Rumors are a bit like a game of telephone. When the message has finally been passed all the way around, it is probably completely different than the original information, and totally untrue. But how exactly can leaders stop gossip in the workplace? First, let’s take a look at what causes negative talk in the office.

Causes of Office Gossip

There are many reasons for gossip in the workplace, but workplaces with a large amount of gossip usually share these factors:

• Poor flow of information from leadership
• Lack of resources to handle conflicts
• Disconnects between coworkers
• Competitive workplace environments

As you can see, these factors all have root causes related to poor leadership and employee engagement. Luckily, you can take 4 crucial steps to fix your office gossip problem.

How Leaders Can Stop Gossip at Work

Practice Transparency

Make sure to address issues head-on, even if it’s difficult and uncomfortable. Putting the truth out there allows everyone to be on the same page so negative rumors won’t be able to fly so easily. Regularly share updates and company news with employees in an open communication channel to keep everyone informed on company changes.

“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears.”
-Unknown

Build Emotional Intelligence

Foster empathy, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. When employees are more in touch with their emotions and feel psychological safety, they’re more likely to relate to others and initiate those difficult conversations instead of bad-mouthing the employee with other coworkers. They also create a more positive work environment by promoting respect and understanding, reducing the triggers for gossip.

Make Leadership Accessible

Similarly to how a transparent workplace decreases gossip, making leadership channels available to everyone can do the same. When employees feel like they can go to leadership for anything, they’re less likely to make a fuss about everything and blame those higher up. Consider implementing an open-door policy so your employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns.

Encourage Teamwork

Teamwork should be a top priority as you work to stop gossip in the workplace because it can connect employees from all departments and walks of life. Try some team building activities to get everyone out of their comfort zone so they can truly understand and enjoy each other’s company. A charity event or gameshow is a great place to start!

Beat Workplace Gossip for Good

Gossip in the workplace is all too common in today’s office environment, but with intentional policies and activities, you can create respect and understanding between all employees.

TeamBonding has 100s of team building activities to help your employees start connecting today!

The post How to Remove Office Gossip from the Workplace appeared first on TeamBonding.

Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy at the forefront of Toyota Motor Company’s operations. It is considered one of the world’s greatest manufacturers. There is even a book written about “The Toyota Way”.

What’s the Kaizen Challenge?

At the heart of Kaizen is teamwork, making the philosophy a team building strategist’s dream! Every employee is encouraged to share his/her ideas for improvement and the smallest changes will often get consideration and implementation. Team members at Toyota are encouraged to find the minor details that could use improvement, and to make the improvement. Unorganized filing system? Sort the papers, alphabetize, color code, done.

That sounds pretty basic right? Elementary thinking you may say. Well, even the most common-sense approaches might come to a screeching halt if management doesn’t deem them an appropriate use of time. For instance- purging files.

Many companies restrict file purging as part of the work process. However, ANYONE who works in an office knows how quickly paperwork piles up and gets out of date, rendering it obsolete and useless. With all that pile up comes clutter, physical and mental, and that stops up the works.

It can be time management battle just to get even a couple of hours out of an entire year to go through the clutter and get rid of what is no longer needed, but it isn’t rocket science. Giving your employees time each quarter to go through their paperwork, clean out their offices and start fresh is essential for optimum productivity.

When you focus on clearing the old, you tie up loose ends and clear a little space on your plate. Your team is sure to feel renewed and ready to face challenges ahead.

How Kaizen Team Building Works

Kaizen team building works for many reasons, such as:

Encouraging Continuous Improvement

Teams are encouraged to make small, ongoing improvements rather than waiting for a major change. This could be improving meeting efficiency, refining communication channels, or enhancing workflow processes. They also hold regular feedback sessons to assess what’s working and what’s not. Teams are empowered to suggest improvements, creating a culture of collective responsibility and growth.

Fostering a Collaborative Environment

Kaizen emphasizes the involvement of every team member in the improvement process, ensuring that all voices are heard and everyone contributes to the team’s success. When issues arise, the Kaizen approach involves the entire team in brainstorming and problem-solving, fostering a strong sense of unity and shared purpose.

Promoting Open Communication

Kaizen encourages open communication and psychological safety, where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. This transparency leads to having difficult conversations at work, ultimately building stronger trust and better collaboration. Additionally, frequent, short meetings (like daily stand-ups) are held to keep everyone aligned and to address any challenges quickly, preventing small issues from becoming big problems.

Building a Culture of Accountability

Each team member is encouraged to take ownership of their tasks and to be accountable for their contributions to the team’s goals. This sense of responsibility strengthens the team’s cohesion and adaptive skills. Kaizen philosophy also promotes the recognition of team members’ efforts and contributions, boosting morale and encouraging further participation in the continuous improvement process.

Learning from Mistakes

Japanese team building philosophy views mistakes not as failures but as opportunities for learning and improvement. Teams are encouraged to analyze what went wrong, learn from it, and apply those lessons to future efforts. The philosophy encourages teams to test new ideas, learn from the outcomes, and then take action on their learnings.

Start Kaizen Team Building

By applying Kaizen Japanese philosophy to team building, you can create a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and open communication, leading to more effective and cohesive teams.

Ready to start your team building journey? Check out our team building activities and contact us today!

The post Kaizen | A Japanese Team Building Philosophy appeared first on TeamBonding.

We all remember the moment when we received our first bike. There is something so exciting and magical about it!

The reality though, is that even in our developed country, there are many kids who don’t get that experience. This is where TeamBonding comes in, giving smiles one team-building event at a time!

In October I was able to experience my first TeamBonding charity event as an assistant. It was a bike build with donations going to the Boys & Girls Club. I had such a great time helping out and got the bonus of seeing the smiling faces of the boys and girls who were there to receive them.

I had a chance to chat with the gentlemen from the charity who were also first-timers to such a team-building event. We all shared in the anticipation and excitement of seeing the children receive their bikes. As I said earlier, it was magical! The kids rushed into the room and everyone started clapping.

Many of the kids in the group come from families where bikes are either shared between siblings or they just don’t have one at all. Many of the kids are living with only one parent or are cared for by others. They don’t have many of the things that we sometimes take for granted, so a moment like this can really serve to remind them that people all around them want to be supportive as they grow. Boys & Girls club is a great charitable organization and really serves as part of the “village” that helps children reach their fullest potential.

If you have kids and you’ve ever read, “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud, you know this was a day where so many buckets were filled! When we fill a bucket, we fill our own. I am happy to have been a part of this experience, and hope to have many more in the future!

After the team building event, the bikes were loaded up and taken back to the facility. Since most of the families rely on public transportation, the Boys & Girls Club staff made sure the bikes got home to the kids as soon as possible. The kids were so excited and hardly wanted to part with the bikes for delivery, but they did a great job helping get them ready to be transported.

If you are planning to do a team building event and want the added bonus of some warm fuzzies and charitable work, these events could be right for you.

The post Team Building & Smiling Children | My Kinda Day appeared first on TeamBonding.

You may or may not be at work right now, but unless you are an athlete, landscaper, fire fighter, etc. you probably spend most of your working hours behind a desk.

This assumption leads me to the team building tip for this week. It involves one of my favorite topics: physical fitness. Being a self proclaimed “gym rat” I know the mental and physical benefits of a consistent routine.

When we were young we were naturally agile and flexible. I know when I was a kid my mission was to be on the go 24/7! It is natural to want to move and essential for slowing the aging process.

Then the years pass and the responsibilities pile up. We sit for 8+ hours a day, and if you are commuter you may spend more like 12+ hours in a sitting position. All of this sitting puts too much strain on certain muscles, while allowing others to slowly atrophy. We start to get headaches, carpel tunnel, back problems and gain weight. All of this leads to stress which decreases individual and team productivity.

Boost Team Productivity

It has long been known that physical movement increases endorphins, elevating the mood. It also helps increase concentration and productivity. Small changes do have lasting results. So make sure to remind your team to get up and stretch every hour or take a walk on their break. Better yet- make it a team effort! Form a walking club or have a set time each day where employees can get up and get moving. In my first week here at TeamBonding I witnessed some of the team members having fun with fitness by doing push ups through out the day on the hour.

Here at TeamBonding we specialize in getting teams active and productive, with the “power of play” as the cornerstone to our programs. Check in with your team to find a routine that works for them. Just 15-30 minutes a day can help them relieve stress and be ready for the challenges ahead.

If you need a jump start, maybe try something like our  Self Run High Tech Scavenger Hunt. It’s a smart phone scaventure that will get your group moving while completing hilarious team building missions.

Do you encourage physical activity at work? We would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below!

The post Get your team moving for productivity! appeared first on TeamBonding.

This week’s tip for team success is to keep the workplace spick and span. Clear the clutter, clear the mind!

Last week I mentioned an example of a common issue in your typical office: paperwork build up. The solution is of course, to periodically purge those files. Here I’ll break down the 5S philosophy of Kaizen to show that this could be the very first step to “constant improvement” for your team.

Sorting: Do a sweep. Remove all things unnecessary. Do you seriously need 15 different pens and 3 tape dispensers?! Keep only things that are essential. This doesn’t mean get rid of any trace of yourself and personal belongings. Keep those pictures of your kids and your page-a-day Dilbert calendar, but just keep it simple. Many times we have to share a space with others and what is normal to you may be VERY distracting to others!

Straightening: Arrange everything you use for your job in a way that flows. This will take some planning. For example, if you tend to staple and file a lot, keep your stapler and filing cabinet within arms reach. We are more likely to get things done when the process is simple!

Shine: This one is a basic principle we learned as kids. Clean up after yourself! When the day is done, make things tidy and ready for the next day (or user).

Standardize: Make it uniform. Define procedures clearly, and mark where things belong (if applicable). Have a place for everything. This is where you make the process a priority. It must be integrated as part of the workplace culture in order to stick. Add it to a schedule, keep team members accountable. Make it fun. My daughter gets awards from the Clean Desk Fairy at school. I’m sure she’ll make a visit to your office too! If that’s not your style, a simple group wide e-mail of recognition would do the trick.

Sustain: In this step you search for ways to promote your new systems, making direct connections between these procedures and the bottom line. Continually review procedures and ask for feedback from everyone. This step will ensure that processes remain relevant and efficient. It also helps employees feel more motivated to keep up with new procedures if they feel they are part of the solution.

Do you use the 5S of Kaizen for your team? What do you do to ensure standardization and sustainability? We’d love to hear from you, please comment below!

The post The 5 S’s of Kaizen for Team Success appeared first on TeamBonding.

If you look at the reading material of many of the top managers and executives you will probably find an array of articles, books and journals related to their field.

Did you know that getting your team reading the same material as the people in leadership roles will have a major positive effect on team building?

There are many reasons why reading is critical to individual success, such as increased knowledge, concentration, memory, and  vocabulary. It is just as beneficial for groups too. Allot your team time to read something relevant, then get together in a group to reflect, share opinions and find how it relates to the business.

This group activity will lead to a boost in your team’s self-confidence, problem solving and cohesiveness.

If you want to take the results a step further, start an office book club. Assign chapters and schedule meetings to discuss each topic. The bonus here is that your group can review what they’ve read and then find a way to connect what they’ve learned to a work project. We retain 90% or more information when we are able to teach or apply information immediately after we learn it.

One common issue for team is communicating effectively. If communication is failing, this would be a great time to find an article or book or even a funny comic they can relate to. It might be enough to help pull them out of a rut and feel inspired again, or at least get them to see the bright side for long enough to get them back in the game.

There is a lot of great reading material available. What are some of your favorites in your field, and do you ask your team to read it too?

The post Keep everyone in the know with this wordy group activity appeared first on TeamBonding.

Have you ever worked at a place where you felt like just a cog in the machine? Where your voice didn’t matter and upper management wouldn’t give you the time of day?

That kind of work situation isn’t fun and it really doesn’t ensure longevity. I mentioned appreciation in my last post because it really can’t be stressed enough.
APPRECIATION = DEDICATION.

Those in a leadership role have a lot of responsibilities, one of the most important is employees.

In the fast paced working world, it is important to stop and take a moment to show your employees your human side. If you can schedule some time for an activity like a lunch outing, a one-to-one meeting as opposed to an e-mail, or maybe a walk outside, employees are sure to take notice.

TeamBonding events are perfect for getting quality time with the team too. It doubles as an opportunity to see how your employees function within their peer group at work and also evaluate them on critical skills needed for their positions.

The greatest danger a team faces isn’t that it won’t become successful, but that it will, and then cease to improve. –Mark Sanborn

Once you are able to see someone’s strengths and weaknesses, you can come to a better understanding of how to help them continually improve. Taking the initiative and engaging with employees on a personal level is a really powerful tool to keep them inspired more receptive to change and growth.

Need some ideas? Go check out 5 Team Building activities that help you get to know your team to learn more! Winning over your team doesn’t have to be hard, it just takes the proper techniques.

What unique ways have you found to engage with your employees on a personal level?

The post Go from good to great: get to know your team! appeared first on TeamBonding.

When the going gets tough, the tough help you get going! We are all unique with different strengths and weaknesses. That is what makes working as a team so magical. One person can pick up the slack where others might falter.

“Encouragement is the oxygen of the soul.” -George M. Adams

If you’ve ever been a part of one of those extreme adventure races, you know it can’t be done alone. This is a great team bonding experience. There’s mud, 10 foot walls, deep water and ice. Your mental and physical limits are tested.

What is the best way to overcome the exhaustion and fear? It’s knowing that someone has your back. When you can’t get over that wall by yourself, someone will be there to pull you up. If you are falling behind, your teammates will be there to cheer you on.

You don’t have to run 10 miles and low crawl under barbed-wire fences to bond with your teammates though! During team bonding programs or every day projects, providing an encouraging word or a helping hand can leave you and your teammate feeling motivated and connected.

Do you use encouragement to boost team bonding?

The post Team Bonding Tip | Bolster the Self-esteem appeared first on TeamBonding.