It is summertime and for many companies also a time to build company culture and deepen employee and team relationships. Enter the sometimes “dreaded” employee engagement event. All joking aside, sporting events, golf tournaments, happy hours, movies, dinners, picnics and boat outings are all very popular employee-outings here in Minnesota. A recent article in the Twin Cities Business Magazine even sited paint ball as a growing choice for local corporate team building events. The article featured local medical device manufacturer, Minnetronix, pitting engineers against operators in an ultimate “do or dye” team building event. Big or small, simple or extreme, employee engagement events are a fixture in most company cultures. Inc columnist Jeff Haden cites the following as proven, successful employee-outings:

• Volunteering as a team. Employees can leave the event with a sense a pride in what they have accomplished and have a chance to converse together outside the office or plant floor
• Playing a sport activity. The article suggests keeping it on the milder, non-contact side, such as bowling
• Taking a field trip. Again leaving the normal day-to-day grind for even just half a day can let employees relax and get to know each other on a different level
• Offering professional development activities. Learning as a team can deepen relationships as well as energize them on the whole to apply their new skills to their daily work
• Sharing a meal together. What seems like a simple act continues to be a great way to build teams and employee relationships

Wherever your employee or team building event takes you this summer above all just remember to have fun! [caption id="attachment_711" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Source: inc.com[/caption]