Here are six easy to facilitate virtual team building activities for work:
#1 Virtual Team Project Initiation Meeting
This virtual team building activity should be top of your list. Too many virtual team members are showing up for work online without the proper training and preparedness for working as part of a virtual team. Each virtual team member working from a remote location needs to be aware of the challenges they will face and the special advantages and requirements of working on a virtual team project.
Part of the virtual team building activity should include virtual team ice-breakers to help team members get to know each other, discussions over possible challenges the project will face as a virtual team and solutions to overcome them. Virtual teams need to clarify the “virtual team” ground rules and be fully aware of the project responsibility structure and virtual collaboration tools available to them. Yamma is one collaboration tool gaining popularity within Virtual Teams.
#2 Regular Virtual “face-to-face” Online Team Meetings
Whenever possible, a real-life, face-to-face direct meeting between virtual team members is the BEST virtual team building activity you can initiate. However, just because your virtual team members are remotely located around the world DOES NOT mean you cannot meet face-to-face on a regular basis. Face-to-face virtual team meetings can be facilitated through video conferencing. Platforms like Skype (free) and Go-To-Meeting will deliver a face-to-face experience without you needing to be in the same room as your team members.
#3 Ice-Breaker Activities for Virtual Teams
Add some fun into your virtual team meetings by starting out with some ice-breaker activities. As a fun virtual ice-breaker team building activity you can ask each team member to take “the office character” quiz. The team can discuss the results together online and talk about why they think the quiz results were accurate/not accurate. For more ice-breaker team building activities check out this article here: http://virtualteamintelligence.com/virtual-team-building-activities/virtual-team-ice-breaker-games/
#4 Take Coffee Breaks with Your Virtual Team “Virtually”
Set aside time to have coffee with your virtual team members. The activity can be done as a collective virtual group OR you can have personalized, individual “coffee breaks” with the members of your virtual team.
If you want to really get your team members excited and supporting this virtual team building activity, you can order Starbucks vouchers for them here – http://www.voucherexpress.co.uk/verse/starbucks/
#5 Incorporate Regular Virtual Team Building Exercises into your overall Project Plan
Conducting regular virtual team building exercises can help build stronger relationships within your team. Providing the virtual team opportunity to have fun and get to know each other will improve the virtual team performance and dynamics. Get ideas on the best team building exercises here: http://virtualteamintelligence.com/virtual-team-building-activities/ultimate-remote-team-building-activities/
#6 Remember to celebrate your Virtual Team project success and thank your Virtual Team for a job well done
Here’s the easiest and quickest way we’ve found to reward your virtual team for a job well done.
These are just six easy virtual team building activities for work that are very simple to implement. Take the time to discuss these team building activities with your Virtual Team. Get your virtual team excited about WHY you want to implement these virtual team activities and ask them to add their own ideas into to the team building plan.
Happy Virtual Team Building!