Bonding in motion: How group sports make your employees a better team

Group sports teach us so much about ourselves and those around us. Far beyond being a great source of exercise and a mode of expression, taking part in team sports also brings players together in a unique way. Here’s how they can help build bonds between employees and ultimately make them a better-performing team.

Appreciating each other’s roles

Sometimes we struggle to see things from another person’s point of view. In a work environment, this can manifest in one employee not understanding the importance or complexity of someone else’s role. Many organizational rifts begin this way. However, participating in group sports together is a great way to overcome this. Why? Because it forces people to appreciate skills different from their own. It demonstrates how we each make our unique contribution to achieving our common goal. This way, we learn to respect each other more.   

Collaborating better

Playing group sports means having to rely massively on collaboration. There is no room for individualism – it’s teamwork all the way! In order to get the best results as a team, egos must be left at the door… This is also the case in the workplace. By playing sports together, employees become more collaborative, flexible, and agile. Also, because they are bonding not only as colleagues but also as friends, greater trust and empathy grow within the work-family.   

Learning from each other

Appreciating people’s skills and talents in different areas and in different contexts is a feature of team sports. Everyone has their own strengths and their own role to play in the pursuit of the common objective. It also presents a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other. Playing under a great team captain helps to develop the leadership skills of the team as a whole. Similarly, the pace of sport makes clear and concise communication extremely important to master… At the end of the day, team players inspire each other to become better and to excel.