One of my favorite core values here at the Zappos Family is “Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit”. For me, this applies not only to how I interact with my coworkers while in the office, but also to the relationships that I have with them outside of it. I’ve had the good fortune to work on multiple teams so far in my Zappos Family career and I’ve learned that the strongest bonding takes place away from the four walls in which we work. Because of the strong bonds we make as a team, we are more productive and efficient.

Equally as important as productivity and efficiency is happiness! There are a few different frameworks for happiness, and within one of them is the concept of connectedness. Employees, for the most part, want to feel connected to one another in the workplace. When employees are connected it will amplify their own personal happiness, which has a direct reflection on the company’s overall goal of delivering wow through service. A teambuilding activity outside of work that has nothing to do with work is a way to bring people together and uncover likenesses that may have never been known before.

My favorite team building experience here at Zappos was a trip to a farm that was infested with worms!!  Okay, I promise it’s not how it sounds; a group of seven of us joined Tony and a few others for a 2 day adventure that began at our Zappos Family headquarters in the Delivering Happiness bus and ended at the Sonoma Valley Worm Farm in Sonoma, California.  If you’ve had a chance to read Tony Hsieh’s Delivering Happiness, you’ll know he has a soft spot for worms! It was wonderful getting to spend quality time with my teammates on an overnight trip! We took off on a Friday evening and had a jam packed Saturday. We stopped and did some sightseeing around San Francisco, including taking a picture in front of the original Zappos office on 1000 Van Ness (see picture below). We then took a tour of the Worm Farm, sipped on wine made from worms (yes, actual worms!), attended an outdoor music festival, and crashed a birthday party!

Because we got to spend time with each other in a casual and open environment, we came back to the office as a team with more open communication. We were able to tackle goals and projects as a unit since we built such a strong bond with one another. Overall, coworkers noticed that there was a positive and happy spirit to our entire team. People in the work place have different personalities. Outside of the office teambuilding can create an appreciation for those differences among the team.               

It’s important to remember that team building does not have to be extravagant or costly; the crucial part of the experience is to create a setting to break down barriers of communication and build relationships with one another. Here are some effective tips to consider when planning your future team building event:

• Include everyone! Oftentimes team members are unable to attend team outings due to family obligations. A solution is to allow family members and guests to also attend such events.
• Choose a location that allows for plenty of communication and socializing.
• Add some form of recognition into the event and recognize team members for a job well done.
• Create excitement in anticipation of your event! Have a countdown in the office to build enthusiasm.

How can you promote connectedness within your team? How do you encourage your team to embrace the different personalities on the team?