Have fun together

Teams gel faster when they have a better understanding of what makes each member tick.

Most of these activities can be done in person or virtually, if you’re a remote team. They require some time, and a bit of money - whether your organisation pays or whether you and your team contribute is up to you to work out.

Before you plan a social event after work, remember that some of your team may have other commitments (e.g. with families) that they have to honour too. Work with your team’s schedules and create time during office hours if need be. Set the expectation that you want people to show up: when teams aren’t already gelled they may be reluctant to spend time together. Don’t give them the choice.

• Have lunch together. Whether you go to a restaurant or bring food from home, try and sit and eat lunch together from time to time. It’s an easy way to socialise and learn about each other.
• Grab a coffee. You don’t have to do this en masse, but it’s a nice habit to develop. Spend a bit of time each day chatting to your team about what’s going on.
• Cook a meal together. You can find cooking schools that offer these experiences, or you could just do it at someone’s house, if you (or they) are happy to host.
• Learn or play together. Escape from a room. Do a cocktail class. Throw axes. Sing karaoke. Paint. Have a board game night. Play two-truths-and-a-lie. See each other in action outside of the day job, and use the time to connect.
• Share your stories. How did you get to where you are today? Where are you from? Who are you family? Where have you been? Where do you want to go? The more we know about each other, the more we can relate and connect to each other.

When to take this action

This action is from 'Gel' and should be used when your team doesn't feel like a unit, when you have new hires, when you're new to your team, when it's been a while since you had fun together