To say that it’s been a stressful year and a half is a massive understatement. COVID-19 entered all of our lives with a bang in March 2020, and we’re still not quite in the clear yet. However, with vaccines rolling out and having a much better scientific understanding of the virus, things are steadily getting back to normal.
And what’s more normal than heading to work at the office? If you’re a team leader, you’re probably wondering how to get the gang back in shape after being out of the office for such a long time. While everyone’s eager to be in the swing of things, working hard and into a routine once again, there might be some challenges in the beginning. For instance, it might feel a little awkward to be in the same room with so many people at first. You’ve been hanging out and working at home for months — possibly without anyone else there with you.
Social interaction may feel a bit strange in the beginning. You may also have become used to working on a home-time schedule — you might have been having lunch at 3 pm and taking breaks at noon to do your exercises, all while wearing your pyjamas. It will take a little while before everyone’s in office mode, but it will happen.
Meantime, why not encourage some office productivity and morale? Check out these tips on how you can help your staff get into the 9 to 5 spirit in no time.
Team Building Exercises
Team building exercises motivate employees to work together, address weaknesses, develop strengths, and ultimately boost productivity. They should encourage collaboration and discourage competition and bullying. Other benefits of team-building exercises include:
- Better Communication between Staff
- Enhanced Motivation
- An Improvement in Employees’ Mental Health
- Stronger Leadership Skills
- And more
Team building exercises build trust among employees. They help people better understand their interests, strengths, and weaknesses. Such an understanding can help your team work better together, strengthening the company in the long run. Some examples of team-building exercises are running an office-wide scavenger hunt, hosting a show and tell night, or taking the team to an escape room event.
Volunteer
Volunteering is an excellent activity to try with your team. Volunteering for a local, meaningful cause is a beautiful way to give back to your community and the issues that mean something to you and your coworkers. It’s an activity that encourages you to get out of your head while you help others who might be in greater need. Your team will contribute to something other than work, and such an activity will benefit leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Suggest the idea to your team and brainstorm charities or non-profits in your community that need volunteers. Perhaps it’s an animal shelter, homeless encampment group, or an organization raising funds for a life-threatening illness. Contact your chosen organization and ask if there are any upcoming events where they’ll require volunteers. It will be a rewarding experience, and you might even want to make it a regular activity.
Make T-Shirts
Who doesn’t love that fresh feeling of putting on new clothes? If you love the feel of new clothes, then you’ll also love the idea of making custom-printed clothing for you and your employees. Wearing custom-printed clothing, like t-shirts or sweatshirts, helps to bring the team together.
Think of team athletes. Aside from their incredible sportsmanship and mind-blowing power, the one tangible thing that brings them together as a team is a uniform. Players can identify one another on the field, and audience members can spot their favourite team members based on the uniform’s custom colours and patterns.
You don’t have to make a uniform for your staff, but by designing custom t-shirts for each team member to wear at public events, gatherings, and tradeshows, your team will build strong camaraderie and trust. Making screen-printed (or embroidered) clothing with a custom design is more accessible than most people think.
When you’ve decided on the design you’d like to use, find a reputable online screen printing and embroidery company that offers free estimates and a large selection of clothing items to choose from. The right company will work with you to find the best print or embroidery for your needs at the right cost for your budget. Soon, you and the team will be wearing your fresh new threads, showing off your company everywhere you go.
To welcome everyone back to the office, consider ways in which you can enhance productivity and morale. With some team-building activities, volunteering for those in need, and unified company merch, your staff will be feeling like a team and smooth sailing into the next fiscal year.