Do You Want a Collaborative Workforce?

In today’s remote working but interconnected business environment, effective teamworking is crucial for achieving organizational success. Team building activities play a vital role in fostering Initiative, Trust, and Community, some of our Core Company values, among team members. An innovative approach to team building is through cross-team challenges, where individuals from different teams come together to tackle shared tasks.

So, that’s exactly what we did at our recent Payara Retreat 2023 based in the wonderful city of Prague.

The primary goal of any Payara Retreat is to develop strong human relationships through in-person meetings, and cross-team challenges can provide an opportunity for team members to interact with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and skillsets to achieve this goal . Our first introduction activity was ‘Post-it People’ – a fun, quick and challenging activity encouraging interactions with many colleagues by asking tailored questions in a limited time.

Through this fun game, everyone gains exposure to different perspectives and experiences. This exposure fosters a culture of learning and knowledge so everyone develops a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diversity of people that exist within Payara.

Cross-team challenges encourage collaboration and enhance communication skills. This was demonstrated in a fun and engaging way through another game – ‘Find the fish’. One team member is blindfolded and the rest of the team have to verbally guide them through various obstacles to ‘find the fish’ in a competitive environment.

When individuals from different teams collaborate on a shared task, they learn to navigate through potential conflicts and differences in approach. This process encourages open and effective communication, as team members strive to find common ground and align their efforts towards a shared goal. Although this cross-team challenge was a fun game, it can show Payarans how to work together to improve overall communication and coordination within the business, which in turn leads to increased efficiency and productivity.

Cross-team challenges also promote teamwork by fostering a sense of camaraderie and unity. When individuals from different teams come together to face a common challenge, they develop a shared sense of purpose and identity. Our final challenge took this concept to a whole new level! Each team was tasked with producing a ‘bridge’ from nothing but dried spaghetti and blu-tac in a limited time of 20 minutes. On completion, they were assessed on the length of the bridge, its creativity and design and its ability to achieve the goal of supporting our Payara Fish (and chips).

The bonds formed during these collaborative experiences extend beyond the specific project, creating a network of support and collaboration when back in our remote workplaces. This sense of unity contributes to a positive work environment and improves overall employee morale and satisfaction.

In conclusion, team building through cross-team challenges offers numerous benefits for Payara. It facilitates knowledge sharing, enhances communication skills, and fosters teamwork and collaboration. By bringing Payarans from different teams together, we can harness the power of diversity and create a cohesive and high-performing workforce.

Any business seeking to build strong, agile, collaborative teams and achieve sustainable success in today’s remote business landscape should invest in giving their workforce the opportunity to have fun and build relationships through cross team challenges!

Like the sound of working in this team? Visit our ‘Join Us’ page to find open job opportunities.

Topics: Fish Food, Payara LifeTagged Fish Food

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