Category Archives: Team Building & Motivation

Team Building & Motivation

3 Reasons Why Business are Turning to Glamping for Teambuilding

Teambuilding is essential, as it gets the team to work together harmoniously. By taking off work and going for fun out-of-office activities, employees can get to know each other in a different light and connect in an out of work setting. The primary purpose of a teambuilding exercise is to teach people some skills that they can apply at their workplace for better productivity. 

Several team building activities cater to different organisations, depending on their priorities and goals. But recently, one of the team building activities that have become very popular among businesses is glamping. Glamping essentially means glamorous camping. So instead of having to bring your tent and set it up yourself, they will put up a tent for you. Plus, the tent will be furnished with beds, allowing you to sleep in comfort even in the middle of the forest!

Here are some reasons why businesses are turning to glamping for teambuilding.

 

  • COVID pushes business into Outdoor Teambuilding

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how businesses work these days, with most employees working from home. But this does not mean that companies should forego team building activities. In fact, given all the stresses that so many people are facing these days, it’s more important than ever for people to seek out fun adventures and activities.

When it comes to team building activities, health experts recommend choosing outdoor activities, as it minimises the spread of the virus from one person to another. For this reason, glamping has become the number one choice for team building activities lately. With glamping, you get to spend time in nature while participating in fun outdoor activities, a great way to develop your relationship with colleagues.

 

  • More Companies Going Eco 

More and more companies are going eco-friendly these days. In fact, sustainability has become the trend across various industries. So, it’s not surprising why many businesses would prefer to go glamping for their team building activities.

Glamping is a more natural and environment-friendly way to bond with work colleagues. You can choose to stay in holiday eco pods, treehouses, or safari tents, all of which are eco-friendly. Most glamping abodes are made from sustainable materials, such as wood, and come with heating facilities that have minimal impact on the environment, such as the log burner.

 

  • It’s Local and Affordable! 

With more and more businesses turning to glamping for team building, you will now find many glamping options, most of which come with facilities for team building activities. The best part is, most of these are affordable and are available locally, so you do not need to travel far to get to these locations. This can save the company some money on transportation costs and other expenses associated with travelling to some faraway locations.

Perhaps, the biggest benefit of glamping as a team-building activity is that it’s a fantastic way to escape the chaos of work life. The sound of the wind blowing the trees and birds singing, not to mention the chance to partake in some fun activities, are guaranteed to beat all the stress away.

 

News, Team Building & Motivation

Top Tips for Startups that are Building a Team

Nargis Jafferali from https://www.byblazon.com/ shares team building tips

When you’re launching a startup, it doesn’t matter whether it’s your very first venture, or your fiftieth…it’s hard work and a challenging process. Fact. Most founders start that journey either completely alone or alongside a trusted co-founder, however it’s a long way to go until you have a team to support your business.

So, what are some of the most important considerations to make when you’re thinking about your team and how to build it up? We break down some of our top tips to think about:

Hard in the initial stages

The vast majority of founders will embark on launching their startup business completely solo from the beginning. It’s an early idea, a mere concept at this stage, and you may not even have done your market research to test out whether it’s commercially viable at all. So, it’s unadvisable nor is it realistic to have team members at this stage.

Sure, it doesn’t make the early stages any easier for you, with the pressure of establishing a business framework resting entirely on your shoulders, and an early founder having to take on each and every role of the business themselves. No easy feat. But then startup land is not for the faint-hearted either, is it?!

Be prepared to put in those long hours, to make those tough decisions alone, to wear more hats than you ever thought could possibly fit on your head. The early solo journey is hard and rocky, but it’s massively crucial too. These early learnings about your market space, your customers’ feedback and your own self will set the precedent for your business to come, and it’s the rite of passage that needs to be done. No question.

Timing is everything

So, when you have the confidence that your startup has legs – perhaps you’ve already got your first paying customers, or enough valuable user feedback to determine the need for your business – then you need to consider when is the right time to make that all-important first hire for your new team. And this decision is one that stumps many a founder.

If you hire your first ‘employee’ (the terms of their contract with you are irrelevant, as the considerations remain similar whether you’re dealing with interns, freelancers, part-timers, full-timers etc) too early on, there could be unnecessary pressures placed on your delicate finances. If you’re yet to sign up a paying customer, or only have a handful, then chances are you’re still bootstrapping the business anyway – paying a wage too early on adds more risk to your circumstances.

There’s also the pressure of unrealistic workload expectations for your new hire. You’ve hired them and said they’ll be managing X, Y and Z, but perhaps your predicted clients don’t sign up, or you lose customers – then what does your new team member do? Without the security of an established business at this stage, it’s tough to predict too far ahead, and that places an element of risk upon your new hire.

On the other hand, founders should not leave it too late before bringing in someone to help them. If you’ve been managing so many things for a long time yourself, chances are you’re already stretched quite thin, and under significant pressure. The risk attached with letting standards slip don’t seem worth it – what’s the point of risking losing all your hard work, by simply not realising you’re drowning in pressure and need help?

Timing is crucial when building a new team, and it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons carefully to make the best decision for your individual startup.

Long term vision

Having temporary help for your business may be great support in the short-term, particularly when you’re still trying to establish yourself and finding your feet, but a really successful startup will benefit from having people on board that are ready to grow with you.

Finding individuals with the right skillset and experience is essential of course but finding people that share your vision and prepared to embark on a journey with you, are worth their weight in gold. These types of characters become so much more than ‘hired help’, they’ll be adding some serious extra value to your processes, perhaps offering important feedback, creative suggestions and supportive encouragement.

Team members that are looking to grow with your startup can often be far more productive too. Being hired for a job at your company that enables more accountability and getting more involved in the decisions can add tons to the overall appeal and job satisfaction – all great for general employee satisfaction.

Onboarding Process

So, when you’re finally ready to make that next hire, how do you go about it and what things should you keep in mind? Recruitment should be an honest, transparent process, bearing in mind to always be realistic about the job role and the situation of the company with the candidate where appropriate. Whilst it’s good to be flexible and accommodating as an employer, it’s also important to stay true to the objectives of your startups too – whether it’s wages, hours, responsibilities or something else that comes up during the hiring process, a founder must be vigilant not to deviate too far away from what they’re able to offer. Desperation is a killer, but stay true to your goals, and the right person will come your way, eventually.

In the early stages, a founder will have done everything themselves, so naturally the handover process will be a tough step to undertake. Think about making that process as simple as possible, perhaps thinking about organising processes and systems in a clear format that’s easy for someone else to understand and pick up quickly. Over time, the handover process will become more routine and far easier, but the majority of founders find those first stages challenging and often frustrating. So, hang in there, you’re not alone, and remember, your new hire is supposed to be there to make your life easier!

The number one piece of advice to all founders has to be about learning from mistakes. Not every startup is the same, not every founder is the same and not every journey is the same. And throw in a bunch of circumstances and roadblocks that are beyond your control – and it’s one hot mess! But, if you’re able to remain fluid in your approach, constantly adapting yourself, constantly challenging the status quo, and always trying to improve the process, then you’ve a greater chance of success.

Building a team is a necessary and thoroughly exciting part of building your startup – do it right, and at the right time, and you’re laughing!

Engagement, News, Team Building & Motivation

How to improve employee wellbeing and morale with in-person events you can do remotely

Craig Bulow, Corporate Away Days, explains why a little thinking outside the box can still allow employees to partake in team building events

Lockdown has proved to be a much longer period than any of us imagined but look at what you and your team have achieved! Many of us have got used to working from home, and will continue to do so for a while, as others gradually return to the workplace.

Your business is probably running relatively smoothly now but, as the proverb – and Jack Nicholson – might remind us “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. Your team could almost certainly do with an injection of fun, as you would have done before lockdown, to thank them for their hard work and dedication. However, although they deserve a summer party or team away day, that isn’t likely to happen any time soon. With social distancing, people who are still self-isolating or cautious about going out too much, and parents who simply cannot ask someone else to have the children – a in-person event is probably not on the cards.

Let me share some ideas for activities you can arrange that will boost morale and support wellbeing.

Gaming together

Most homes have a games console of some description. Whether it’s the latest XBOX, Playstation or even more interactive Nintendo Wii, dust it off and select some competitive games or sports for some healthy competition within your team. The latest models allow us to play interactively. Is it F1, Tennis, Football, Minecraft, Chess, Scrabble? A league leader board can even be set up to motivate those joining in the fun.

A field trip for the grown-ups

Most schools have a summer field trip, so why not your business? Firstly, make sure that work-supplied phones have plenty of data and encourage others to top up their data and pay for it for them, if needed.

Your team can walk in their local woods, nature trail, country park, river, park or beach. Keep the team connected on their phones, coverage allowing, while they walk and share their experiences live.

As well as sharing the what they’re seeing including the wildlife and the weather, they can talk about what the space means to them: did they grow up nearby, have a picnic with their other half when they were first dating, do they walk their dog here? A couple of hours where your team members can share their experiences can encourage better connections with nature – which is obviously beneficial for mental health – and work friends, but not talking about work.

Getting Arty

Many celebrities have made dance classes available. Why not set up a team dance? You could learn a routine to do together when you are finally reunited! The exercise will boost endorphins and could cause lots of laughter. If you’re stuck for dance teachers, get in touch, we have some great teachers available who can bring their own music, routines and fun.

Comedy can be a great team activity. Perhaps you could all vote on a classic comedy sketch, a live stand up performance or an episode of a series. Share it with the group and watch together or separately. Then chat online to discuss the best bits.

Music is a great way to destress and connect with others. Do you have musicians in the team? Use Zoom sessions to share their talents. This is great way to build connections and talk about something other than work. Also, everyone could share a favourite song, one that always cheers them up.

Working Out

Perhaps you could find an activity most of the group will enjoy remotely, such as yoga, body balance or a HiiT workout and hire an appropriate instructor to take the team from the basics, perhaps weekly, until they can all see an improvement.

If you have fitness bunnies on your team maybe they can share their expertise, perhaps taking it in turns to share their tips on sit-ups, stretches etc.

Sharing Cooking

If people are into food, online cooking can be great fun. Celebrities are offering excellent classes, information and recipes for you to try at home. Getting the team together on Zoom, Facetime etc. to cook a chosen dish or bake a cake, whilst judging the end result on presentation, creates a Master Chef show that has never been easier to win. If you need some help or inspiration, we offer cooking classes with all the ingredients delivered to your door and a master cook from an award-winning cookery school taking you through each step on Zoom.

Golf and Cycling

Of course, not all activities have to be remote. As the lockdown restrictions continue to be eased, there are options for us to get together in twos and later in smaller groups. Now is a great time to build teams that logistically can meet with set of clubs or bikes and enjoy timeless banter and exercise either on the golf course or checking out cycle routes close to homes. As long as social distancing is maintained, this is a great way to improve skills and fitness levels until bigger teams can enjoy an organised company away day.

I hope these ideas will encourage you to talk to your team members and arrange events that can be enjoyed remotely by everyone. Activities of this kind are an excellent way to boost morale and wellbeing. Enjoy!

Coronavirus, Engagement, Flexible Working, Team Building & Motivation

Wildgoose launches remote team building to help colleagues working from home

Best known worldwide as the leading provider of digital team building events and activities, Wildgoose is proud to announce three pioneering virtual experiences that can help businesses prepare for a leap into the unknown.

Over the past week, Wildgoose has developed a new suite of products to support companies and their remote and isolated colleagues and teams, a move that responds to World Health Organisation concerns about employee wellness and mental health during the current crisis. The WHO has said staying connected and engaged with colleagues and networks is vital for mental health in stressful and worrying times.

Wildgoose is proud to have launched three pioneering virtual experiences that can help any business support remote and isolated colleagues and boost much-needed morale. These include:

The Daily Kick-Off – a creative self-led challenge that will set teams on the right track each morning by encouraging employees to shoot their own short motivational videos for one another.

In the absence of work socials, The Team Quiz is a virtual pub quiz that enables teams to have a laugh and get competitive via video conferencing, keeping that feeling of unity firmly in place.

With The Virtual Away Day, teams work together from home to answer questions and complete challenges, developing the same brilliant communication and collaboration skills that they would on a regular team building day.

Jonny Edser, Founder and MD of Wildgoose, said:

“Virtual team building and support has never been more important for employee wellness and mental health. The prospect of prolonged isolation over a long period of time is not good for anybody. We are committed to helping businesses motivate, inspire, connect and engage with remote colleagues and teams. We want to do everything we can to put a smile back on the face of colleagues, make isolation less painful and make the working week work better at home.”