How to build a strong team spirit when working apart

By Green Hat Games

Happy teams with a strong team spirit are more productive and work better together. But how we can build a strong team spirit when many of us are working apart?

Researchers at MIT’s Human Dynamics Laboratory found that the best predictors of a team’s performance were the levels of energy and social engagement between team members outside of work meetings. During the study, the team saw a significant increase in productivity and morale when the manager synchronized employee break times so that they could socialize.

3 tips for virtual team leaders to build more productive and engaged teams

1 Overcome challenges together

Give your team something to achieve together. Whether it’s catching the culprit in a Murder Mystery, or saving their company files from Green Hat Games’ notorious Hacker, overcoming a challenge cooperatively will bring your team closer together.

Scoring small successes together in games and social activities breeds confidence, and can establish successful habits that cross over into the team’s daily work.

2 Introduce some friendly competition

Running races and arm wrestling might be a bit far, but some friendly competition will help to motivate your virtual team!

An example is the game Online Office Challenge which sees teams race through a series of mini-games and fun challenges in a bid to score points and climb the leaderboard. This kind of healthy competition promotes a greater sense of cohesion among teams, and encourages collaboration among different characters and personality types.

3 Get to know each other better with Ice Breakers

Ice breakers are a tried and tested method to start your virtual meetings, sparking conversation among your groups and encouraging them to get to know each other’s personalities outside of work. As they get to know each other better, team members will start to relax, gain confidence, contribute, and cooperate more effectively as a team.

Find out more at www.greenhatgames.com