The team that plays together is more likely to stay together

Virgin boss and Britain’s best-known entrepreneur Richard Branson has emphasised the importance of motivating your team at work by having fun with them in order to make a business venture more successful. “If your staff are having fun and genuinely care about other people, they will enjoy their work more and do a better job,” notes Branson in a recent blog entry entitled Top 10 Tips for Success.

With team-building activities often organised around this time of year, we present five sure-fire ways to bond with your colleagues and ensure that pleasure translates into productivity, courtesy of event organiser Fresh Tracks.

The Toy Factory is an activity that involves designing handmade wooden toys for less fortunate children; Fresh Tracks notes that this fosters good values within a company and allows you to see the softer side of colleagues.

Film making is a good way to get teams to unleash their creative spirit and also enables them to get behind a new product, as well as honing their time management skills.

The Team Machine involves small groups building mechanical devices that come together to create a giant, interconnected structure that demonstrates how every piece of the puzzle matters. This pursuit helps reinforce how essential it is to share one common goal and engenders collaboration, support and consensus.

Treasure hunts provide teams with clues to piece together while navigating their way around a pre-determined route. In this instance, teamwork is key and the participants are rewarded for their determination, competitive spirit and positive energy.

Chocolate Challenge This activity stimulates all five senses and takes teams through the process of developing a brand, as well as the associated production and marketing. It helps promote creativity and commercial planning, as well as matching strengths to roles.

Discover more team-building ideas at freshtracks.co.uk/