Openers take on team building — the remote way

*Team Building Activities*

I’m just gonna leave that there.

Did that make you cringe, shift a bit in your seat or maybe just roll your eyes?

We get how team building activities often elicit resentment rather than over-the-top enthusiasm.

On the flip side, team building activities that are backed by a definite purpose and executed well have the potential to make a powerful impact on the workforce.

Teamwork makes the dream work - A phrase, we swear by at Open. So much so that teamwork is woven into the core of what we do. With the entire team investing heavily in building an authentic and collaborative workplace culture - getting our fix of employee engagement activities, skill development and designing creative learning experiences are just the way we roll here at Open.

Knocking on doors of experiential learning at Goa

Though 75% of employers believe collaboration and teamwork are the way forward, we’re often guilty of working in comfortable silos.

Let’s skip right to the good stuff and tell you how we tore down our cubicles, stepped out of our little nooks and knocked on the doors of sheer collaboration.

For our off-site last year, we packed our bags and took off to the land of sun, sand and sea - Goa! 🏖️

While we feasted, partied and took in the scenic beauty to our heart’s fill - we also had the privilege to be a part of an inspiring 2 day art-based workshop. We got down to interacting with our colleagues through fun, experiential activities involving art, music and drama in a creative and relaxed environment.

Perks of art-based workshops

True, most of us shy away (*looks for the exit*) at the mention of dance or music. But trust me when I say that immersive art-based learning experiences are not aimed at collaboration alone. These workshops are designed to help you find shared values within the team, build trust and they have a profound impact on the way you process and perceive things.

We have to admit - we had a ball showing off our vocal prowess with some a cappella singing! We also got to channel our inner artist by indulging in some art with soulful music in the background.

We were asked to unwind and kick-back in front of a blank canvas with colours and brushes. With the music on, we used art as a medium of conversation to relive memories and create meaningful, shared visions.

Gotta say this - we came out as true believers in collaborative art! Being able to understand and empathize with one another better, we were hooked on to synergy and a new-found team bond.

Unravelling skills with the pros

Nilisha and Madhu are two of our amazing trainers, who helm most of our workshops.

They use art forms to dive into topics like leadership, strategy and problem-solving. Reimagining the learning process has always been a joy-ride with them as they truly excel in creating experiential and inclusive learning spaces.

The remote chance

Nope, going remote has not hampered our regular dose of training and skill development. The sessions have now gone online and have only gotten a lot more fun!

As a part of us owning our remote work life, we’ve been split up into different Ambassador groups where we meet up and connect every week. We’ve also gotten quite fancy with the team names - here’s what we’ve got:

Dominators, Aces, Prodigies, Statesmen, Alpha, Strikers, Mavericks and Guardians.

So what’s cooking in these sessions?

Fireside chats, creative writing, debates, skits, some good ol’ singing and even virtual dance-offs.

Yes, we’ve got the whole works and we thoroughly enjoy every bit of it!

Let’s just be clear on one thing - the groups bring their A-Game in brainstorming for these sessions and each session is led on by a moderator nominated for the week.

From leadership and oratory skills to creative thinking and idea generation - these weekly meet-ups have been transformational on many levels.

Our all-time favourite has got to be working as a group to write a poem - a collaborative approach to freestyle writing.

Here’s a sneak peek of the team getting creative in crafting a poem line by line, about Amaterasu - a Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology, who stepped out from hiding in a cave to bring light to the world.

We also keep up with the latest in tech with webinars by our tech team every Friday.

Also, the mental wellness of each individual is paramount at Open and for this - we have our in-house expert Achira.

We can now fix up an online session with Achira if we need help coping up with stress and anxiety in these unprecedented times.

Finer, Fitter & Better

While we are climbing the learning curve, here’s our two cents on it - nothing powers the workforce (remotely, or otherwise) like teamwork. While training and skill development activities stimulate engagement and creativity, it also builds a work environment where employees’ voices are heard and opinions valued.

You heard us - go big on team building and skill development! ‘Cos that’s what will set you up for success, both individually and as an organization.