Virtual team building activities, also known as virtual team exercises or virtual team games are a form of training that is used to improve the communication skills and leadership abilities of an organization.
The term “team-building” has been popularized by many different companies in order to promote their products. These activities are often done through video conferencing software such as Skype or Google Hangouts.
What is virtual team building?
The concept behind virtual team building is that you can build teams from anywhere in the world. This means that it doesn’t matter where your employees are located – they will be able to participate in these activities together.
These activities are usually conducted over the internet and involve some sort of competition. Some examples include:
- Video conference calls
- Online quizzes/games
- Roleplaying
- Brainstorming sessions
- Team building events
How do virtual team-building activities work?
There are two main types of virtual team-building activities:
Team Building Activities That Focus On Communication Skills
These activities focus on improving the ability of your employees to communicate with each other. They are usually conducted over video conference calls and include activities like role playing, brainstorming, and conflict resolution.
Leadership Development Activities
Leadership development activities are designed to help people develop into better leaders. They are typically conducted over video conference calls, but may be conducted face to face depending on the needs of the company.
Why should I use virtual team-building activities?
Organizations have realized that traditional methods of conducting team building activities aren’t effective anymore.
Using virtual team-building activities helps to increase productivity and morale within your organization. It’s much easier for employees to get away from their desks and meet up virtually than it would be if they were all meeting in person.
3) Get together and Fun
It’s important to remember that team building isn’t just about working hard. You need to make sure that your employees are having fun while they’re doing so. Virtual team building activities allow you to get everyone together without having them physically travel to one location.
You can choose from a variety of fun activities like trivia contests, scavenger hunts, and even paintball competitions!
Some benefits of using virtual team-building activities include:
Save Money
One of the biggest benefits to using virtual team building activities is that you don’t have to pay for any travel expenses. Instead, you’ll only be paying for the cost of the video conference call service itself.
Improve Morale
Another benefit to using virtual team building exercises is that you can conduct them at anytime. Employees who are stuck at home during this time can still take part in the activity.
Increase Productivity
When employees are not sitting at their desk, they are more likely to stay productive throughout the day. When they return to their desks after participating in a virtual team building exercise, they will feel refreshed and ready to tackle whatever tasks they have ahead of them.
Build Trust
Trust between coworkers is essential to any successful business relationship.
Decreased Stress Levels
If you conduct regular meetings in person, then your employees are going to feel stressed out when they realize that there’s no way they can avoid being late. However, since virtual team building activities take place over the internet, they won’t have to worry about this issue.
How to Conduct Virtual Team Building Activities
To ensure that your employees are comfortable participating in virtual team building activities, you’ll need to consider several factors.
First, you’ll need to determine whether or not your employees are already familiar with technology.
If they don’t know how to use video conferencing software, then you’ll want to make sure that there are enough computers available so everyone can connect at once. You might even want to rent out additional computers to accommodate the number of participants.
You’ll also want to make sure that your employees understand what they’re supposed to do during these activities. If they’re unfamiliar with the activity, then you’ll want them to watch a demonstration before starting.
Finally, you’ll want to create a schedule for when these activities will take place. Make sure that you give your employees plenty of notice so they can prepare themselves mentally and physically.
Once you’ve determined that your employees are ready to conduct virtual team building activities, here are some tips on how to go about doing this effectively:
Set a goal
Before you start any type of team building exercise, you’ll want to set a specific goal for yourself. For example, you could say something like “I’m going to teach my employees how to resolve conflicts.”
This way, you won’t end up wasting time on activities that aren’t relevant to your goals.
Create a plan
After setting your goal, you’ll want to come up with a detailed plan on how you’re going to achieve it. This is especially important if you’re planning on using virtual team building activities as part of an ongoing program.
For example, you could say “Over the next few months, we’re going to hold weekly meetings where we discuss ways to improve our communication skills.”
Make sure that you stick to this plan by creating a timeline for accomplishing certain tasks. Also, keep track of who’s responsible for what by assigning different roles to different members of your team.
Have fun!
When you’re conducting virtual team building activities, it’s important to remember that you’re not just teaching your employees new skills – you’re also having fun.
Try to think of creative ways to engage your employees while they’re learning. For example, you might ask your employees to dress up as characters from popular movies and act out scenes from those movies.
You could even try to incorporate humor into your activities by asking your employees to come up with funny names for things like “conflict” and “team building”.
Remember that your employees are still human beings.
Virtual Team Building Games and Activities
Virtual team building activities are a great way to create a more productive environment at work. They’re also a fun way to bring everyone closer together.
If you’d like to learn more about how virtual team building activities can benefit your business, check out our article on How Virtual Teams Can Improve Productivity.
Virtual Team Building Examples
Here are just a few examples of virtual team building activities that you could try with your employees:
Virtual Escape Room
A virtual escape room is a game that requires participants to solve puzzles using teamwork. The first participant who solves the puzzle wins. You can find virtual escape rooms online, but there’s one near me!
In this activity, participants must work together to complete a series of challenges. Each challenge involves solving a puzzle or completing a task. Once someone completes a challenge, he or she gets another chance to win.
You can play this game virtually with anyone in any location around the world.
Virtual Quiz Game
This quiz game allows users to compete against each other and see whose knowledge is greater. Participants answer questions based on facts and figures provided to them.
Each time a user answers correctly, his or her score increases. Users can compare scores with others and see which ones are higher.
This game is perfect for those who enjoy trivia competitions.
Virtual Debate
Participants take turns debating a topic. When a debate ends, the winner is determined by whoever has the most points. Points are awarded based on the quality of arguments made during the debate.
This type of activity is ideal for groups who want to practice public speaking.
Virtual Board Game
This board game includes various roles that participants must fill.
The goal of this game is to make sure that every player fills his or her role properly. If players don’t do so, then the entire group loses.
It’s a good idea to choose an activity that will allow your employees to interact with each other.
Virtual Group Project
Group projects are a great way to encourage collaboration among your employees. These types of activities require participants to work together to accomplish a common goal.
For example, you might ask participants to design a new product, write a book, or even build a website.
By working together, participants will gain a deeper understanding of what it means to collaborate effectively.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are a classic way to motivate your employees.
In this type of event, teams of two or three members search for items hidden throughout the office.
Virtual Clue Mystery Game
This game is similar to a scavenger hunt. However, instead of searching for clues, participants use their brains to figure out where they should go next.
When a clue is found, participants have to share it with the rest of the group. This process continues until all of the clues have been discovered.
Once all of the clues have finally been found, the person who finds the last clue wins.
Virtual Trivia Contest
Trivia contests are a lot of fun. In fact, many people consider these games to be some of the best ways to spend their free time.
These types of events are popular because they provide a competitive atmosphere while allowing participants to show off their knowledge.
To get started, simply pick a category and set a deadline for when you’ll announce the results.
Then, ask your employees to submit as many questions as possible.
Afterwards, hold a contest and let your employees vote for their favorite question.
Virtual Happy Hour
Happy hour is a great way to bring your coworkers together.
You can host a virtual happy hour in several different ways. For example, you could invite your colleagues over to watch a movie together. Or maybe you’d like to play a drinking game.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure that everyone knows about it beforehand. Then, just sit back and relax.
Virtual Board Game Night
Board games are one of the oldest forms of entertainment known to man.
However, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy them virtually.
All you need to do is organize a virtual board game night at your place of business.
Pick up a copy of the rules from your local library and start playing!
Virtual Movie Marathon
If you’re looking for something more interactive than watching movies, try hosting a virtual movie marathon.
Instead of sitting down to watch a single film, you can invite your colleagues over to watch a series of films.
You can also create a playlist of your favorites and play those instead.
Virtual Dance Party
Dance parties are always a big hit.
So, why not throw one yourself?
Just gather employees on Zoom and put on some music. Then, dance around the room while enjoying some snacks under a camera.
Virtual Bowling Tournament
Online bowling game tournaments are a great way to get your employees together.
Virtual Team Quest
Team quest is a great way to encourage your employees to work together.
The idea behind this activity is simple: each participant will take turns being the “quest master.”
Each round starts by asking the quest master a question. Then, the other participants must answer the question before the quest master does.
For example, if the quest master asks how much money he has in his wallet, the others would have to say the exact amount.
Virtual Trivia Night
Trivia nights are another fun way to get your employees excited about working together.
You can either use an app such as Quizlet or Buzzfeed to create a trivia quiz.
Or, you can simply print out a list of random facts and give it to your employees.
Once again, make sure that all your employees know what’s going on beforehand.
Virtual Secret Santa
Secret santa is a great tradition where everyone gets to buy gifts for someone else.
But, rather than buying things individually, you can have your employees purchase gifts for each other.
This will allow them to spend less time shopping and more time spending with their loved ones.
Virtual Christmas Tree Decorating Contest
Christmas tree decorating contests are a lot of fun.
They’re also a great way to get people excited about the holidays.
Here’s how to set one up:
First, choose a theme for your contest.
Next, ask your employees to come up with ideas for decorations using that theme.
Finally, select the best decorations and award prizes accordingly.
Virtual Dinner Party
Hosting a dinner party is a great way to get to know your employees better.
Virtual Picnic
Picnics are a great way to enjoy nature.
So, why stop there? Why not bring the outdoors inside?
Host a picnic at your office and let your employees enjoy the fresh air.
Virtual Lunch Hour
Lunch hour is a great opportunity to bond with your coworkers.
Why not turn it into a bonding experience by having lunch together?
Set up a table and invite your employees to relax and eat together during a conference call.
Virtual Team Building Tools
If you want to build a strong virtual team, you’ll need to provide your employees with opportunities to interact.
These tools can help you do just that.
Whether you’re looking for ways to improve communication between your employees or boost productivity, these tools will be invaluable.
In fact, they could even save your company thousands of dollars over the next year!
That’s right. If you implement these tools correctly, you might actually end up saving money.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing tool that allows users to connect from anywhere in the world.
It’s perfect for holding meetings, training sessions, and team building events.
Zoom offers many different features including screen sharing, whiteboards, and audio/video calls.
Skype
Skype is another amazing tool for connecting with remote teams.
It works similarly to Zoom but includes additional features like voice calling, text messaging, and file transfers.
Google Meet
Google Meet is Google’s own version of Skype.
It’s similar to Zoom and Skype but includes some unique features.
One feature worth mentioning is the ability to record meetings so that you can watch them later.
Slack is a chat application that was created specifically for work.
It’s designed to replace email and instant messages.
Slack integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office 365 and Gmail.
As a result, it’s ideal for any event that requires collaboration.
Watch this video
We have also listed a full professional list of virtual event platforms that you can use for your internal activities.
Conclusion
There are countless ways to build a successful virtual team.
However, if you want to ensure that your employees feel connected and engaged, virtual team building activities can help.
The key is finding out what makes your employees tick and making sure that they have plenty of chances to connect.
Remember, you don’t necessarily need to host an actual meeting to make this happen.
You can simply use online tools like Zoom, Skype, Slack, and Google Meet.
By doing so, you’ll be able to give your employees the chance to communicate face-to-face while still being productive.