How to achieve 100% success when organizing virtual team building activities for 2022
As we continue to work remotely in 2022 and beyond, every team will need to boost employee morale and help them fight loneliness. Just having access to Zoom, Slack, and other remote work tools doesn’t automatically translate into a happy virtual workforce, which is why team building activities are more important now than ever before. And no matter the number of virtual events you have organized, there’s always something missing or a section that needs improvement. Remember, we are humans that grow in the way we think and act, and your team building activities for 2022 should follow suit.
Whether this is your 100th virtual event or your first ever video meeting, here are five tactics you can implement to organize successful team building activities for your remote workforce.
Set goals for every team building activity
The gateway to a successful virtual activity is to have clear goals. What do you want to achieve?
Boost employee morale and productivity?
Tackle employee loneliness?
Build meaningful relationships between and among employees beyond work?
Or do you just want to have fun?
Setting goals helps teams identify the type of activities to choose from and what to prioritize.
Determine how much you need to commit by defining your budget.
While you won’t have to worry about the cost of transportation, venue, food, and accommodation, it doesn’t mean organizing a virtual team building activity has zero cost. In order to have a fully interactive event, you may need to upgrade to the paid version of whichever video conferencing software you are using if you haven’t already. Sometimes, you may invite one or two people to lead the entertainment for your team. Other times, you may include virtual games where winners get prizes. These all add to the budget. Have the planning team prepare a budget for the things you will need to buy or subscribe to, and get them ready before the event.
Let participants select the best team building activities
Religious, cultural, location, and racial differences can make choosing a team building activity extremely time-consuming. The best way to pull this off is to get inputs from every employee. Conduct a survey or use polls to select the activities that most team members would love.
Get your logistics ready
It may not entail the same level of logistics as a physical event, but virtual activities still need some logistics in order to be set up to succeed. Here’s what to get ready:
Video conferencing tool of choice: This is similar to the venue of the event and should receive great attention. When deciding which software to use, always go for the one that the majority or all of your team members are alraedy familiar with (for example, the software you’ve been using for conferencing at work is usually ideal). There’s Zoom, Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, and many other options. Whichever one you use, you can always use Bar None Game’s services to add trivia and other online games to upgrade the fun.
Logistics for team members is equally important: Try to extend a helping hand to colleagues who may have difficulties taking part because of logistics. Whether it’s due to a slow laptop, inadequate internet data, or an unconducive environment, do your best to ensure that the event is inclusive for everyone.
Virtual event links and agenda
Start times, introductions, participant roles, and meeting links should all be made available to everyone prior to the event. There should also be reminders to notify participants 30 to 40 minutes ahead of the event. Finally, provide different options for teams to connect: laptop or dial in using their phones.
Like any event, your virtual team building activities for 2022 should focus on inclusivity. Whether it’s a trivia game or a virtual party, everyone should feel comfortable and excited to be part of the fun.
