What You Should Do One Day, One Week, and One Month After Your Team Building Activity

One Day After Your Team Building Activity…

One of the biggest mistakes event organizers can make is not following up the day after their event. By doing just a few small things, you can help transition employees back to work after all their fun and excitement in a way that keeps the spirit of team building alive.

1. Give Out Post-Event Goodie Bags

Extend a token of appreciation to participants with goodie bags or little gifts after the event is complete. You can either hand these out the day of your team building activity, or once you’re all back at the office! This can be a great way to give people a physical reminder or memento of the team building activity, and give them a reason to think back to the day.

Whatever you choose, it doesn’t have to be expensive – it’s the thought that counts! Participants will appreciate the gesture, even if the bag is filled with company-branded swag, a bottle of water, or an energy bar for them to snack on.

2. Share Photos & Videos

It’s always a great idea to take photos and videos on the day of your team building event. That’s why all of Outback Team Building & Training’s activities and events come with free media packages, accessible after your event.

Sharing this multimedia can be a great way to remember the experience and build a better company culture. You can put up some of the best photos at your next company-wide meeting, share them on your organization’s social media feeds, or display them on any public screens you might have around the office.

3. Send a Survey

One of the most important and effective post-event actions is to gather feedback from employees. You’ll want to encourage both participants and organizers to share their thoughts on the team building event. Some questions you might want to ask include:

• Did you enjoy the experience?
• What was your favorite part?
• Any key takeaways you’ll bring back to the office?
• Would you want to do it again?
• How would you rate the activity? (1-10)
• What would you like to do for future team building events?

For more ideas, check out this post-event feedback survey template created by SurveyMonkey. It’s designed to help you discover what was most successful about your event, how satisfied people were, and what you can do to improve for next time.

One Week After Your Team Building Activity…

After about one week’s time, you’ll want to start tracking and sharing the results of your team building event with the other leaders at your company.

1. Measure Employee Engagement Levels

If you’re actively measuring employee engagement, you can take a pulse check on the current levels and compare the results to your previous month’s engagement scores. If you’re not measuring engagement, now would be a great time to start!

The feedback you collect can help you track the success of your team building efforts and employees’ overall job satisfaction.

2. Write a Summary Report

To showcase the effectiveness of your group activity, you can also write up a document summarizing the event. The report can help company leaders understand the return on investment and highlight areas of improvement for future team building sessions.

For example, your report can include:

• Employee feedback
• Results versus objectives
• Expenses versus budget
• Event outcomes
• Pros and cons of the activity
• Obvious successes versus problems
• Areas for improvement
• Recommendations for future activities

3. Share Results with Company Leaders

Send your finished report to the relevant leaders at your organization and bring it up as a topic of discussion at the next management meeting. By making sure that these key decision-makers understand the success of your team building event, you can increase the likelihood of them wanting to do another one in the future.

One Month After Your Team Building Activity…

After about a month’s time, the feeling of “team building” will be gone…unless you look for more opportunities to keep the spirit alive at your workplace.

1. Celebrate Success

If you think back to your team building activity, the reason everyone felt so good is because you were all able to work together, accomplish something, and celebrate as a group. But you don’t need to wait to do another team building activity to feel that way again!

Look for opportunities around the office to celebrate your team’s success. These can be simple shout-outs of appreciation at your next company meeting, quarterly celebrations when you hit your financial targets, or team appreciation lunches that you have catered to the office. Small gestures like these can help change the culture of your workplace to make employees feel more engaged and valued.

2. Keep Things Personal

Chances are that you made some new personal connections on the day of your team building activity. That’s because when you’re out of your usual workplace, you’re more likely to let your guard down and genuinely socialize with coworkers who you might not normally socialize with.

Don’t let these relationships die just because you’re back in the office! Remember the personal connections you made, and make efforts to keep them over the next couple of weeks. Encourage others to do the same, and you’ll find that your workplace will become a much friendlier and inclusive place!

3. Look for More Team Building Opportunities

Team building activities can help your group recharge, bond with their colleagues, and have some fun outside of the office. But one activity won’t help you achieve long-term results. It’s important to follow up your event with another team building event before too much time passes. This can keep the momentum going afterwards, and help employees stay excited in the months to come.

Ready to Do Another Team Building Activity?

Before you try another team building activity, be sure to check out The Ultimate Guide to Team Building. And if you’re interested in working with professional team builders for your event, get in touch for your free consultation.

“It was a huge success! Everyone had a great time, and they couldn’t stop talking about it for days. Thank you, Outback Team Building & Training, for all of your help and making me look good. We cannot wait for our next event!”

— Valspar