5 tips to improve communication and mental health of your team

In a survey by a US non-profit Mind Share Partners, it has been observed that almost 42% of the respondent’s mental health has declined early in the pandemic. Similarly, in another survey done by software firm Oracle in Singapore found that nearly 7 in 10 employees have reported this year to be the most stressful one. Since the onset of pandemic, employers across the world have increased their focus on employee mental health and building healthy communication among team members. 

Team building activities have been found to be one of the ways to facilitate interactions that improve communication and mental health of team members. Physical team building activities in Singapore have become very popular post-pandemic as offices start to open. However, regardless of the type of activity organized, team building activities profoundly improve communication and mental health of team members. Here are 5 ways in which they do so:

Fosters team bonding

Effective communication improves productivity and collaboration among team members. Teams that communicate smoothly are also found to be more cohesive. However, effective communication is built on trust and personal bonding among team members. Team building activities help in fostering this personal bonds. Although technological advancements have enabled the use of various platforms for team communication like messengers, slack, zoom etc., communication that does not involve team members on a personal level is considered ineffective. For example, activities like ice-breakers, scavenger hunts, and mystery rooms nurture personal bonds that improve team interactions. Research has also found that when team members share personal bonds, they are more likely to communicate with each other. 

Develops trust, integrity, and empathy

Trust, integrity, and empathy are the foundation of building a thriving organizational culture. These cannot be developed when team members do not interact with each other often. Team building activities facilitate these interactions and enable employees to develop these attributes. However, team building activities need to be organized with a specific objective to maximize their impact. For example, trust among the team members is only developed when they believe that their colleagues have the best intentions for the team and the organization. This possible through organizing simple ice-breaker activities. Or, if the organization has the necessary resources, outdoor activities are more impactful in developing trust, integrity, and empathy. 

Relieves stress and prevents burnout

Although it was assumed that remote work would reduce stress and burnout, it was proven otherwise. Remote workers were found to be overworked and lacked a connection with their employers. According to a survey by TINYPULSE, about 86% of the remote workers have reported feeling burnout. Employee burnout is expensive to employers as it will lead to reduction in productivity and increase in employee turnover as observed by the Great Resignation wave in 2021. To prevent this, team building activities can be used as a stress buster. These activities allow employees to relax and rejuvenate after a stressful day. Doing an activity together also instils a sense of camaraderie and bonding among team members. Some examples of team building activities that relieve stress are puzzle games, movie nights, meditation sessions, lunch parties etc. 

Improves listening skills of the team

Team communication cannot be effective when team members are not active listeners. Listening requires patience, active participation, and understanding among the team members. Scenarios like conflicts and team silos drastically impact listening skills of team members and effective communication is hindered. Team building activities help in restoring effective communication by bringing together team members and resolving conflicts. Team building activities can also be organized specifically with the objective of improve listening skills of team members. Some examples of activities that improve listening skills are mindfulness activities, memory boards, story sharing activities etc. 

Builds a culture that allows being vulnerable

There has always been a stigma around mental health and being open about it. The pandemic has given an opportunity for employers and employees to be open about it and take steps towards building awareness around it. Team building activities can be used a tool to build awareness around mental health. These activities allow the leadership team to be vulnerable and share their experiences which will allow the team to destigmatize mental health. This leads to a culture where employees feel comfortable to talk about mental health and be more humane to each other. Some examples of activities that work best for this are virtual work desk clean up, planning activities with families, practicing a group meditation routine etc. 

Communication and mental health are the pillars of a productive and collaborative team environment. Organizing team building activities regularly allows team members to build personal bonds and communicate better. Team building activities also contribute significantly to improving the social fabric of the team which prevents stress, burnout, and keeps employees in good mental health.