This lockdown thing really is hard on teams, isn’t it? As leaders, managers, team members, we’re all feeling it. There seems to be a whole lot of work and not a lot of play happening.
We’ve noticed it in Team SES too! It’s busy here as we scale to meet the demand of delivering virtual events and it’s not gone unnoticed that the team are missing out on good quality bonding time. Are you feeling that same strain too? We thought we’d write this blog to share with you not only what we’re doing about it, but what some of our friends and colleagues are doing too.
1. Making Time to Talk: We’ve recently started a 4pm ‘down tools and chat’ time on a Friday afternoon. The weeks are flying here; you blink on Monday and suddenly it’s Friday. And we’re missing each other; when we’re in the office, we chat a lot, mainly about what Trinny Woodall did on last weekend’s Closet Confessions on Insta, or what series we’re all watching on TV. So, we’ve blocked out time to grab a drink and get our chat on! Within 2 weeks of doing this, we as a team feel more energised, connected and grateful for one another.
2. Setting Team Challenges: Jodie Hill, Founder of Thrive Law says her team has started to set each other challenges every week for bonding. Their challenge this week is to set aside 1 hour every day to do something for themselves. This can be doing anything from a yoga class, to getting outside, or reading a chapter in a new book. This is a brilliant way to create a sense of community connecting over the little things, whilst doing things that are great for your mental health; something that Jodie is utterly passionate about.
3. Dedicated Team Fun Nights: The team at The Data Shed recently took part in our Platinum Team Building Experience. Their night began with a virtual Murder Mystery, with live actor interaction and a lot of competitive fun, leading onto a team meal that was delivered in advance. From there, they had their annual Shedders Awards Ceremony, which was an emotional masterpiece. The evening ended with the team splitting into groups to learn about cocktail making, wine, beer and cheese tasting; something for everyone… We’re working on a little something else for the brilliant Shedders as we speak but I can’t tell you anything more at this stage, it’s a secret! Rumour has it that the party didn’t end until 4am the next day! Here’s what some of their lovely team had to say about the experience:
“Legitimately the most fun I’ve had during lockdown. Everything was well organised, the people on hand to assist were great! Genuinely cannot recommend it enough!”
It goes without saying, if you’re a leader who cares about team culture and creating a great environment to make the magic happen, you’ll be thinking of exactly how to go above and beyond in the current circumstances. We hope this blog helps to spark some ideas that ultimately develop the opportunity to connect your fantastic team. If you think we can help you create some special experiences, you can download our Team Building Brochure here.
