• Teams become more productive when they trust and support each other, and when they share a common goal.
• Team building activities increase productivity by paving way to open communication; therefore, allowing team members to get to know each other better and encouraging them to work collaboratively.
• Leaders can create a workspace that hones productivity by keeping team members focused and by building trust among its members.

Productivity is an indicator of an effective team. Achieving this has been a mystery to many ambitious companies throughout the years. Out of 180 teams, researchers found that some highly productive ones consist of close friends, while others consist of colleagues who chose to keep their work and personal lives separate. Moreover, research also shows that teams that are composed of experts in their fields could be just as unproductive as teams of varying skill levels and backgrounds. Teams did necessarily need to have the ideal setup to achieve productivity. Each have varying cultures that can either be relaxed and unstructured or strict and hierarchical.

It was also discovered that the common factor among the high-productivity teams did not have anything to do with the members' qualifications or relationships. It was actually the norms that the group had established amongst themselves. The two basic ones that they followed were: that members had equal opportunity to speak up and share their ideas, and that members were considerate of one another's feelings, whether communication was verbal or non-verbal.

Chuck Doran and Megan Winkeler, both from the US-based nationally recognized dispute resolution firm MWI, found that employees are more likely to contribute to the discussion when they feel like their fellow employees care about their feelings. When there is a disagreement in an environment like this, team members aren't afraid of judgment and instead ask for advice and offer feedback without hesitation.

Leaders can foster this kind of culture and bring up productivity levels in the workplace through team building activities.

Team building improves communication 

Communication is the key to every single human interaction. A team that communicates well makes the best use of their time and resources, and generally gets along better than a team that struggles to communicate. Team building can break down communication barriers among team members by helping them become more acquainted with each other and become familiar with other communication styles.

Clear communication is vital among team members as well as between managers and employees, and vice versa. It makes everyone's work easier and reduces the chances of conflict. There are various ways to develop strong communication. While many team building activities related to communication are designed around expressing oneself, activities that sharpen team members' listening skills should also be prioritized to make them more self-aware of any poor communication habits they might have.

Team building encourages creativity

Team building is a great opportunity for employees to loosen up and get creative. Problem solving can be a major stressor in the office. However, when the work environment is less stiff, it can become a fun challenge instead. Ideally, creativity will carry over to work tasks, too.

Team members can quickly come up with new solutions to problems when they brainstorm together, build off each other's ideas, and develop plans that utilize every member's talents. In addition to the learning experience, they'll get the satisfaction of having resolved issues in an imaginative way.

Team building improves collaboration 

The aim is to find a healthy balance between keeping things professional and making good friends in the office. Sarah Hill of Seven Events Ltd, a leading event agency in London, says that the right team building activity can give team members the opportunity to build relationships and expand their network outside of their everyday work. A simple bonding over one memorable day can open plenty of doors for collaboration in the future.

Collaboration is more than just connecting and working together. It's also about trusting your peers and the quality of their work, knowing what they are capable of, and being able to reach out to them when you need their skills. On the other hand, it's also about clueing to them on what you can pitch in and giving them a way to get in touch when they need your help. A well-organized team building exercise can result in increased collaboration among team members, both inside the office and out.

Team building fosters trust

Sometimes, leaders must take a good, hard look at how you assess and coach your team. If some of them seem unfocused or lost, it may be time to get everyone on the same page. This will help remind members of their independent and group goals.

Whatever the activity may be, it is important for leaders to always go back to two basic rules: focus your team, and focus on trust. When you focus on trust, you take time to work on team processes and the relationships among coworkers. You also encourage communication and recognition among members of the team. Trust isn't something that can be imposed or learned overnight. It has to be built gradually over time, so a leader must seriously commit to fostering a trusting environment, and that is what team building ultimately aims to do.

Team building raises morale 

Every workplace has days and sometimes weeks when the atmosphere feels heavy or when tensions are high because the workload is heavier than usual. Team building can diffuse some of that tension by asking  tired employees to step out of the office and inviting them to a new environment where they don't have to worry about their deadlines for a while.

Taking a break— even a short one— from your routine can give your productivity a major boost. When you return to work, you feel refreshed. The tasks ahead don't feel as burdensome or frustrating. While planning this out, leaders may want to try offering team members a choice in what kind of team building activities they would like to do. This will add to the excitement and give them something to look forward to when they feel bogged down.

Team building creates rapport 

Bonding is a wonderful side effect of having a team building. Teams that get along well tend to be more productive, and cause much less unnecessary drama. Team members are motivated when they know that they are all working toward a common goal and can achieve this by supporting each other. They have an increased sense of responsibility and put more effort to getting things done because they know that everybody will be better off for it.

Although team members may not all be close friends or see eye-to-eye on matters outside of the office, there can still be a feeling of togetherness and mutual trust among them. This can be fostered through more relaxed team building activities that give them the chance to get to know each other and have fun as a unit.

Team building can be used for positive reinforcement

For many employees, there are prizes that are too extravagant for a job well done, such as certificates, medals, and trophies. A simple acknowledgement for the work they put in is enough. Your team building day is an excellent opportunity to show appreciation for those who go above and beyond the call of duty and raise the bar for everybody else.

Recognizing team members' efforts sends a message about your company values and what success means to you as a part of the organization. By highlighting their accomplishments, you empower them and set the standard for the whole team. It increases engagement with the company and, at the same time, it makes people feel good.

Team building encourages teamwork

What every other benefit of team building can be traced back to is the foundation that team members build when they struggle, and more importantly celebrate, together. Team building encourages employees to strive for their shared goal. It allows them to pool their skills and resources to arrive at a creative solution to a problem. Team building helps members discover each other's strengths. If all goes as planned, they will emerge from the activity with a greater appreciation for teamwork – and for each other.

Blogger and web entrepreneur Muhammad Irshad encourages first-time leaders to give it a shot. He says that it might take a few tries to identify which team members respond well to what kind of attention, but in the end, it is more than worth it.

Team members who are able to get along despite their differences are likely to be more productive. Fun, thoughtfully planned team building activities can help build a culture of trust and mutual support. When leaders and team members have confidence in themselves and each other, challenging tasks can be addressed with solid collaboration. Everyone pitches in, and everyone feels the satisfaction of getting these tasks done.