Top Team Building Activities for Remote Teams: Ideas and Examples

Remote work has become increasingly popular over the years, and with the current pandemic situation, it has become the new normal for many businesses. Remote teams come with their own set of unique challenges, especially when it comes to building a strong and cohesive team. That’s why team building is more important than ever.

In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of team building for remote teams and provide six activities for remote teams that you can use to improve team dynamics and promote collaboration.

But first…

What is Remote Team Building?

You are surrounded by your staff in the office. You spend eight hours a day, five days a week, with each other, so developing a strong unit comes easily. Because of all the conversations you’ve had while waiting for the kettle to boil and all the Friday night trips to the bar, you are familiar with each other’s personality traits and their favourite activities outside of work.

Because of their close connections, team members don’t even have to consider who to approach for help when they need it. They can work together with ease to get more exciting outcomes.

Team building, establishing relationships, and upholding these ties require ongoing effort when the team is spread across a distance. Physical separation between coworkers can quickly result in a sense of total separation, which can make remote workers feel isolated and detached from their coworkers.

In the end, this may result in lower employee satisfaction and even higher staff attrition rates.

In its most fundamental form, remote team building involves creating connections between remote workers to resemble physical teams. It’s for the benefit of spirit, output, involvement, and general outcomes.

Read: Ergonomics for Home Offices: Essential Tips for Remote Workers

Importance of Team Building for Remote Teams

Working remotely can be isolating and lead to communication breakdowns. It’s crucial to build a strong and cohesive team to overcome these challenges. Here are some benefits of team building for remote teams:

Promotes Collaboration and Communication

Remote teams often work in different time zones, making it difficult for team members to communicate and collaborate effectively. Team building activities can help to overcome these challenges by promoting communication and collaboration.

By participating in team-building activities, remote team members can learn how to communicate effectively, share information, and work together to achieve common goals.

Fosters Trust and Respect

Building trust and respect among team members is essential for any team, and it is especially important for remote teams. When team members trust and respect each other, they are more likely to collaborate and communicate effectively.

Team building activities can help to build trust and respect by creating opportunities for team members to get to know each other, share information, and work together to solve problems.

Increases Motivation and Engagement

Remote team members may feel isolated and disconnected from their team members, which can lead to low motivation and engagement. Team building activities can help to increase motivation and engagement by creating a sense of community and belonging.

When team members feel connected to their team, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work.

Improves Problem-Solving

Skills Remote teams face unique challenges that can require creative problem-solving skills. Team building activities can help to develop problem-solving skills by providing opportunities for team members to work together to solve problems.

By participating in team building activities, remote team members can learn how to think creatively, work together to solve problems, and develop effective solutions.

Enhances Productivity and Performance

Remote teams often work independently, which can lead to a lack of accountability and poor performance. Team building activities can help to enhance productivity and performance by creating a sense of accountability and responsibility among team members.

Remote team members can learn how to work together to achieve common goals, hold each other accountable, and improve their performance.

Related: The Importance of Team Building for Employee Engagement and Productivity 

Top Team-Building Activities for Remote Teams

Here are six team-building activities for remote teams that you can use to build stronger teams and promote collaboration:

Icebreakers

Icebreakers are a great way to help team members get to know each other and build trust. Here are three examples of icebreaker activities that you can use for remote teams:

1. Two Truths and a Lie
   In this game, each team member takes turns sharing three statements about themselves. Two of the statements are true, and one is a lie. The other team members have to guess which statement is a lie.
   
   
2. Pictionary
   Pictionary is a classic game that can easily be adapted for remote teams. You can use a virtual whiteboard or a drawing app to play the game. One team member chooses a word or phrase and draws it on the virtual whiteboard. The other team members have to guess what the drawing represents.
   
   
3. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
   A virtual scavenger hunt is a fun way to get team members working together. You can create a list of items that team members have to find around their house or on the internet. The first team to find all the items on the list wins.
   
   

Virtual Team Building Games

Virtual team-building games are a great way to promote collaboration and teamwork. Here are three examples of virtual team-building games that you can use for remote teams:

1. Online Escape Rooms
   Online escape rooms are a fun way to challenge team members to work together to solve puzzles and escape the virtual room. Many online platforms offer virtual escape rooms that you can use for your team-building activity.
   
   
2. Virtual Trivia
   Virtual trivia is a fun way to test team members’ knowledge and encourage teamwork. You can create your own trivia questions or use an online platform that offers virtual trivia games. Divide the team into smaller groups and have them compete against each other to see who can answer the most questions correctly.
   
   
3. Virtual Board Games
   Virtual board games, such as Monopoly or Settlers of Catan, can be a fun way to promote teamwork and communication. Many online platforms offer virtual versions of popular board games that you can use for your team-building activity.
   
   

Virtual Team Building Challenges

Virtual team building challenges can help team members develop problem-solving and decision-making skills. Here are three examples that you can use for remote teams:

1. Virtual Volunteering
   Virtual volunteering is a great way to give back to the community while promoting teamwork. Choose a charitable organization and assign team members to work on different tasks. Encourage team members to collaborate and support each other to complete the tasks.
   
   
2. Virtual Cook-Off
   A virtual cook-off is a fun way to promote teamwork and creativity. Assign team members to work in pairs or small groups to create a dish using only the ingredients they have on hand. Encourage team members to collaborate and communicate to come up with a creative and delicious dish.
   
   
3. Virtual Escape Room Design
   Assign teams to design their own virtual escape room challenge. Encourage team members to work together to come up with creative puzzles and challenges. Once each team has designed their escape room, have them switch challenges and see how long it takes to solve the other team’s room.
   
   

Virtual Team Building Workshops

Virtual team-building workshops are a great way to promote learning and development while fostering teamwork. Here are three examples of these workshops that you can use for remote teams:

1. Communication Skills
   A virtual communication skills workshop can help team members improve their communication skills and promote collaboration. The workshop can cover topics such as active listening, conflict resolution, and effective communication techniques.
   
   
2. Time Management
   A virtual time management workshop can help team members improve their productivity and promote teamwork. The workshop can cover topics such as setting priorities, managing distractions, and effective time management techniques.
   
   
3. Leadership Skills
   A virtual leadership skills workshop can help team members develop their leadership skills and promote collaboration. The workshop can cover topics such as communication, delegation, and conflict resolution.
   
   

Related: 9 Teamwork Skills You Absolutely Need To Have

Conclusion

Remote teams face unique challenges when it comes to building a strong and cohesive team. Team building activities can help to overcome these challenges and promote collaboration and teamwork.

We’ve explored the benefits of team building for remote teams and provided six team-building activities for remote teams. By using these activities, you can build stronger teams and promote collaboration among remote team members.

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