When it comes to achieving a workplace that’s highly productive and a pleasure to be in, teamwork and high morale are the two single most important ingredients. But, as a manager, team leader or even a small business owner, trying to boost these two things can sometimes be tricky. After all, while you can put people together to work, you can’t make them work together well. The good news is that there are several things you can do to boost team morale and encourage employees to get to know each other and develop friendships, which will then translate into stronger teamwork when in the office.

#1. Attend Events Together:

We’re not just talking about trade shows, conferences and other work-related events. Why not give your employees the chance to kick back, spend some time together in a casual setting and get to know one another without the pressures of the workplace by paying for them to attend an event that they will enjoy? This can include a sports game, theater show or concert? Check out what’s on and the price of tickets at Ticket Sales. Sometimes, team building happens in the background when employees are having fun and socializing together.

#2. Try Team Building Exercises:

Many employers and managers mistake team building exercises for boring and silly games, and in all honesty, most employees aren’t going to appreciate you making them do cheesy stuff in the middle of the working day. Instead, come up with ideas that challenge your employees to work together in a different setting, such as an escape room game, a treasure hunt or an obstacle course. This will give them a chance to tackle problems together that they may not have encountered in the office and discover new ways of working together to get things done.

#3. Encourage Communication:

Encouraging communication between teams of employees starts with the boss. If you’re the type of boss who likes to sit in their office all day and rarely communicate with the foot staff, then something has to give. While you may not want to tell them every single thing that happens in the business on a day-to-day basis, it’s certainly important to keep them informed of any decisions, changes or ideas that are going to affect them. Regular meetings with the entire team can be a great way to get everybody talking and sharing ideas. And make sure that you listen attentively and appreciate anything that is said – remember that you can still appreciate an employee’s idea without implementing it.

#4. Ask for Feedback:

Finally, bear in mind that employees who feel that they take an active role with their employer and are regularly asked for their opinions and ideas tend to be more satisfied at work, which leads to a greater team morale and improved productivity. There are many ways in which you can ask for feedback, but make sure that, when you do, you keep employees in the loop as to how their feedback is being used. Do you think any of these ideas would help with boosting morale for your team?

By Eddy

Eddy is the editorial columnist in Business Fundas, and oversees partner relationships. He posts articles of partners on various topics related to strategy, marketing, supply chain, technology management, social media, e-business, finance, economics and operations management. The articles posted are copyrighted under a Creative Commons unported license 4.0. To contact him, please direct your emails to [email protected].