From endless deadlines to client complaints to getting 1000+ per-my-last-email messages from snarky coworkers a day, corporate burnout is real, and it is BRUTAL. Corporate burnout is a big cause of turnover, silly mistakes, and a generally negative atmosphere that can hang over the office. 

How can you combat this lack of office morale? Yes, the best way to fix that is by looking into management style and confirming employees feel cared for and heard. After that, more than bonuses or “thank you” gifts, opportunities for your team to connect and feel refreshed are a good fix.

If you want to reward your team or help them fall in love with their job again, it’s probably time to plan a team-building activity!

Plan the event around a team-building activity

So you’ve set up a table with brownies and a sandwich platter. Now what? There’s nothing more cringe-worthy than having a room full of people that don’t have much to say to each other. Whether it’s due to social anxiety, new employees not yet feeling comfortable, or a general lack of commonalities between coworkers, some would prefer to continue to work over forced small talk. 

The secret antidote to take a corporate event from anxiety-inducing to truly fun is an activity that brings everyone together. This solves the problem a few times over: 

• People have a topic of conversation handed to them on a silver platter – the task or activity at hand. Life is so much easier when you have an easy conversation ice-breaker that isn’t “so the weather hasn’t been too bad, huh?”
• Introverts have a much easier time since the evening isn’t fully reliant on holding a conversation. Whether you’re enjoying the activity or just enjoying the atmosphere, there is way less of a chance of people awkwardly standing in a corner.
•  Everyone now has a common interest – the team-building activity! As long as it’s a good one, you won’t hear any complaints from your team and everyone will feel involved.

Choose an activity that piques people’s interest

Don’t have your team lose interest in an event before it even happens due to a “been there, done that” attitude. A corporate event is a great chance to introduce your team to an activity they haven’t tried before. By choosing an out-of-the-box activity that many haven’t experienced, you will hook your team through curiosity alone.

Don’t have it at the office

Your team doesn’t want to be rewarded for a job well done by spending MORE time in the office. Sometimes at a demanding job, you forget there’s a whole world outside of your cubicle. Refresh your team’s outlook and boost their morale by letting them stretch their legs and see something other than your building! 

We all know that we aren’t usually our authentic selves when we’re in the confines of the office. By planning a team-building activity at a secondary location, you allow your team to relax and show their true personalities. This fosters deeper team connections in the long run. 

Pick an activity that caters to everyone

We don’t all exist with the same values, abilities, and preferences. That’s what makes your team unique! But choosing, for example, a high-movement activity could be fun for some and isolating for others. By choosing an activity that caters to everyone, your whole team will feel accounted for. 

For example, while our party bikes have pedal seats, there are also a couple of options on the bike for people who simply want to sit back and enjoy the ride without pedaling. 

Help your team let loose

Make sure your team knows this is all in good fun, and there is no business decorum to uphold. You can achieve this by letting go of any dress code, forgetting the company hierarchy, and putting a moratorium on work talk. Once people know that this isn’t some secret test, they’ll be more likely to have fun. It also allows you and other managers to take a breath and enjoy the party because you can tamp down any work questions with a “No office talk – ask me on Monday!”.

Plan the corporate event during office hours

You get extra “great boss” points by planning the corporate event during office hours. Yes, we’re all busy, but making it a point to have fun during the office day respects your team’s time while still celebrating them. More people will be able to show up (as long as you give plenty of notice for your team to block that time out), and they can still head home at 5. 

A team that pedals well together works well together! Help your team hit the reset button and feel invigorated with a truly fun and casual company event. 

Feeling overwhelming with the company team-building event planning process? Reach out to our party experts at Arizona Party Bike and we will help you plan the perfect company outing.

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