Team Building Objectives And Goals: Creating A Better Work Environment 

The concept of ‘team building’ is so often encountered nowadays, that it seems like such an easy thing to check off of your manager list. Organizing an unforgettable outdoor team building, setting up a virtual happy hour, or going for some icebreakers for work before diving into a meet – all these could be great team building activities, but…

The truth is, this is not enough. To make people work together effectively, as a team, you must first and foremost get to know them. Next, you must define your team building objectives, and then establish your team building goals. 

In today’s blog post, we’ll introduce you to the most frequent team building objectives and the most desired goals of team building. Make sure they are suitable for your people, and if not, feel free to adapt them! We’ll also give you some teamwork objectives examples & teamwork goals examples, so you’ll be all set to get things going in your company!

What are team building objectives?

Before diving into more info, let’s explain a bit about what team building objectives are all about. They are the awesome results that come from team bonding activities, and they’re the very reason companies invest in them! Some of these objectives include fostering loyalty, promoting company culture, and building skills, which we also like to call ‘team building goals’.

Basically, team building is like a secret weapon that helps develop crucial teamwork skills such as communication, compromise, and collective reasoning. By shifting the focus to group outcomes, these activities encourage teammates to adopt a team mindset that lasts beyond the exercises themselves.

What are the benefits of team building objectives? 

The outcomes of team building reflect the positive results of your team bonding initiatives. These benefits may include: 

• a reduction in human resources expenditures
• a stronger company culture
• improved employee confidence 
• increased innovation 
• enhanced communication hence strengthened relationships and a collaborative mindset
• higher employee engagement so increased productivity

The most common team building objectives

1. Cultivate your company culture

Creating a strong company culture is a crucial objective for team building efforts. Your company’s values, missions, and priorities communicate to both customers and employees what they can expect from your brand. Consistency across the organization is key, as even one employee or manager who is not aligned with your goals can derail progress. By initiating team building activities, you send a message about the kind of teams you want to create.

Here are some of the best team building activities for fostering company culture: 

• If you prioritize knowledge and growth, you might create a book club and discuss team building books or books on change management  
• If your people are athletic, organize a weekend running club and make sure to attend all the marathons around town; Also, you could go for a ‘Football evening’ during weekdays
• If you want to encourage a healthy lifestyle, have something like ‘Wellness Wednesday’, where fruits and veggies are at your teams’ disposal
• If innovation is a core value, host challenges to make your people develop new products

2. Foster dedication, loyalty, and respect

Encouraging dedication, loyalty, and respect is essential for building a strong team. Team building events offer the perfect opportunity not only to develop skills and relationships but also to show appreciation for your employees. These events are enjoyable and relaxing, and provide a break from the usual work routine. Plus, when combined with other effective management practices, team building can be a powerful tool for promoting mutual respect and fostering dedication among your team.

Here are some of the best team objective examples to inspire dedication, respect, and loyalty:

• Cooking day at work
• International kitchen – everyone should bring to work something delicious to eat, specific to their birthplace 
• 5-minute team building activities with exciting prizes
• ‘Get to know you’ games for adults

Although team building games may not directly lead to increased effort from your employees, they can inspire a sense of camaraderie and motivate them to work harder and stay with the company longer. By demonstrating a commitment to your employees through enriching activities, you encourage them to reciprocate with a similar level of dedication.

3. Build skills

Developing skills is a key team building objective. These activities provide leaders with an opportunity to evaluate and improve their colleagues’ collaboration skills. By participating in these exercises, team members are better equipped to respond to situations that require competencies such as listening, persuasion, and delegation.

Our top picks to improve your team’s skill sets are: 

• Riddles for creative thinking
• The ‘Green glass door’ game for logical thinking
• The ‘Fishbowl’ for problem-solving skills
• ‘Office Debates’ for public speaking
• ‘Perfect square’ for leadership skills 
• Monthly workshops – they can be centered around various topics, focusing on whichever skill you wish

Team building activities allow employees to focus on teamwork and develop the skills necessary for frictionless cooperation.

4. Choose long-term benefits over initial costs

Planning a team building event can be thrilling until you realize the expenses involved such as venue rentals, catering, transportation, and facilitators. However, the cost is worth the benefits of having a motivated team. Companies recognize the value of team building activities, including group games, retreats, motivational speakers, and more, despite their initial costs. 

While these events can be expensive, their benefits are long-lasting and make them worth the investment. According to data from TeamStage, an engaged workforce can double the revenue. The improved communication, efficiency, and productivity that result from understanding each other’s work patterns and preferences is also a great HR tactic for talent acquisition and employee retention. In fact, reducing employee turnover could save you up to $2.6 million annually. 

Effective teamwork, with its emphasis on communication, delegation, and conflict resolution, leads to improved results and quicker project completion and conserves organizational resources.

Here are some great team building examples to reduce your bottom line:

• Iconic games with balloons
• Team building ‘Minute to win it’ games for adults
• Fun icebreaker questions
• Games with water balloons for adults

5. Create a stronger bond 

Did you know that having a ‘work bestie’ can increase workplace enthusiasm and high performance by 7 times?

According to a Gallup study, employees who feel connected to their coworkers are more engaged, productive, and satisfied with their job. Having positive relationships with colleagues can bring many benefits to both individuals and the organization. By promoting teamwork and collaboration, team building activities can help employees establish stronger connections with each other. When coworkers care about each other’s well-being, they are more likely to work together effectively and support each other in achieving common goals. 

Here are some of the best team building activities to create a stronger bond among employees:

• ‘Getting to know each other’ questions
• Laser tag
• Conversation games

These activities can help cultivate trust, compassion, and respect, which are the foundation of strong relationships in the workplace.

6. Build commitments

Let’s talk about building commitments in a way that’s both playful and professional. Think of it like building a house – each commitment is like a brick, and together they make a strong foundation for your team.

1. First, start with the commitment to each other. This is like the foundation of your house – it’s essential for everyone to know, respect, and trust each other. Without a solid foundation, your house (or team) could crumble.
2. Next, add the commitment to the mission and vision of the organization. This is like the walls of your house – it gives your team structure and direction. Every team member should understand why your organization exists and what it’s trying to achieve.
3. Don’t forget the commitment to the customer – this is like the roof of your house, protecting your team from the elements. Design activities that help your team fall in love with your customers – after all, they’re the lifeblood of your organization.
4. Now it’s time for some interior design – add the commitment to resolving conflict. This is like adding furniture to your house – it makes it comfortable and livable. Make sure your team knows how to handle conflict in a constructive way.
5. Finally, add the commitment to excellence – this is like adding the finishing touches to your house. Make sure your team members don’t cut corners and always give their best effort.

To make sure these commitments stick, use a team charter. It’s like a blueprint for your house, setting guidelines for how your team will function. And don’t forget to define team roles – everyone is more likely to commit when they understand their specific responsibilities. With these commitments in place, your team will have a strong foundation to build upon.

7. Align goals

Let’s make goal alignment fun and productive! A team that works together towards a common objective can achieve greater success than individuals working alone. But how can you ensure that every team member is aligned with the organization’s goals?

When selecting team building activities, it’s important to focus on goal alignment. Sure, the activities should be enjoyable, but the main goal is to improve teamwork and productivity. Choose games and exercises that encourage members to prioritize the team’s goals over their individual ones.

Here are some games meant to align goals:

• Scavenger hunts
• Escape rooms
• Team building puzzle activities
• Blindfold courses

Try activities that challenge members to think creatively and collaboratively, coming up with solutions that align with the organization’s overall objectives. By doing so, they will gain a deeper understanding of how their daily actions can impact the company’s success.

8. Teach problem-solving skills

Sometimes team decisions are left up to top management, but it’s important for every team member to have problem-solving skills. When team members don’t know how to solve problems, they might hide them or avoid them altogether. And that can lead to even bigger problems down the line.

Think of it like a treasure hunt – there are obstacles and challenges to overcome, but with the right tools and skills, you can find the treasure. Teams are like treasure hunters – they’re created to solve problems and seize business opportunities. But in order to be successful, they need to learn how to solve problems together. If they don’t, even small issues can turn into big problems.

The best way to learn how to solve problems is through experience. And that’s where team building comes in. It’s like a practice treasure hunt – a safe, friendly, and fun environment where teams can develop problem-solving skills. So go out there and start hunting for treasure!

9. Dealing with conflicts effectively

Team building games teach teams how to work together effectively. To reach group goals, team members must listen, compromise, and communicate. Team building activities build bonds and relationships between team members, which also helps promote peace. 

Imagine you’re in a superhero team – each member has unique powers and abilities, but they all have to work together to save the day. The best teams are diverse, just like superheroes with different skills and perspectives. This diversity leads to more creativity and potential solutions, but it can also lead to conflict. To function effectively, teams must learn how to prevent or resolve conflicts in a proper way. The goal of group harmony is not to completely avoid clashes but to disagree respectfully and reach a calm consensus. Just like superheroes use negotiation and empathy to deal with conflict, team building teaches tactics and traits that help team members deal with conflicts in a proper way. So let’s suit up and work together to save the day – conflict-free!

10. Make quality decisions

Sometimes teams hesitate when making decisions, but most team building activities encourage participants to consider their options and cut off the less important ones. This is like a game show where contestants have to choose between doors – they have to weigh the options and choose the best one.

But making quality decisions is more than just choosing the right door – it’s about working together as a team. Team building is a great opportunity to practice decision-making together. As the person in charge, you can teach the team an effective decision-making process and observe as they put it into practice. Then, you can help them process their learning and make even better decisions in the future.

11. Promote accountability

Taking ownership is another essential team building objective. When team members grab the bull by the horns, brainstorm solutions, and turn them into reality, that’s team accountability. In the team building game, impart the significance of ownership and responsibility.

Get them to shift their perspectives and reframe their roles. Even help them ask the right questions, and watch their results soar!

Make accountability a rock-solid value. Sure, it’s not as glamorous as other buzzwords, but it’s a non-negotiable expectation for all staff in your company.

Stress team accountability. Starting from scratch? Hammer home the importance of accountability right off the bat. Your squad should know they’re in it together and accountable to one another.

12. Make the dream work… even in a virtual environment!

It seems like the business world is catching on to the new trend – remote collaboration! As more and more companies adopt this model, leaders are finding creative ways to connect their digital workforce. Working from home can sometimes feel isolating, especially since you might not get to meet your colleagues face-to-face until you’re assigned to a project together. That’s why it’s important to incorporate team building activities, whether virtually or in-person, to bring some humanity to remote work relationships.

Without a physical office space, remote workers miss out on the natural, casual interactions that often lead to strong connections. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and disconnection. But fear not! There are plenty of online team building activities. Here are some of our top choices for helping colleagues socialize and feel that sense of belonging: 

• Virtual coffee break ideas & topics
• Easy virtual employee engagement activities
• Icebreaker questions for virtual meetings
• Games to play on FaceTime

These activities can help create a more cohesive workplace but don’t limit yourself to just digital events. If you have the time and budget, you can also coordinate in-person events like annual team building retreats to build more intimate connections with your scattered workforce.

Team building goals

1. Foster creativity

An extremely important team building goal is fostering creativity! Innovation is a team sport and the most revolutionary and mind-bending ideas don’t come from a lone wolf but from a wolf pack working in unison. Teams act as idea echo chambers and amplify creativity by bringing diverse perspectives to the table. Want to get your team’s creative juices flowing? Start by building an environment that cultivates inventive thinking.

Team building activities can help foster trust and encourage vulnerability among teammates. And when you establish closer bonds between colleagues, they’ll be more open to giving and receiving constructive feedback. By building a safe and supportive environment, your team can unleash their imagination without fear of repercussions.

2. Build trust

One of the most desired goals of team building is to create trust among people, because yes, teamwork makes the dream work, but trust is the one that makes it all possible. 

When teammates divvy up tasks and count on each other to get stuff done, everyone is responsible for the end result. But for a team to really thrive, colleagues need to have faith in one another. Teams that trust each other make better decisions, take bigger risks, and delegate tasks more efficiently. When you know your colleagues have got your back, you’re more likely to let go of the reins and let someone else take charge. That’s where team building comes in. Spending time with your coworkers outside of work helps build familiarity and trust.

Team building activities are a fun and effective way to humanize your coworkers and break down barriers. By tackling silly, challenging, or vulnerable situations together, we see our colleagues as people, not just coworkers. Plus, working towards a common goal forces us to rely on each other and build trust. So let’s get silly, challenge ourselves, and get to know our colleagues better!

3. Enhance engagement

Did you know that half of the US workforce is disengaged at work? Well, it’s true. Previous research showed that unengaged employees can lead to a host of problems, including absenteeism, wasted time, errors, low customer satisfaction, and turnover. All of these issues can impact a company’s bottom line. But here’s the good news: team building can help. Employee engagement activities and ideas can make employees feel connected to their work and their colleagues. Excluding certain team members can backfire and further disengage those who are already feeling isolated. That’s why it’s essential to include everyone in team building activities.

To make sure everyone feels a sense of belonging, try assigning complementary partners on projects, giving reserved teammates a chance to shine, and encouraging quieter team members to speak up. And don’t forget to foster a culture of recognition by encouraging colleagues to compliment each other and celebrate great work. 

4. Increase communication

Nowadays, we have an incredible array of options at our fingertips, from text and email to social media and messenger apps. But despite all these tools, sometimes it still feels like we’re stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to getting our messages across effectively.

That’s where team building comes in. By encouraging teammates to work together and communicate, team building activities can help employees sharpen their conversational skills and become better communicators. Whether it’s through ‘Virtual house tours’, ‘Office debates’, ‘Show and tell’, ‘Truth or dare’, ‘Blind drawing’, ‘Birth map’, or ‘20 questions’, team building games can help your team become better communicators and work together more smoothly.

5. Boost morale

Another team building goal should be to boost your people’s morale. Rest and relaxation are crucial to avoiding burnout and maintaining motivation. Happy employees lead to a more positive environment, and that positivity can lead to greater success. 

With team building activities, you can rejuvenate your team’s energy and foster a more cohesive group. But team building isn’t just about learning teamwork skills like conflict resolution and decision-making (though those are important!). It’s also about having fun and enjoying the company of your coworkers. When you participate in team building, you’re not only having fun but you’re also strengthening the team spirit. These experiences build camaraderie and a sense of belonging, leading to greater support and celebration of shared accomplishments. So, what are you waiting for? Get your team building on and enjoy the benefits of a happier workplace!

6. Improve productivity

When teammates trust each other to do their part, it creates a supportive and secure environment that reduces stress. Feeling valued and part of a team fosters a sense of belonging. Respectful and positive coworker relationships contribute to a healthy workplace culture. Teammates can acknowledge each other’s accomplishments even when managers are too busy. Building rapport and understanding among colleagues reduces the need for lengthy explanations in meetings.

Even teams that already work well together can benefit from increased productivity through the alignment of objectives, better communication, quicker agreement, and stronger trust. A strong team operates smoothly and efficiently like a well-oiled machine. Team building activities facilitate this efficiency, leading to improved performance.

The two key indicators of team effectiveness are psychological safety and dependability. In other words, team building is essential for a productive, healthy environment. Choose your team building objectives and goals wisely, because they are crucial for your company’s well-being!