Are Your Corporate Events Fun or Filler?

Many team building events are well-intentioned but don’t put enough thought into how to allow for interactions that bring people closer together. In fact, many companies opt for the easiest options when it comes to team building – those that require the least effort to plan. For example, a baseball game or happy hour doesn’t require much coordination besides securing tickets or a location but can miss the mark for encouraging deeper connections between people who might not interact day-to-day.

While baseball games are a fantastic way to spend an afternoon or evening with those you already know well, they are less effective as a team connecting activity. Seats tend to be in a line facing the field, there’s usually loud music, and, with differing levels of interest in the game, your team members will most likely end up only talking to those in the seats right next to them.

Happy hours tend to leave people right where they are, both literally and figuratively. Employees who are more socially extroverted and willing to move around will benefit most from the looser atmosphere a happy hour provides. Those who are more shy are more likely to stay in one place and only engage with people they already know well. There’s no impetus or structure to get out of their comfort zone, and these types of events might or might not be perceived as “fun.”

With both of these examples, there is a chance employees will feel unengaged and maybe even unimportant, which is in stark contrast to why companies might be throwing an event in the first place.