Boost productivity. Increase collaboration. Improve communication and problem solving skills. You’ve likely heard the claims for teambuilding events before. But how do you achieve these outcomes and what role does your venue and type of event play in the overall success of your teambuilding session?
The business case for a teambuilding event
It’s common for the repetitive nature of our daily work lives to cause feelings of monotony. As colleagues and teams, we may fall into a mundane routine, and even begin to grow tired of one another, not to mention the fact that we can only learn so much about each other in a work setting.
Teambuilding events break people out of their everyday scenery and catapult them into a new environment where energy levels heighten and brains work differently. A great teambuilding event can help your employees:
- Get to know each other better.
- Improve teamwork skills and boost team performance.
- Engage in friendly competition to encourage partnership and cooperation.
- Have fun (research has shown that this makes employees motivated to perform even better)!
- Increase collaboration, innovation and creativity.
- Communicate better and work well together.
Select a great venue
To get the most out of your teambuilding event, start by carefully choosing a place. Think of what you want your corporate team to see. How do you want them to feel? If you plan to run particular teambuilding activities, be sure the event venue you choose accommodates those. Consider food, beverages and entertainment. The more exciting the place, the more engaged and willing your employees will be to participate. And if they participate wholeheartedly, they stand to gain the greatest benefit.
It’s got to have a social component
Work is important, but don’t forget the play! One of the most advantageous elements of a good teambuilding event is that it gives your employees a chance to interact in a non-work setting. They have the freedom to be social, and to talk about interests that don’t involve work, responsibilities and deadlines. Everyone wants to work with people they know and feel comfortable with. In fact, studies show that in these environments, people’s imaginations are larger and their creativity is heightened.
Think of a teambuilding event that has that element of fun and social interaction so your team can let loose and experience some real, warm-and-fuzzy-style bonding.
Compete in an amicable setting
Find clever ways to bring in an element of competition. Deep down, we all like to compete – for fun, for personal development, for the challenge! Competition is an excellent motivator because it pushes us to excel. Whether it’s a scavenger hunt, card game or special entertainment factor, plan for a little competition at your teambuilding event and watch as your employees work together, create social connections and strengthen as a group.
Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto has it all
Small or big, casual or formal, your event has a place at Toronto’s infamous Woodbine Racetrack. We have 10 unique event spaces for you to choose from where you can run any kind of teambuilding activities and exercises. Take a break and serve a beautiful meal to your employees, with a menu of your choosing crafted by our talented chefs.
At Woodbine, the elements of competition and socialization are easy to incorporate with our live horse racing and wagering, and then natural breaks between races. Your employees can bet on horses, watch the race for a minute and a half, and then enjoy a cocktail during the 20-minute break until the next race begins. And for real uninhibited teambuilding fun, our full casino is equipped with live table games, slots and more. When you pick the right place, getting the teambuilding results you’re after is easy.