Three Quality of Lifehacks to Building Team Spirit at Work

Football season is here! After months of waiting, NFL fans can finally rejoice because the 2017-2018 season kicks off this week.

Football is likely to be a big topic in many American workplaces this week—and throughout the season. And, like the NFL, most workplaces are built on the idea of teams that must work together to accomplish goals. In fact, the team-model has become ubiquitous in our workplaces today, according to The Economist magazine.

How can you get employees to feel as passionate about their office team as they do about their favorite NFL team? Here are three quality of lifehacks for developing office team spirit:

• Celebrate success regularly

Football teams offer their fans an emotional catharsis each week. A win is an opportunity for celebration, while a loss is a setback raise the stakes and increases determination for the next game. The frequency of games helps fans have something to look forward to and feel connected to.

Help your employees feel invested in your office’s journey by regularly updating your team on progress and celebrating wins. Often, employees aren’t in a position to see the big-picture outcomes of their hard work. By regularly updating them on how the team as a whole is faring, they can see the impact of their day-to-day sacrifices. Be sure to frame any setbacks as opportunities to win next time. And celebrate wins and good work with the excitement they deserve.

• Team spirit comes from the top

Like a football coach, a company’s leadership plays an essential role in establishing team spirit at the office.  Leaders can foster team spirit through actions such as promoting open-dialogue, valuing everyone’s opinions, and being enthusiastic and positive.  Leaders that create a great workplace culture can achieve tangible business results. Engaged employees make it a point to show up to work and do more work, according to Gallup. Their research shows that highly engaged business units realize a 41 percent reduction in absenteeism and a 17 percent increase in productivity.

• Work together … but not at work

We can all get stuck in our roles and ruts at work, so challenge your team to work together in a new way by finding a new challenge. For example, your team could spend a half-day volunteering at a shelter to prepare meals for those in need. With project managers chopping tomatoes and accountants manning the stoves, your team members will learn more about one another and how to work together.

Donating work-time to a good cause has the added benefit of making team members feel proud of the place they work.

How do you build team spirit in your workplace? Share your ideas in the comments section on Sodexo Insights.