showed that 37% of employees cite “working with a great team” as their primary reason for staying.

Taking your team building activities outdoors not only makes it easier for new hires to connect with the existing team (on a no-man’s land) and build a new group of friends around the office but also allows you to help them discover the city, the surroundings of the office, show interesting cafes and squares and… feel like home much quicker.

It’s a cooperative mission

Choose the right game for your employees to put their collaboration skills to test and send them on an adventure outside! They’ll feel more relaxed in a less-controlled environment and will learn to work with each other more naturally.

Outdoors gives us more opportunities to show ourselves (outside of our job title), our traits and skills (and sometimes they might surprise even us) Depending on what activity you’ll choose, you might discover natural Leaders, Energisers, Mediators, Logical Thinkers, and Tension Releasers without them taking a single psychological test.

It’s engaging and memorable

What’s the number one feature of an engaging team building activity? Fun! Team building should be a memorable experience with lots of good moments that will bring your employees closer together, give them a few reasons to high-five, and at least small talk on the corridor. The more Instagram posts came out of your team building day, the better. Being outdoors gives you more space, makes it more special and neutral than your conference room and, (no matter how amazing your office is) gives you a few more chances for a fun picture.

If the perks of higher employee engagement need any more explanation, the same study at Kenexa Research Institute found that “companies with highly engaged employees achieve twice the annual net income of organisations whose employees aren’t engaged”.

Strong company culture (one with high employee engagement) has been proved to build company morale, increase employee retention, and… attract top talent. A team-building expert, Jenny Gottstein, explained how exactly it attracts potential employees, especially millennials:

“Interestingly, we’re seeing companies use their strong corporate culture as a bargaining chip to recruit the best and brightest talent. When applying for jobs, millennial employees are not only assessing their salary and benefits, but also whether or not they relate to the working environment, and enjoy rolling up their sleeves next to their peers. As a result of this culture shift, team-building is being used as a marketing and recruitment tool. Often we will produce games for prospective employees or interns of large companies as a way to show off the perks of the company’s working environment.”

It improves productivity and creativity

Eva M. Selhub, a Harvard physician, points out that simply being outside for only 20 minutes not only lowers our stress levels and improves immune response but also boosts our productivity, creativity, and focus. And, it makes us happier!

This gives your employees a head start and actually makes team-building easier and more enjoyable for them, allowing them to benefit from it fully. Also, the results don’t go away the moment you go back inside. Going outside for a break or moving your laptop there even for a few hours are often recommended to improve concentration, productivity and creativity – add it to your plan to create the ultimate team building session.

PS Are you looking for an outdoor team building game that will tick all the boxes on your list? We might have something perfect for you. Discover our customisable Secret Trails and take your employees on a well-planned, mysterious (yet branded!) adventure full of riddles!

Plan your team building with us

It’s going to be fun!

When organising a team-building activity our goal is to replace the natural processes of group bonding. The best results will occur when the participants let down their guards and engage – a few fun games outside will quickly make them forget it’s a work event and allow them to connect more effectively.