It is so important for any organisation to keep its team working well together. To keep people performing to the best of their ability as a team it is important everyone is in sync. Working in a team and getting on well together. As well as working hard.
Productivity and morale within your organisation are important to keep at a high level. This is one of the great benefits of team building at Delapré Abbey. It can help ensure there is a positive atmosphere within your business. As well as give your team the chance to grow even stronger as a unit.
Outdoor Team Building
So, where would be the best place to conduct a team-building event? A very good option is to use the great outdoors!
Here at Delapré Abbey, one of the things that make us stand out is how we offer 500 acres of parkland in Northampton town centre. You can get the best of outdoor team building tasks as well as have a beautiful historic building as a backdrop.
With team building activities, there are some very positive benefits to having the events held outside:
Firstly, you have the element of change. More than likely, whatever it is your organisation does, the majority of an average workday is stuck indoors. And for many, it’ll be in an office. It may also be a cramped office situation!
Everyone’s body needs a rest from this environment. To be out in the natural light, stretch those legs and get some fresh air. This change of scenery is good for one mentally as well as physically, and it has got to be a positive thing to have some time to appreciate nature, right?
Perhaps you could split your workgroups into teams, and set a nature trail to follow? It helps to practice both decision making and team leadership skills. Interestingly, a 2010 piece of research discovered an indication that ‘forest environments have beneficial effects on human immune function’.
Naturally, work can bring on mental fatigue. Studies have found that experiencing nature, for example, Delapré Abbey’s beautiful parkland, or going for a team stroll through a nature reserve, can help restore the mental energy that one feels work zapping away from them.
It can also help lower stress, as researchers believe that having exposure to a forest can help reduce heart rate and cortisol levels too. So, team-building exercises themed around a forest and open green space would be both fun and healthy!
Team-Building Events
Your outdoor building group events could also help with your team’s positive outlook. Some studies have found that when someone takes themselves out of the office and instead takes a walk-through nature, a reduction in negative thoughts occurs. To help back this up, at the University of Michigan a study found that group nature walks were linked to enhanced mental health and positivity. With lower levels of stress and depression observed in those examined.
Another benefit of outdoor team-building exercises is that they can help to improve your focus and creativity. Now, these are two skills that cannot be underestimated in every workplace. Tests have been carried out to see how individuals perform after outdoor team building activities and it was recorded that people were able to complete certain tasks, such as those involving memory, with an improved level of accuracy.
As well as all of these highly positive ways in which outdoor team-building exercises can benefit work teams, it can also benefit others too! Your chosen team-building exercise could be made into a charity event, for example, a fun run or outdoor obstacle course. So not only would the group be doing themselves some good, but they could also be helping a very good cause at the same time.
There are plenty of great reasons why outdoor team building activities are well worth considering for organisations of all sizes, in any industry. As well as why Delapré Abbey is an ideal location for your next outdoor team building activity.
It does not need to be a once in a lifetime event either. It could become a regular event that takes place every few months or so. It is something that is worthwhile for every organisation to consider.
If you would like to find out more about how we can help you hold the perfect outdoor team building event, get in touch today on 01604 866705 or pop us an email at functions@delapreabbey.org
