We’ve encountered our fair share of team building programs—from treasure hunts to painting murals to building bridges over imaginary rivers of acid. All were well-intentioned, but most felt repetitive and familiar, eliciting a common response from participants: “We could be doing better things with our time and money.” So why do companies persist with team building in the workplace? The real reason is that employee relationships and trust are keys to a successful business and your bottom line.
Reasons for Team Building in the Workplace
Many companies don’t fully realize why team building is important, but it comes down to boosting communication and sharpening problem-solving skills within teams. When done well, a team building experience in the workplace will create new relationships and improve understanding between employees, resulting in better organizational performance. This translates into a more efficient company and delivery of brand values.
Implementing team building activities can significantly benefit any business by creating a more dynamic, cohesive, and productive workforce.
Here are six reasons that demonstrate the importance of team building:
- Enhances Company Culture
- Fosters a positive and cohesive work environment
- Promotes shared values and goals
- Discovers New Leadership
- Identifies potential leaders within the team
- Provides opportunities for leadership development
- Boosts Employee Morale
- Increases job satisfaction and motivation
- Reduces workplace stress
- Improves Creativity and Innovation
- Encourages brainstorming and idea sharing
- Leads to innovative solutions and improvements
- Develops New Skills
- Provides opportunities for professional growth
- Enhances team members’ capabilities
- Enhances Cross-Department Interactions
- Promotes collaboration between different departments
- Breaks down silos and improves communication
Take that last point as an example of the importance of team building. One of the world’s leading management consultancies approached SongDivision with a challenge. The partners who ran their various industry units were too busy to talk with each other, resulting in lost business opportunities and revenue. The partner for the banking and finance division wasn’t talking with her travel and transport counterpart. The pharma division wasn’t talking to FMCG, and so on. So, we took the 20 partners to a world-renowned recording studio and had them write and record a song about their communication challenges and how they were going to fix them.
In the months that followed, the company experienced a revived workplace with newly formed relationships, cross-fertilization between business silos, and the discovery of previously untapped business opportunities, all leading to higher sales and an improved bottom line.
The partners were allowed to break from the routine and politics of their usual work environment. They were offered a fun challenge that encouraged interaction and collective problem-solving. The team building experience effectively leveled the playing field and broke down traditional barriers. Partners who had never taken the time to get to know each other were now given an opportunity and subject matter to do so.
Using Music to Help Your Team Bond
The reason most team-building programs fail is that they often alienate a large portion of the audience, either by being too physical, too arty, or simply too cheesy. The appeal of music, however, is universal.
We all engage with some form of music. It impacts us regardless of age, gender, culture, or rank. It can be experienced indoors or out, acoustic or electric, with small groups or large. So when it comes to team building, music has a mass appeal and a great deal of versatility in terms of how it can be applied.
Using music for team building in the workplace is an art. When done poorly, it can be awkward and ineffective, failing to overcome participant cynicism, break down barriers, or foster meaningful connections among colleagues.
We encounter this cynicism often. When partners from the leading management consultancy firm were told they would be writing and recording a song together, their reaction was, “You’re kidding, I’ve got major deals I need to be working on.”
However, our expert facilitators and world-class musicians know how to manage the room and can soften this resistance. They can inspire groups by creating unique challenges within the experience that make the task feel more relatable and manageable. The partners were tasked to work against a ticking clock, focusing their efforts on solving the problem together. Before long, their cynicism gave way to laughter, joy, and collective creativity.
How Music Brings Teams Together
Scientific studies have shown that music can increase oxytocin levels in your brain. Oxytocin is often called the “love hormone” because it helps increase warm feelings between people. It’s also been shown to decrease anxiety levels and play a role in how relaxed and trusting you are toward others.
So, when music is involved in team building, there’s an increase in trust, because of the oxytocin being released. Listening or performing music in a group can also synchronize the heart rates of people in the room. That’s why when people sing together, they experience a strong sense of community. It’s also why music is the perfect way to engage groups in corporate environments or social situations.
SongDivision uses the science of music to strengthen corporate culture and create team building that lasts. Writing and performing songs together leads to happier, stronger, and more engaged teams. The positive results have a long-term effect on company culture, employee development, and organizational learning.
Team-building Musical Experiences
Credibility also goes a long way when eliciting engagement. The experience of our musicians, who have played with everyone from Adele to Prince, additionally helps participants gain confidence and become immersed in the team-building experience.
Here are a few of the ways we at SongDivision can help you create a team building experience that rocks:
- Team Anthem — Bring your team together through the power of collaborative songwriting. Create an original anthem that captures your company’s values, building a shared identity and boosting team spirit.
- Lip Sync Battle — A little friendly competition can go a long way in building camaraderie. Work individually or in teams to create an epic lip sync performance. This activity is perfect for bringing out hidden talents and fostering collaboration.
- Song Slam — Spark creativity and friendly rivalry in this high-energy “Battle of the Bands” experience. Teams work together to write and perform original songs, celebrating workplace culture in an unforgettable way.
- Live Band Karaoke — Have some rockstars in your midst? Live Band Karaoke lets them take center stage with a professional band!
- Rocking Reception — Kick off your event with a bang! Our musicians will create a high-energy atmosphere that gets people moving and mingling.
When done properly, team building is a worthwhile investment. Team building with music can be even more so by engaging your full team, strengthening bonds, and creating a universal understanding of your vision and values to give you a sound return on investment.
Transform Your Team Dynamics with SongDivision’s Music-Based Events
Discover the importance of team building with SongDivision. Explore our in-person and virtual team building activities and see why innovative team building is so important for your organization. Check out our team building events and experiences pages for more details and stay updated with the latest insights by visiting our blog regularly. Book your session today and let’s make your next team building event a smashing success!