Here at Fox in a Box we use immersive games to help teams connect and build healthy work relationships. We also like to share tips to use inside of your office to foster productive habits and provide tools and tips to make operations run smoothly! Here are some few key learnings that we would love to share with your team!

Team-Building Activities for Remote Teams

When you manage a group of remote workers who rarely see each other in person, effective team building is harder, says Shapiro. “You have to be more intentional and design structured interactions that will create connection — even from a distance.” The key, she says, is tailoring exercises to fit your group’s size, sensibilities, and circumstances. Many of these remote team-building exercises can be adapted for hybrid and in-person teams, too.

1. Lead structured conversations.

The better your team members understand one another, the more effectively they will work together, according to Shapiro. She suggests holding structured conversations centered on team goals, company culture, and personal strengths. “Talk about the culture you want to create within the team and how it feels to work together. This encourages people to reflect on their needs and share expectations,” she says. If you don’t know where to start, try some well-established team-building exercises, such as:

The reflected-best-self exercise. This is a personal development tool created by researchers at the University of Michigan. It helps team members identify their strengths and talents by asking their coworkers to share stories about when they’ve been at their best. These narratives allow people to see the impact they’ve had on others. “It gives people positive reinforcement and affirmation” and contributes to stronger team bonds, says Shapiro.

The artifact exercise involves asking team members to come to a meeting prepared to talk about an accomplishment they’re proud of — personal or professional — and a physical object representing their achievement, such as a photo or medal. (It can be an everyday object.) During the meeting, each person shares their story in a veritable virtual show-and-tell and then hears reaction from colleagues about the knowledge, skills, abilities, and determination they showed. “It helps team members see that they work with talented and impressive people,” says Shapiro.

The impact-of-styles exercise requires team members to complete a personality or communication-style assessment, such as the DiSC. They then share results and talk about their preferences for leadership, communication, and other important aspects of teamwork. “Diagnostics remind team members that everyone’s behavior follows personal rules and that most often, people come from a place of good intentions,” says Shapiro.

2. Try out conversation cards.

Conversation cards designed for the workplace can encourage active participation from all team members, including newcomers or those who may be quieter or more reserved. The cards typically feature a range of questions from: What’s your favorite game and why? to What’s one thing about your childhood you wish you could change? Keep in mind that these ice-breaker games and discussions require trust and a sense of psychological safety, says Hadley. “When we’re being vulnerable and revealing parts of ourselves that might not always feel comfortable, it can be a remarkable bridge builder.”

3. Devote time for chat.

Reserving the first five or so minutes of every weekly meeting to casual conversation allows remote coworkers to get to know one another on a personal level and encourages virtual team bonding, says Hadley. Carving out time for these informal, unstructured interactions shows your team that you value camaraderie. It’s also a low-stakes, easy way to build a friendly, inclusive work culture. “It takes intentional effort, but online conversation can be as satisfying as in-person ones if you do them right,” she adds.

4. Harness virtual communication tools.

Encouraging your remote team members to take advantage of online communication and video conferencing platforms creates space for lighthearted conversations, jokes, emojis, and memes, says Hadley. These casual interactions on Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams can mimic those silly, spontaneous water cooler moments that people miss in remote work environments, she adds. Virtual calls and video meetings are “a way to help people bond.”

5. Play a simulation game.

Team-building games are fun, interactive experiences that boost teamwork and creativity. Think beyond team-building bingo, DIY craft challenges, and virtual trivia. Instead, Shapiro recommends critical-thinking games that simulate an unusual problem, like surviving a moon crash or doing an Arctic expedition, as these situations provide an opportunity for the entire team to work together and harness their strategic thinking skills. What’s more, healthy competition can bring out different sides of people’s personality and promote creative teamwork. Shapiro also advises leading your team in a post-game debrief to identify ways to apply the problem-solving that they learned to their real-world collaboration.

6. Host a week-long in-person “team week.”

Reserving blocks of time for in-person gatherings is critical for cultivating and maintaining relationships on remote teams, according to Keswin. Team weeks can include simple team-building exercises, one-on-one meetings, focused project sprints, and even group yoga sessions if that’s your team’s vibe. These events help build positive memories, she adds. “Once you’ve developed these relationships and there’s a solid foundation of trust and understanding, returning to your next virtual meeting feels more seamless.”