A cohesion day at work is the perfect opportunity to bring your teams together in a friendly and dynamic setting. However, for this event to have a real and lasting impact on group cohesion, it takes more than just a simple gathering. Here are the 5 essential ingredients to transform your cohesion day into a true success.
1. Fun
The first ingredient of a successful cohesion day is to integrate pleasure into it. Nothing beats laughter and relaxation to create a positive atmosphere where exchanges happen naturally. Offer fun activities like team games, challenges, or creative workshops. The goal is to ensure everyone enjoys themselves while building stronger bonds.
Tip: Vary the activities and surprise your collaborators with new and enjoyable experiences, whether they are outdoor games or original challenges. The key is to make the experience pleasant and memorable.
2. Add meaning to your event
A cohesion day is also an opportunity to remind and reinforce the corporate culture. Take this chance to convey your values, objectives, or other key messages in a fun and engaging way. Instead of long speeches, why not incorporate these messages through workshops or even tailored animations that illustrate the company's DNA? For instance, one could design a custom quiz related to your values and history.
Tip: Find a balance between entertainment moments and times when you communicate your company vision. This allows your teams to fully adhere to the values you wish to emphasize.
3. Keep the pace
Nothing is worse than a day that drags and lacks dynamism. To keep everyone motivated and involved, it is crucial to vary the activities and maintain a good rhythm throughout the day. Alternate between action moments, calmer workshops, and exchanges, so that everyone finds their place.
Tip: Mix physical activities, artistic tasks, and coaching workshops to engage everyone.
4. Leave something that lasts
For a cohesion day to have a true impact, it is important that participants leave with more than just a simple souvenir. Create a tangible item, like a collective mural, a personalized sculpture, or a souvenir video that will leave a lasting impression. This type of collective creation leaves a durable mark of the event and helps prolong its impact over time.
Tip: Encourage activities that result in a shared creation. This strengthens everyone's engagement and creates a collective memory that participants can connect with.
5. Mix groups to break down silos
The goal of a cohesion day is, of course, to strengthen bonds within the team. Mixing groups and creating moments of exchange between colleagues who don't usually work together is an excellent way to achieve this. Team games, paired activities, or group challenges are all opportunities to enhance cohesion.
Tip: Make sure that the teams are regularly mixed throughout the day. Don’t hesitate to place guests at different tables during meals: if you don’t do this, it’s highly likely that people will sit with their closest colleagues and miss the chance to connect with others.
Conclusion
Organizing a successful cohesion day relies on these 5 ingredients: fun, meaning to help participants connect with the organization, pace to maintain engagement, the creation of lasting artwork to leave a trace... and multiply chances to mix groups to maximize bonding!