My office typically puts on a quarterly activity for the employees to help boost morale and get everyone out and interacting with one another, especially those who don’t work directly with one another. One activity I look forward to most each year is baseball games in the company suite. Growing up I played softball and with me not being in an active league and since moving to Dallas, I love having access to the Rangers Stadium and seeing them play live. Even though I don’t have real playing access, its nice being able to be a part of the action and celebrate with other fans excited to be there. This year, I was most excited to get the chance at catching a few games in the new stadium. Unfortunately, with the current state of emergency (COVID-19) players and fans have been left to wonder when we’ll have access to these luxuries again.
I’m sure this time in isolation has been a challenge for most of us who typically report to an office, but it also got me wondering about some creative ways to still have interaction with co-workers without the current risks of contact. These activities are great to engage in now and also for those who typically work remote and for managers just wanting to get keep their employees socializing with one another.
Virtual Coffee Break + Donuts
One perk thats always a nice gesture for an employer to show appreciation for employees is bringing in Breakfast or Lunch. We’re able to gather in the break room and check in on other coworkers we may not have made the effort or felt free from work long enough to do so. The no contact alternative can very well be a break with Coffee and Donut or pastry of choice and send out a calendar invite via Skype, Zoom or Web-ex. I suggest giving employees an incentive and sending each a e-gift card to Starbucks so they can get excited about participating. You can use this time to get to know each other with icebreaker questions, put faces to names for those who work remote indefinitely, have a discussion of best work practices or open the floor to ideas for solving a recently encountered issue. 30 Minutes to an hour should be just enough time for this so that it doesn’t become too boring depending on your usage. Feel free to modify as you see fit.
B.I.N.G.O
Managers are always looking for teachable moments. Virtual BINGO is a great way to get your virtual team members socializing and its a classic game that everyone knows. For this game, set aside a few hours for play that way everyone isn’t completely distracted from their work. You can create BINGO cards with this BINGO Card Generator. Research some icebreaker topics like childhood (has 2 sisters; is an only child), or travel related (has been out of the country; visited more than 3 states; hiked up a mountain; etc), load them into the generator and send out the bingo cards via email with a date and time.
Shark Tank
This virtual team building activity will bring out the competitors. Divide your team into 2 groups with 2-6 people in each group. Reach out to some of the other managers to build a judges panel as well so that when the time comes to deliberate and vote, all is fair. This is a great opportunity to get the team engaged in thinking of ideas for a solution to a current need.
Each team will need to develop the following:
- Business Name
- Business Plan
- Product Design – Paper Drawing scanned over to each judge works
- Marketing Strategy and Financial Data
Give each team the time to strategize with one another and then have the teams sign on virtually, give them each a designated time slot to present their pitches and allow the judges time to give feedback.
Virtual Happy Hour
Not everything has to be a learning moment though. Sometimes just good ole fun with no strings attached encouraged by your manager is a great way to boost morale. You can have icebreaker questions ready just incase things start off a little slow and play host/hostess throughout the designated time. Have your employees bring their favorite beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and a snack.
