3 Tips For Stronger Startup Team Building
August 24, 2021
For startups, success or failure is directly tethered to the strength of the team. When resources are sparse, and to-do lists endless, having a cohesive and efficient team is absolutely critical. For founders, picking a team in the early stages is an enormous task in itself, but really just the beginning.
In today’s job environment, where, according to the Forbes, 91% of millennials surveyed expect to stay in a job for less than three years, building a loyal bond amongst team members is more important than ever. Combine this proclivity to leap with the roller coaster-like startup world, and the risk of losing a key member of your team becomes that much greater.
Suffice to say, team building is crucial for startups. Here are three tips to employ when planning a team building event for your startup.
(1) GET OUT OF THE OFFICE!
Your team is probably spending an enormous amount of time indoors, hunkered in front of their screens under artificial lights, eating like broke college students, and maybe even obsessing a bit too much about creating the next unicorn. Time to take a step back and get out. To truly bond and connect on a personal level, you need to ditch the ping-pong table and venture into the great outdoors. The change of scenery will allow you to see your team members in another light and give yourself a much needed break from the day-to-day grind.
(2) CONSIDER A DRY EVENT
Craft-brew and startups seem to go hand-in-hand. And we aren’t proposing that you stay away from alcohol entirely. However, alcohol, while being a great ice-breaker and relaxer, can also be distracting and potentially make you forget the importance of what you’re looking to accomplish through team building. It’s great if you can be drinking buddies with your team members, but consider other activities that aren’t centered around alcohol. Maybe spend a day volunteering with a local charity, embarking on a scavenger hunt throughout the city, or honing your culinary chops at a cooking class.
(3) COLLABORATE AS EQUALS
As Hollywood sage, Steve Mcqueen once said: “I can’t work in an environment where it’s a stiff hierarchy; that’s not my kind of way.” The truth is, no matter what spot you hold in a startup, your team is small and each member plays an integral role in the company’s success. Everybody has different leadership styles and methods to drive productivity in the workplace. Even if you find yourself being a bit on the heavy handed side in the office, team building affords you the chance to connect with your team members on equal footing. When you combine this with an event that is highly collaborative, say, a sand sculpting challenge, the connections will run even deeper and respect will blossom.
