Working from home was already popular with many workers before the Corona crisis, but it currently determines the everyday work of most teams. And advances in technology are making remote collaboration seamless. However, the question arises how you can weld your team even closer together in times of social distancing? What possibilities are there to bring people closer to each other, but without physical contact?
Working alone in the home office can cause a feeling of loneliness in the long run. With these creative ideas you stay in contact with your employees and promote team spirit. This ultimately benefits morale and productivity. Here at Vistaprint we have been working with teams from all over the world for a long time, but in this situation a large part of our workforce is working remotely. We then present twelve
fun virtual team building activities that you can use to bring your team members closer together. We have tested some of them ourselves and found them to be good.
1. Team Tai Chi
Everyone knows that exercise is good for you... especially if you spend the whole day in a chair in front of the screen. Since nobody likes to exercise alone, you could make it a daily team activity. Tai Chi is particularly good because most movements must be performed slowly and deliberately. The exercises are good for the psyche and can be done by anyone, regardless of age. For particularly ambitious teams there is the option of holding a Tai Chi competition.
2. Virtual reading or film club
This is a great initiative that other employees from your company can also take part in. First select a book and then a date to discuss it. You can also choose a film instead of a book. This may be a better option for people who don't have much free time. It is important that the date is set early and that all participants read the book or watch the film by then.
3. Happy Hour
This is one of the most popular activities. Plan an online after-work party and enjoy a cocktail or other drink you've made yourself while chatting with your co-workers. Also, put on soft music to lighten the atmosphere. Depending on your mood, you can also suggest games.
4. Weekly Quiz
A quiz is held once a week in many British pubs. Wouldn't that also be something for your team? It's easy with Kahoot . Each week, a different person has to create a quiz on a specific topic. Participants submit their responses via Kahoot. To make it even more exciting, you could keep a leaderboard and send a prize to the winner and to the person who always answered the fastest.
5. Dance date
Before a meeting, why not schedule a little dance time or take a break from dancing every now and then? Put on a song you just can't sit down to and motivate your teammates to show off their best moves. Taylor Swift's Shake It Off is one such song.
6. Online coworking space
Have you ever been to a coworking space? Not yet? Then try it from home. You work from home as usual - with the difference that you are not alone. Company is really good and with the Pomodoro Technique you can make sure that productivity doesn't suffer. Basically, the technique is about working hard for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. The person who sits at their table first is responsible for setting up the online coworking space so that all other interested employees can register.
7. Coffee or lunch break
Everyone needs a break once in a while. Instead of having coffee or lunch alone, make a virtual appointment with your team members. As in real life, during these breaks you should put business aside and talk about more entertaining things. If your team was recently formed, this is the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better.
8. Chat Channels
Why not create a chat channel where you talk to your co-workers about anything but work? At Vistaprint, we have a Slack channel called Watercooler where we share cute photos of our pets, interesting articles, and fun videos. This is how you really get to know each other and have fun together.
9. Recipe Exchange
One consequence of isolation is that we spend more time in the kitchen and put our cooking skills to the test. So it would be a great idea to set up a recipe exchange for all employees who like to use the wooden spoon. A chat group would be particularly suitable, in which the participants can share their favorite recipes together with the accompanying photos. If you don't know what to cook, you can get inspiration from the group.
11. Team Playlists
Create a playlist for your team that all members can add their favorite songs to. Of course, it is also possible to compile several playlists on different topics, for example a list with feel-good music for work, the top hits of the 90s or a playlist for happy hour.
12. Bingo
Online bingo is probably the best way to strengthen the relationship between team members. All you have to do is draw a bingo template and pick some familiar, work-related themes and phrases. As soon as they are mentioned, the players simply cross them out. Some of our favorites are questions like "Can you hear me?" or statements like "My child/pet is also participating today".