Podcast Season 2 - Team Building Saves The World

With the Holiday’s coming up quickly, our friends from the Catalyst Global Network talk about what they can offer your team. Looking for an in-person event? No problem! Looking for a virtual event? They can do that! Looking for a combination of the two? They have you covered. Listen to our partners from North America, Alexandra Pett, Sharon Fisher, & David Goldstein, speak about the importance of connecting your team through the upcoming holidays. David Goldstein – David launched TeamBonding in 1988 as a natural extension of the work he had done in the corporate entertainment industry. His early creations included scavenger hunts, customized murder mysteries, game shows, and many other unique group activities that clients started to request as team building.

Is the grass really greener on the other side? Right now, there is an unprecedented number of people leaving their current jobs. The pandemic has caused a lot of employees to change their mindset on when and where they want to work and seek out positions that are more flexible and will bring them more happiness. Employers on the other hand are trying to keep up with these changes while tending to their businesses needs. This week we speak with Robert Glazer from Acceleration Partners on what has been dubbed the Great Resignation. Robert talks about what he thinks are some of the reasons for the large turnover and when things may level out.

Flexibility and empathy are keys to creating a positive environment where employees want to stay. Sandra Kearney of Human Power Solutions talks to Rich about leaders needing empathy in order to retain their employees. Keeping yourself accessible, valuing your employees, and listening can go a long way when it comes to employee retention. By creating a connected community with your team it will drive a healthy workplace culture. Happy employees translates to your customers, your customer loyalty, and the long-term success of your organization.

Gamification of employee training is one of the better ways to keep your remote or hybrid team engaged and motivated. With the Great Resignation continuing, hiring and training new team members is key.  New hires will find out about the workplace culture pretty quickly. Why not keep it fun? Stephen Baer offers insight into how gaming can be a great tool to improve employee engagement and make the workplace a healthier and happier space. Gaming can help show employers how their team collaborates, takes on new challenges, and shine a light on potential leaders all while creating a positive and engaging workplace culture.

What is it like to plan in-person events in the world of COVID? What are some things that you need to consider? Depending on where you are located, in-person events may be returning. Does this mean virtual events are a thing of the past?  According to one BizBash’s top 500 people in the event industry, Bob Russo, they are here to stay.  In this episode, Bob talks about what it takes to coordinate an in-person activity and why parallel events might be the way of the future.

The leaders of TeamBonding’s newest department, TeamBondingCSR, talk about ways to bring your team together while contributing to worthwhile causes. There are so many options that TeamBonding’s CSR department offers to bring your team together while bringing awareness to many different causes and empowering your community. Studies have shown corporate social responsibility provides many benefits for companies. Teams feel more engaged and connected to their co-workers as they unite to help charities with more than just their dollars.

The switch to remote work at the height of the pandemic proved we can make some improvements to help reverse climate change. In 2019 the average commute time for Americans was 27.6 minutes each way. In 2020 this dropped significantly due to the switch to remote work. Because of that switch, the average American was able to reduce their carbon footprint by about 1800 pounds. But is remote work really part of the answer for helping climate change? What else can we do?

Is a 4-day work week right for your company? The concept of a 4-day work week has been around since The Great Depression, however, it has yet to be implemented on a larger scale. Studies have shown there are benefits of a 4 day work week such as an increase in productivity and a decrease in some overhead costs. Making 32 hours a normal work week instead of 40 might be just what companies need to improve their employees’ well-being, turnover, and retention.

Producer, Melissa Ehlers, helps Rich look back on this past season of Team Building Saves the World. This season they dove into conversations about employee engagement, the importance of retention, and the umbrella that encompasses company culture. These are conversations that should be ongoing in the workplace. Listen as Rich and Melissa reflect on the highs and lows of season 2 of Team Building Saves the World.