#1 – It shakes up the space

The best thing about team building activities is that they get people out of their everyday environment. No matter how progressive your office culture, no matter how inviting your snack wall, getting people out of the office is invaluable if you want to have a genuine team building experience. Doing so makes it impossible for you and your co-workers to rely on ways of thinking or being that have become, for better or for worse, crutches.

You can’t rely on the relationships that you’ve come to take for granted if you and your pals get put on different trampoline dodgeball teams. And that’s a good thing. It means you need to forge new relationships with co-workers that you may not have otherwise, people who could be invaluable resources to you back at the office.

Perhaps even more appealing, changing up the environment smashes our old friend bureaucracy. When you’re trapped in an escape room, desperately trying to crack the code and beat the clock, it’s hard to get hung up on chain of command, which helps employees shake off unproductive ways of thinking and may lead to innovation and creativity back at work.

#2 – It fosters some trust

When you shake up the space you’re forced to deal with each other in new ways. Instead of hiding behind the well-established (and sometimes borderline dysfunctional) relationships of office-land, you need to interact with your co-workers in a whole new way. And you need to rely on them. You may not be totally comfortable being pitted against the accounting department in an archery tag showdown to the death—but you’re going to need to work with your team to beat them all the same. 

In a team building event you foster new, stronger relationships with your co-workers that will reflect back on your working relationship at the office, making you more likely to reach out to your co-workers to share ideas, ask for help, or even just have a friendly chat.

Added bonus—the more people you know at the office, the larger the pool of people you can ask to babysit your cat when you’re out of town. Obviously.

#3 – It creates a sense of urgency and accomplishment

Another great aspect of team building is that it creates a sense of urgency among the group. No matter what activity you choose, there is an objective and you have a set period of time to accomplish it. You have to learn how to throw axes and develop the confidence and accuracy to eviscerate your boss’s team, all within a few short hours. There is no time for lollygagging—no time for spooling around on Instagram or taking another spin around the office to see if you can drum up a companion to your procrastination.

The sense of urgency creates an excitement and focus between you and your team which may not be present in the day-to-day. That sense of excitement is so important. We’ve all be there of course—when the payoff to a project comes so late, you’re already up to your eyeballs in the next one. It’s hard to really feel good, really celebrate your accomplishments with your co-workers, when that happens. But in team building activity land, you can hold up your chalice of mead* and unleash your battle cry unabashed when you defeat your boss in the ultimate axe throwing challenge.

*a.k.a. pint of beer. Dream with us, people!

#4 – It’s all about togetherness

Because you’d be surprised what you and your co-workers can accomplish when you get down to it. When you are working together to achieve a common goal, when you’re right down to the wire, when you’ve reduced the noise of the everyday office environment, you can really get something done. You can dominate at archery tag, bust out of a four-part escape room without breaking a sweat, and chuck a real-live axe with confidence and genuine lumberjack prowess, earning you untold cool points for months to come.

And that creates an instant bond, an instant sense of togetherness, that you may not have been able to find in the office environment. It’s this sense of togetherness, of belonging, of strength and accomplishment, which will make you and your co-workers feel like valuable members of the ultimate team—the company you work for.

This sense is definitely solidified, we should add, if you go out for snacks and drinks afterward. We’re just saying. Maybe mention it to your boss.

#5 – Good team building = good office culture

Ultimately, a well-executed team building activity is comprised of all the best things you want to cultivate in your office culture. You and your co-workers will emerge a tightly knit team, unified by a sense of urgency to work towards a common objective, hard-wired with newfound trust in your colleagues and a robust sense of your own agency and worth.

So why team build? We hope the answer is obvious to you now. Just shaking up things alone is invaluable, but additionally the relationships you build during team building exercises will help you to perform better and have more fun in your everyday job. And remember, you’re worth it. You are not a gear in the bureaucratic machine, nor are your co-workers. You, all together, are a mosaic of individual people—and it’s always worth investing a little bit of time and energy and money into creating an event that helps each and every one of you remember that.

So turn that frown upside down! And direct your boss to these essential team building tips before you embark on your next adventure. They’ll help all of you have a stellar time!

Book Your Event With Hijinks

Our Corporate Concierge team has spent years building our expertise in planning fun events, corporate team building experiences, and group activities. We know the value that the right experience can bring to your group. Let us take care of the details for you.

Learn more

The post Why Team Building Is Always Worth the Hassle appeared first on Hijinks.

Take a look at our list of the top team building activities in Toronto and challenge your team to try something new!

#1 – Get shaken and stirred at BareBones Bartending

Two Locations:  Queens West / King & Bathurst

This highly-rated bartending school offers private cocktail workshops for corporate team building, parties & celebrations. They have two locations to choose from and will also come to your office, with all the tools in hand, to teach your team how to make delicious cocktails.  Cocktails feature seasonal ingredients, premium spirits, and all recipes are provided. This one is definitely a hit with teams looking to bond while trying out their cocktail making skills.

Perfect for groups: 8+
Good for: cocktail-loving teams

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#2 – Save the universe at Proxima Command

Dupont & Christie

Sometimes there are things that are even more important than your next marketing team meeting or product planning session – like saving the universe! Proxima Command is a high tech experience that will put your team in control of your very own spaceship. Take your posts on the bridge and use 27 interactive screens to work together, defeat the bad guys, and rescue your intergalactic friends. Their fully immersive simulator, designed by local indie gaming talent, will challenge your team to get outside their comfort zone, collaborate to accomplish your mission, and have a few laughs along the way.

Perfect for groups: 4-14
Good for: space commanders in training

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#3 – Make some sweet memories at Chocolate Tales

Some of the best team building activities bring out your creative side. Chocolate Tales corporate workshops are a great way to accomplish this as your team crafts delicious creations under the guidance of an expert chocolatier. Options include the classic chocolate workshop, a truffle themed workshop, and an “Iron Chocolatier” challenge where you’ll be placed in teams to see which group can combine Belgian chocolate and exotic ingredients to create the best tasting treats.

Perfect for groups: 10+
Good for: teams with a sweet tooth

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#4 – Discover your inner Picasso with Paint Cabin

Riverdale

Paint Cabin is a modern studio located at Gerrard and Broadview in Riverdale. Their friendly instructors ensure that everyone in your group will have fun – even the least artistic members of your team – as they guide you through creating your own masterpiece. They also have a full bar available and can arrange catering with advanced notice. Unlike other paint studios in Toronto, Paint Cabin gives you the option to pick your medium, from the most popular option acrylics, to the more niche watercolors, woodcutting, and mixed media.

Perfect for groups: 6+
Good for: art (and wine) lovers

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#5 – Work together to solve an Escape Room

Midtown, Danforth & Downtown

One of the best ways to sharpen your teamwork skills is to take on an escape room.  You’ll step outside the challenges of the day-to-day grind to solve high-tech puzzles, experience intricate and immersive storylines, and work together as the clock counts down. Some great options for corporate groups include The Imaginarium in North York boasting the most realistic escape rooms in the city, Looking Glass Adventures on the Danforth which has special packages tailored for corporate groups, and Roundabout Canada centrally located right off Yonge/Dundas square. For smaller groups you can book direct. Larger groups can contact Hijinks Concierge to arrange for private group bookings.

Perfect for groups: 3 – 30
Good for: teams that like to be challenged

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#6 – Cook up some memories with Viva Tastings

College & University

If you’re looking for a fun and creative way to bring your team together, Viva Tastings offers 3 & 4 course cooking classes that can be customized to fit the needs of your group. Options include stress-free events focused on learning new techniques, to problem-solving challenges where you’ll be given all of the ingredients but only part of the recipe.  No matter which program you choose, the results will be delicious. And the best part?  You get to eat everything you make!

Perfect for groups: up to 14 people 
Good for: foodie teams

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#7 – Go on a private food tour with Chopsticks+Forks

Kensington Market

Treat your team to a private walking tour of Kensington Market—with lots of stops to sample the wares along the way. This unique food tour offered by Chopsticks+Forks will take you to 6 different restaurants, each offering food from a different corner of the world. With tastes that include spicy Jamaican patties, South American humitas, and authentic Indigenous bannock, your team will be gasping for breath by the end of it.

Perfect for groups: 8+
Good for: foodie teams

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#8 – Get silly at bubble soccer

Multiple Locations in GTA

Forget about fostering communication and just let the team have fun at bubble soccer. Conventional rules don’t apply—this game is more like bumper cars. Bubble Soccer Toronto makes it easy to experience this unique activity by providing all of the equipment needed, as well as arranging for an outdoor or indoor venue for your event.

Perfect for groups: 20+
Good for: silly teams

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Book Your Event With Hijinks

Our Corporate Concierge team works hard to make it easy for you to plan fun events, corporate team building experiences, and group activities. We know the value that the right experience can bring to your group. Let us take care of the details for you.

Learn more

The post Toronto’s Top Team Building Activities appeared first on Hijinks.