The holiday season is upon us. That means that many companies are hosting holiday potlucks, parties and fun activities. But why should that team fun be limited to the holidays? Research shows that happy employees are more productive, so I have some tips for stepping up your team building and bonding game. There’s a reason that activities like zip lining and ropes courses are often team building sessions – that’s because happiness and learning are closely associated with one another, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Get a jump start on planning some team bonding sessions for your marketing squad in 2017.
Games & Activities
Zip lining and ropes courses aren’t the only activities that can get your employees out of their comfort zones. Activities like escape rooms, paint classes, scavenger hunts and flag football are some additional ideas that can also engage employees.
Looking for a quicker and possibly cheaper way for employees to have some fun during business hours? Board and card games are quick and can be played during business meetings. My personal favorite game for PPC teams is Google Feud. It’s a Family Feud-style game that has players guess what Google’s autocompletes will be on different queries. Since it’s played online, it’s a great way for remote teams to bond, as well.
If none of these ideas sound like your team’s style, check out this guide to team building activities (that don’t suck).
Training (Not the boring kind)
Of course training can be a team building activity. However, it doesn’t always have to be a snoozefest. Letting employees present new ideas to their teammates can be more exciting than the typical someone-talking-at-you training. Take a poll to see what topics employees would like to learn more about and then setup training around those topics.
You can also knock out your yearly Bing Ads, Google AdWords or Google Analytics certification exams by studying as a team. Take a practice exam together or play this Jeopardy game for your Fundamentals Exam.
Happy Hour
I’m not suggesting this for the reason you might think. I’m suggesting it because it can be good for employees to connect outside of the office and talk about something other than work. In addition, it can be just as important to change the scenery for your team so that they can disconnect from emails and clients for a bit. Even if happy hour doesn’t sound like your team’s cup of tea, finding a time to get out of the office can even help team bonding naysayers to participate.
Brainstorms
PPC can be an independent career, but sharing ideas and brainstorming can really help to get teammates acquainted with each others strengths and build relationships. Here at Clix, I have coworkers who are my go-tos when it comes to questions about things like Google Shopping, LinkedIn campaigns and the latest PPC tools. But it’s taken time and conversations for me to know who is interested and extra knowledgeable about different topics. It can be hard to carve out time for brainstorms, but here’s a guide to help you get started.
Having fun with your coworkers and teammates can encourage workplace friendships and really help your business overall.
What’s your favorite team building game or activity? We’d love to hear your suggestions and successes in the comments!
