Top 10 Virtual Team Building Activities for Your Remote Workers
Team building is important whether you work in an office space or with a workforce spread across the globe. In fact, for remote or hybrid workplaces it may be even more challenging to build a strong team. Remote teams have unique challenges you might not face in an in-person environment. When a company operates online, team members may feel like their hard work and long hours are invisible. They may also have less access to management, feel isolated, experience loneliness, and be less able to build social bonds and trust with their coworkers. Without camaraderie and connection, a team likely won’t work very well together. And if a team isn’t gelling problems may begin to arise such as poor organization and communication, social conflict, missed deadlines, and more. A strong team is the foundation of a successful business, and management can help solve these remote issues with virtual team building activities. The right activities can keep your workplace feeling connected, having fun together, and achieving success no matter the distance between you!
So how can you build a more connected virtual team? Olympians are experts at doing just that. Olympians know the importance of having a supportive team, and they know how to foster team spirit, connection, and fun! In order to be successful at the highest level of physical achievement, Olympians have honed their abilities to empower their team. So, let us share a few of our favorite virtual team building activities for your remote workers!
Virtual Team Building Activities
1) Real-time (Zoom) icebreaker questions – Start your next virtual gathering with icebreaker questions! These questions can be a great way to get to know coworkers on a deeper level and understand their life outside of work. Try assigning different departments to choose the question each week or come up with your own. Here are a few of our favorites:
a. If you could instantly be an expert in one thing, what would you choose?
b. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
c. What is your favorite quote?
d. What is your favorite (or funniest) item on your work desk?
e. If you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be and why?
f. If we held a talent show, what would your talent be?
g. What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?
h. What fictional or mythical place would you choose to visit if you could?
i. What book or movie that you’ve recently read/seen would you recommend?
j. What is your favorite comfort food?
k. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?
l. What animal would you choose to be, if you could be an animal for one day?
2) Share a meal together at least 1x per week – In an in-person workplace, you’d likely share an informal meal with your coworkers occasionally! Bring that culture-building activity into the virtual office with a video conference breakfast, lunch, or happy hour. Set aside 60 minutes and allow coworkers to come and go as they need. Perhaps have a few icebreakers on hand in case conversation stalls, but simply allow your team to chat, catch up, and get to know one another!
3) Group Chat - Having a dedicated space on your communication channel for fun non-work-related chat can be a great way to create a connection among team members. Try setting up a #remote-team chat on Slack, where the team does not discuss work. Instead, share life updates, pictures, articles, and more.
4) Learn together – There are many virtual classes available online! Try organizing a group online cooking class, starting a book club for employees, or even learning a new language together!
5) Group Virtual Meditation – Taking time to clear your mind improves focus and productivity. Offering these benefits to your team with a group meditation session each week will not only be great for their minds but for the team connection as well.
6) Group Virtual Yoga – No matter your level of flexibility, online yoga classes can be a fun way to connect with your team! Set up a session with a professional yoga teacher, and your team will feel great afterward. In addition, they’ll also have a fun shared experience to connect over!
7) Share your Playlists – Create a collaborative playlist that anyone on your team can listen to -- and add songs! Using Spotify or Google Play, create a few fun playlists that suit your team. Perhaps a “Focus” playlist to use while working, an upbeat “Brainstorm” playlist, a “Happy Hour” list to play during your virtual get-together, or any other themes your team would love! Then, ask your team to add their favorite songs to the list.
8) Cribs Remote Worker Edition - Give your team advance notice for this activity -- ask about a week in advance to virtually share their homes with one another (like MTV Cribs!) on a virtual video call. This virtual team-building activity allows team members to get to know each other on a more personal level.
9) Personal Fact Guessing Game - To play this game, create a document where team members anonymously add a fun fact about themselves. These facts are then shared with the whole team, and each employee can take a guess as to who shared that fact. You’re bound to learn more about your team and start interesting conversations!
10) Simulated Problem Exercise - This exercise is often used in crisis planning and can be a fun team building exercise as well! Create an imagined challenging scenario related to your workplace -- then ask your workers to come up with an effective plan of action to solve the issue. Get as detailed as you can, perhaps even creating mock phone calls, fake media coverage of the issue, and more. Not only can this help your team feel like a united front, but it can also be helpful in discovering any gaps in your crisis response!
Everyone benefits from virtual team building
Many companies have transitioned to a remote work environment due to COVID-19, and remote work issues are affecting teams everywhere. Virtual team building is a fantastic way to address these problems, boosting empathy and cohesiveness within teams. Through unique team building games and activities such as those we’ve provided above; teams will be better able to trust one another and communicate effectively. When your team feels connected to one another they are more likely to care about each other’s success. Plus, employees who feel valued by their company are often more motivated and dedicated to the company’s success.
Need help building a connected remote team? We can help! Reach out today to schedule a unique, fun, and empowering team building session.