Interactive Games For Team Building And Break Rooms In The Office
If you’ve recently looked at an office-based job, you may have encountered selling points companies put out to attract prospective employees. Some of the most popular nice-to-haves include games like foosball tables, digital entertainment, or even table tennis in certain areas of the office space. Employers like to have these facilities as outlets for team building and to provide their staff with something to do during their work breaks. Team building is essential to ensuring that groups work cohesively, and ultimately benefits employers and managers who need to deliver projects and hit specific deadlines and targets. Games can promote team building for various reasons, which we’ll explore further in this post.
Why Is Team Building Important?
Employers who are strong advocates for team building often rely heavily on their teams working together to meet targets and deadlines. If they have a team that does not understand how to work together optimally or that does not get on, the chances of work taking a back seat increase significantly. This is part of the reason that fun and relaxation have been so heavily integrated into modern workspaces.
Enhancing Company Culture
Although good company culture does not rely solely on having the latest toys in the workspace, encouraging play certainly creates an environment where employees feel more relaxed. Having areas where those working in upper management and those in more entry-level positions can meet and enjoy a work break also breaks down authoritative walls, thereby encouraging approachability and learning. When employees feel supported and are driven to upskill themselves under the guidance of more senior staff members, company culture is enhanced.
Fostering Camaraderie
Team members who can take a break from work together are more likely to have conversations on topics other than work. Of course, when working on a particularly interesting project, conversations will revolve around this too. Being able to go to a break room and engage in an activity other than work will naturally encourage conversation, thereby promoting relatability. In this way, games in break rooms that promote team building can help to foster camaraderie.
Improves Communication Within A Team
Break rooms that have interactive games for more than two players are fantastic for improving the communication dynamics within a team of professionals. When faced with a challenge or problem to solve, good communication is key to resolving the task at hand. As communicative methods are established over time, encouraging a team to interact regularly and effectively will help to develop the team’s communicative skills. This will ultimately determine how the team functions and navigate the challenges they face.
Build Empathy And Understanding
The cornerstones of excellent team performance are empathy and understanding. When team members understand each other, what their individual strengths are, and how they can contribute to the project or task assigned, it’s more likely that they will develop a more collaborative approach to achieving deliverables. Having a playful space on offer breeds discourse between team members, therefore providing the opportunity for empathy and understanding to be cultivated.
The Role Of Games In Team Building
There are an array of team-building exercises that are popular among corporates, and many of them involve interactive games. On a psychological level, games are a great way to boost confidence as it literally requires individuals to become a team player in order to achieve a set goal. Games are also good for team building for the following reasons.
Promote Laughter
When people feel as though they can laugh in a given situation, the potential seriousness of a scenario falls away, and it encourages individuals to open up more towards their fellow colleagues. Laughter is almost inevitable when a group of people are engaged in a game or recreational activity, making games the ideal outlet for team building.
Allow Fun In The Workplace
As an employer, it should be made clear to your staff that the office is a workplace. But that doesn’t mean that the occasional bit of fun should be overlooked or frowned upon. Having a fun activity to do during a work break is also important and should be encouraged, as short stints away from one’s desk actually boost productivity.
Act As Icebreakers
Having an opportunity to break the ice is important, especially for new employees. Some new staff members may feel shy in their early days at a company. Having facilities like games available to employees will help new team members integrate with ones who have been with an organisation for longer.
Encourage Skill And Knowledge Sharing
During gameplay, team members can learn more about the skills individual team members have. Interactive games offer the opportunity for team members to put forward unique skills and useful knowledge they may have, which will add value to solving a problem or completing a task provided in the game. The skills and knowledge exhibited during gameplay can then be transferred into real-life work scenarios, further improving the cohesion within a team.
Digital Interactive Games For The Workplace
In a time when new technological developments are being released regularly, incorporating digital interactivity into a workspace seems like a natural step. They are also great for office spaces that may not have large spaces but still want to encourage employee recreation. Sky Inside has developed a range of interactive games that can be displayed on walls and floors that encourage interactive gameplay and could be the perfect addition to corporate break rooms. For more information about our digital gaming products, visit our Interactive page or get in touch with our team.