What is team bonding?
Team bonding is the process of developing strong personal relationships between team members. In the workplace, team bonding activities are usually fun, social activities that give team members an opportunity to get to know each other outside a work context.
Team bonding is a little different to team building. The focus of team bonding is on having fun, while team building focuses on encouraging a team to collaborate more effectively. Team building activities are typically designed to develop specific skills, such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Benefits of team bonding and team spirit
Team bonding is an investment in the future of your company. It can help to create a company culture that allows your employees and your organisation to thrive. Here are some of the other significant benefits of team bonding.
- Improved soft skills: Your team members get an opportunity to develop useful soft skills, such as confidence and self-awareness, empathy and mindful communication, leadership, problem-solving and creativity.
- Greater psychological safety: Higher levels of trust and stronger connections between team members can help to create a more psychologically safe work environment in which employees can feel free to speak their mind about potential issues.
- Enhanced morale and engagement: Forming stronger connections helps to create a sense of belonging and purpose, which generally leads to happier and more engaged employees and can significantly boost morale.
- Fosters mutual support: Team bonding activities encourage teamwork, communication and the building of strong relationships, which fosters mutual support among team members and enhances overall team cohesion.
- Lower staff turnover: Employees are typically less likely to leave an employer when they feel valued and connected to their team.
- Supports mental wellbeing: Participating in team bonding activities, which encourage fun and social interaction, can help reduce stress and support the mental wellbeing of your team.
Major Australian sports events
Australia is a well known for being a sports-loving nation, and that is reflected in an impressive calendar of well-attended, world-class sporting events. These events provide an ideal springboard for team bonding activities. Here is a list of major sports events hosted in Australia that can provide inspiration for a team building event, foster team cohesion and highlight the value of participating in a team sport.
The Australian Open
When: January
Where: Melbourne
Details: Kicking off the world’s tennis calendar, the Australian Open is a major international tennis tournament that attracts the world’s top-ranked tennis players. It is the first of four Grand Slam tournaments, the others being the French Open, US Open and Wimbledon.
The Tour Down Under
When: January
Where: Adelaide
Details: The Tour Down Under is the largest cycling race in the Southern Hemisphere. Held over 10 days, both male and female professional UCI World Tour racing teams demonstrate their cycling prowess on the streets of Adelaide and regional South Australia.
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix
When: March
Where: Melbourne
Details: Every March, motoring enthusiasts head to Melbourne’s Albert Park to watch their favourite F1 superstars start up their engines and compete for the coveted championship title. Spectators consistently number in the hundreds of thousands each year.
State of Origin
When: June to July
Where: Usually Brisbane and Sydney
Details: Although it’s a contest between two states – Queensland and New South Wales – the annual State of Origin series always has an electric atmosphere, and it’s something that people right around the country can get amongst. With state pride on the line, the NRL’s top players are selected to battle it out in a three-game decider to see whether the New South Wales Blues or Queensland Maroons will take home the trophy.
Football grand finals
When: Between 30 September and 6 October (NRL) and the last Saturday in September (AFL)
Where: Sydney (NRL) and Melbourne (AFL)
Details: For football fans, nothing tops the excitement of cheering on your team in a packed-out stadium on grand final day. The National Rugby League (NRL) and Australian Rules Football (AFL) grand finals are held each year to determine who will be the premiers for the season.
The Melbourne Cup
When: November
Where: Melbourne
Details: Known as the ‘race that stops a nation’, the Melbourne Cup has firmly established itself as part of Australian culture. The main event is a horse race that happens at 3pm on the first Tuesday of November, but it is also accompanied by plenty of fashion, food and entertainment.
While Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday in Victoria, it’s a working day in other states and territories. If you are planning a Melbourne Cup team bonding activity for your workplace, it is worth noting that, while still popular, the event has attracted controversy in recent years due to claims of animal cruelty.
The SVNS
When: November/December to May/June
Where: Various Australian capital cities
Details: Formerly known as the World Rugby Sevens Series, the SVNS is a series of international rugby sevens tournaments held annually. The eight tournaments of the series are held across five continents, with all tournaments featuring the same 12 national teams. In Australia, capital cities take turns hosting the competition.
The Men’s and Women’s Ashes cricket tournaments
When: In Australia – November to January (men’s series) and usually January (women’s series)
Where: Various Australian capital cities and in England
Details: Every two years, the Australian and English cricket teams battle it out to see which side will hold the coveted Ashes urn. The Men’s Ashes usually consists of five Test matches, with England and Australia taking turns to host the series during their summer. The format of the women’s series is slightly different. It starts with a one-off Test match, which is followed by three One Day International matches and three T20 matches. In Australia, the tournament is played around the country in various capital cities.
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
When: Starting on Boxing Day, 26 December
Where: From Sydney to Hobart
Details: Watching the famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day is a tradition for many Australians. Maxi yachts from all over the globe make their way to Australia each year to take part in what has come to be known as one of the world’s most challenging and prestigious yacht races.
Team building activities for major sports events
There is no shortage of major sports events in Australia to choose from, but deciding how to turn these events into team bonding activities can be difficult. The best team building activities are those that encourage team spirit and are also fun team building activities, ensuring everyone is engaged and included. Here are eight activity ideas for you to consider.
1. Trivia
Trivia games are a great way to promote team bonding, and office trivia events are a popular choice for bringing employees together. They are fun, engaging and help to encourage teamwork. Major sports events provide the perfect theme for your questions. You can create a set of questions about your chosen sports event, or you could even invite suggestions for questions from your employees.
Trivia quizzes are easy to organise, low cost, adaptable and easy to integrate into the working day. Virtual team building activities, such as online trivia games, are effective for distributed teams. Trivia games also help to develop active listening among team members, as participants must pay close attention to questions and answers.
2. Themed work party
Sports events lend themselves well to themed work parties. To celebrate the Australian Open, everyone could dress up as their favourite tennis legend. For the Melbourne Cup, your teams could get dressed up in their finest race-day attire.
The office decorations and food could also tie in with your chosen theme. Including a fun game or friendly competition, such as a mini tennis tournament or best-dressed contest, can help to build team spirit and encourage positive social interactions. Work parties directly promote team bonding, and they allow your employees to relax, have fun and focus on something other than work.
3. Relaxed dress code
Short of hosting a work party, another way to encourage your employees to get involved in major sports events is to change the dress code for a day. You can allow your team members to show their loyalty by coming to work in their favourite team’s colours or jersey. The Melbourne Cup is also a perfect opportunity to get dressed up. To encourage some healthy competition, you could even give out a prize for the person with the most creative, stylish or outrageous outfit. Just make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the dress code guidelines.
4. Workplace tournament
A friendly workplace tournament is one of the best team bonding events because it can encourage team building through healthy competition. You can create teams based on your chosen sports event and play a single game or several rounds before crowning the champions, depending on how far you would like to take it.
You may need to modify your chosen sport to ensure it’s accessible for all employees. For example, hosting a video game tournament can include remote workers and selecting an accessible physical location ensures that people with disabilities can participate.
- Touch football
If you want to play a game of rugby to celebrate the NRL grand final but don’t want to risk your employees’ suffering workplace injuries, touch football is a much safer, non-contact option. Instead of tackling, players tap the player who has the ball. Once someone gets touched, they have to step over the ball and another player on their teams collects the ball. Encourage your employees to don their NRL team colours to get into the grand final spirit.
- Relay race
If you’re looking for a quick and fun team activity that’s easy to set up, a relay race could be a great option. To set it up, mark a series of hand-off points along the route, and position the runners at those points. The runners need to run their segment and then pass the baton on to their teammate at the hand-off point. The first team across the finish line wins.
To incorporate major sports events, you could assign everyone to popular sports teams based on your chosen sports event. You could make the race a straight run, or you might like to create an obstacle course or even a triathlon with different exercises for each leg, such as cycling and swimming.
7. Live-streamed event in your workplace
Streaming the sports event in your workplace is a great way to bring everyone together. Broadcasting the game in an empty meeting room or a separate space will ensure that you do not distract anyone who is not interested or rushing to meet deadlines. You can invite anyone who is interested in gathering there at lunchtime, and you could even provide some food and drinks as a reward to your team for their hard work. This is an easy but effective way to boost team bonding during a major sports event.
- Sports event outing
If it’s feasible, consider taking your team to one of the major sports events listed above or a different one close to your location to watch the event in person. Due to the logistics involved, this would work well for small teams. It’s a great way to bring everyone together for a fun, memorable experience.
Tips for a successful team bonding event
Regardless of which team bonding event you choose to host, here are some tips that can help to ensure it is a success.
- Make it inclusive: The aim of team bonding events is to bring people together, so they should ideally be as inclusive as possible. Choosing activities and venues that are suitable for all employees, bearing in mind factors such as cultural backgrounds, accessibility for people with disabilities and fitness levels, can help to ensure you do not inadvertently exclude people.
- Align with your team’s interests: Identifying sports events and team bonding activities that your team members are interested in can help to increase engagement and buy-in. Consider inviting suggestions from your team before selecting an event.
- Keep it positive and fun: Team bonding activities can sometimes go against the intended purpose by making people feel uncomfortable and creating or exacerbating divisions among teams. That’s why it’s important to create a positive, supportive and non-judgemental atmosphere in which everyone can relax and have fun.
- Choose the right time: Selecting a time that suits all your employees can help to prevent disruptions to your business operations. If you are planning outdoor activities, it is also helpful to consider the weather conditions and season.
- Advertise the event internally: In the lead-up to the event, promoting it within your organisation can help to generate anticipation, excitement and increase participation.
- Invite feedback: Asking your employees for their feedback on the event can help you to assess its impact on team dynamics and identify ways to improve future activities.
