Traveling with coworkers can offer significant benefits to the team. Shared adventures make for great stories, but there are also major benefits to the way in which teams communicate. From collaboration and innovation to skill development, here are a few of the best examples.
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Stronger Team Bonding
It is believed that travel changes team dynamics for the better. There are many theories and studies that prove this concept, with an emphasis on overcoming shared challenges and bonding through experience. After planning corporate group travel, employees can focus on connecting with each other. This creates unique opportunities for colleagues to move beyond daily work and build deeper bonds that the confines of the workplace simply don’t allow.
Team Collaboration and Innovation
Teams work well when they can inspire each other with new ideas and innovation. Through shared experiences, teams also create a wealth of knowledge that they can apply to work. However, it is also important to note that key collaboration and creative solutions also come from seeing each other’s perspectives. When in a workplace setting, this can be challenging. Coming together in a situation where they depend on each other, workers more easily see this.
Traveling With Coworkers for Well-being
A UK survey by MHFA England found that 79% of British employees experience too much stress at work. Stress reduction can help improve your company’s productivity rates, especially when combined with fun and meaningful travel experiences where colleagues can engage:
- Travel outside the workplace can be the refreshing break that everyone needs.
- Stepping away from duty and engaging in fun activities will help reduce burnout.
- Depending on the activities, colleagues can maintain mental and physical health.
Workplace wellbeing is a much-talked-about part of modern life. Everyone needs a break now and then, and some employees may not even be able to afford it. A retreat paid for by the company provides the refresh and reset employees need while strengthening relationships.
Improved Skill Development
There are many soft skills today that are a Godsend for teams. Examples include communication and emotional intelligence. When in a setting where teams must work together, socialize, and have each other’s backs, these skills can manifest, even in employees who have never demonstrated them before. Skills such as problem-solving and managing unexpected scenarios are critical in many roles, and can be developed in fun games like escape rooms.
Ambitious Personal Growth
Alongside skills that benefit the team as a whole, traveling with each other also presents opportunities for individuals to develop critical and practical skills. This includes becoming more open-minded alongside colleagues, innovative thinking on the spot, and engagement through a healthier workplace culture. Of course, there are also multiple networking opportunities when colleagues travel together and meet others from different departments and even companies.
Summary
Teams are likely to forge stronger bonds when traveling with coworkers. This can also help with worker wellbeing. However, teams and individuals alike have the chance to develop personal skills that can be useful for the company while also networking among other departments.
