Building rapport with your team can help them to feel more engaged and satisfied in their role, but there’s also a balance to strike. Too much time spent on team building activities can cause frustration as your team tries to manage daily responsibilities. Below are some suggestions to help you strike that balance while helping your team to connect.
Create opportunities for gratitude
Small habits can influence the culture of your team in a big way. Do you have regular check-ins with your team? Incorporate a weekly or monthly shout out for someone on your team that has gone above and beyond. Does your agency have an easy way for employees to send each other praise? Leave out thank you notes or share a virtual template to encourage your employees to celebrate each other’s successes. Give them more frequent chances to recognize each other’s efforts.
You can also send a nomination for your team to be featured on the Work For Indiana social media pages/in the monthly employee newsletter, the Torch. You can send nominations to spdcommunications@spd.in.gov with a brief description of why they should be spotlighted including recent projects that were successful, awards they received, etc. Pictures are appreciated as well. These spotlights help show appreciation and motivate your team to continue working closely together.
Give back together
Full-time employees can utilize up to 15 hours of Community Service Leave per year. This leave time gives employees the opportunity to step away from work without needing to make up hours. Plus, the causes you’re working to support can be a great motivator. They’re a worthwhile reason to put work tasks on hold for a few hours. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few suggestions:
- Check out your local food bank, as many have group volunteer opportunities.
- Participate in the MLK Jr. Days of Service that are hosted by the Indiana Civil Rights Commission every September (stay tuned for this year’s dates to be announced soon).
- Look for one-time charity events like 5ks and park clean ups. Sites like Eventbrite have volunteering sections that can be a good starting point for finding these opportunities.
- See if your favorite charity needs extra support around the holidays—sometimes they have additional opportunities to get involved.
Other opportunities could include volunteering with your local library, lending a hand at a diaper bank, sorting clothing donations, or even helping out with the Indianapolis Zoo’s animal enrichment program. And if your entire team can’t go at the same time or location, going in smaller groups will still be a good opportunity for team building. Wherever you go, take pictures! Reminders of your team-building activities help reinforce the rapport that you build. Lastly, make sure the organization is a 501(c)(3) charity if you plan to use community service leave. Many list their 501(c)(3) status on their website.
Connect team building to work activities
Rather than planning separate team-building activities for your team, try adding interest to tasks you’re already doing. You can also focus on learning opportunities that connect back to your team’s area of work. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Have quarterly/monthly working lunches or meetings with donuts/coffee.
- Plan a quarterly brainstorming session to problem solve or pitch new ideas.
- Provide a virtual breakroom to give teams that are spread out or remote the opportunity to connect without pressure.
- Share articles about industry news or relevant LinkedIn posts that might prompt discussion.
- Find a continuing education opportunity that your team can attend or watch together.
Get involved in the State Employees’ Community Campaign this fall
SECC is the State of Indiana’s annual charity campaign where employees can donate to the causes they care about through payroll deductions and participation in special events. The campaign will run from September 12 until November 8 and it’s a great time to get involved. Talk with your employees about the causes they’re passionate about, get involved with events during the campaign and more. Some of the statewide events include Paddle Battle, a lip sync battle, pickleball (new this year), Tug of War, a virtual silent auction, virtual trivia and more. Public service is all about giving back and SECC is a great time to highlight that mission and offer your team flexibility, when possible, to attend events. Many are over lunch to make it easier for employees to attend.
As you try to engage with your team, remember that building rapport takes time. But implementing changes over time can make a big difference in the long run.