6 Team Building Activities to Build Better Communication at Work
In today’s tech-driven world, clear communication, understanding colleagues, and responding with empathy are crucial. Team-building communication games can help employees learn to communicate effectively, boosting engagement and knowledge retention. These skills are especially important for leaders of diverse teams. This blog offers some fun and easy communication team building activities to improve workplace communication and build camaraderie among team members.
Types of Communication
Before we dive into fun communication games for work to improve workplace communication, let’s first look at different types of communication.
Verbal
Talking to each other face-to-face, on the phone, or through video calls is how we mostly communicate, and it’s called verbal communication. Being good at talking is super important at work. But sometimes, we might not understand each other perfectly, so it’s really helpful to pay attention to how we say things and what our body is doing when we talk.
Written
In the workplace, we get a bunch of stuff to read like emails, reports, and presentations. Because you’re not talking face-to-face, you need to be extra careful with how you write things. Doing activities to practice writing at work can help us all learn to say what we mean in a clear and short way.
Nonverbal
Nonverbal communication is all about what your body says without using words, and it can tell a lot. Like, if you cross your arms or don’t look at someone, it might show you’re not really into the conversation. But if you lean in and nod, it tells the other person you’re really paying attention and interested.
Activities to Improve a Team’s Communication Skills
Effective team-building activities for work communication depend on understanding your team’s needs. By identifying areas for improvement, you can choose the right activities. Here are some unique team communication exercises and games that will help build a productive and collaborative work environment.
Back-to-Back Drawing
In this activity, participants pair up and sit back-to-back. One person describes a picture they have without naming it, while the other tries to draw it based on the description alone. The goal is to show how important detailed communication is and how hard it can be to understand instructions without visual help. This helps improve listening and speaking skills, making it easier for team members to communicate clearly and effectively in the workplace.
Balloon Tower Challenge
In this activity, teams are given balloons and tape or string and must build the tallest balloon tower within a set time. The goal is to encourage teams to strategize, assign roles, and communicate well to achieve a common objective. This helps improve teamwork, planning, and clear communication among team members.
Question Beach Ball
In this fun game, you write various open-ended questions on a big beach ball and toss it around in a group. Whoever catches it must answer the question their right thumb touches. The aim is to encourage sharing and help teammates get to know each other better, which fosters open communication and strengthens relationships within the team. This activity is all about having a good time while also building a more connected and communicative team.
Broken Telephone
In this classic game, participants sit in a circle, and one person whispers a message to the next person, who passes it on. This continues until the message reaches the original sender. The goal is to show how important clear communication is and how messages can get twisted or misunderstood along the way. By playing this game, people learn the value of speaking clearly and listening carefully, which helps improve communication skills in all aspects of life.
Minefield
In this activity, a room or outdoor area is filled with obstacles. One person, blindfolded and unable to speak, relies on their partner to guide them safely through using only verbal instructions. The aim is to build trust between partners and show the significance of giving precise, clear instructions. By completing this challenge, participants learn how important it is to communicate clearly and effectively, fostering stronger teamwork and understanding. This activity encourages participants to rely on each other and reinforces the idea that good communication is essential in any situation.
Story Round Robin
In this activity, you begin a story with an opening line, and each team member adds a sentence, passing the story along quickly. The goal is to promote active listening, as everyone needs to follow the story as it develops. This activity can be done online, too. It also sparks creativity and teamwork as the team creates a story together, building on each other’s ideas to craft an imaginative narrative. By working together on this fun exercise, participants strengthen their communication skills and bond as a team.
Charades
In this game, participants act out a word or phrase without speaking, and their team tries to guess what it is. It’s fun, but it also teaches the significance of non-verbal communication and the challenges that come without spoken words. By playing charades, people learn to express themselves without talking, which helps improve their ability to communicate in various situations. This activity strengthens teamwork and highlights the importance of understanding body language and gestures.
Improve Workplace Communication with Exciting Team Building Activities
Now that we’ve explored various ways to enhance communication in the workplace through verbal, written, and nonverbal channels, it’s time to put these skills into action. Engaging in team-building activities can foster stronger connections and improve collaboration within our teams. Let’s remember the value of clear communication, where trust and precision play key roles. Additionally, these activities offer opportunities for creativity and understanding through shared experiences.
