Our team at Stratos has always been a virtual team which means that, for the past five years, we’ve been trying to figure out how to create team-building experiences that boost morale and encourage a sense of camaraderie.
While physical distance may separate remote teams, video chat platforms (our favorite is Around) have brought teams together. At Stratos, we started implementing monthly Happy Hours. Each of our team members takes a turn to plan an activity for us to participate in. We don’t require attendance, but our team loves hanging out so usually most of us are there.
In this blog post, we’ll share some of our favorite ideas we’ve used in the past.
Virtual Trivia:
- Choose a theme relevant to your team’s interests or industry, or opt for a mix of general knowledge questions. One of our team members created a logo-based trivia game where we had to guess which company’s logo we were looking at (#marketingnerds). The host reads out the questions and each participant keeps their score.
Taskmaster Challenge:
- This became a team favorite when Kat introduced it to us. Assign a series of quirky tasks or challenges to team members, such as creating a makeshift superhero costume from household items or performing an impromptu talent show. Encourage creativity and humor as team members complete the tasks and award points for ingenuity and entertainment value.
Geoguesser Adventure:
- This pretty addictive game drops players into a random location using Google Street View, and they must guess where they are based on their surroundings. Challenge your team to guess locations accurately within a time limit or compete to see who can score the highest points. For our team, this has sparked fun conversations about our travels!
Show and Tell:
- Bring back a bit of childhood nostalgia with a virtual show-and-tell session. Encourage team members to share something interesting from their home – whether it’s a beloved pet, a favorite piece of artwork, or a quirky collection. This activity offers a delightful glimpse into each other’s lives outside of work.
Murder Mystery Party:
- This one surprised me. Our account manager created a murder mystery party using ChatGPT! If that feels too complicated, you could choose a themed murder mystery game from Etsy. It does require some pre-work because you’ll want to assign roles to team members before your time together and encourage them to dress up and fully immerse themselves in their characters. Throughout the party, teams collaborate to solve the mystery by gathering clues, interrogating suspects, and piecing together the puzzle.
For us, virtual team activities on video chat are more than just a way to pass the time – they’re an opportunity for our team members to connect. So… the next time you gather your team for a virtual meeting, why not try one of these exciting ideas? Your team will thank you for it!