5 innovative communication games to level up your next virtual team building

It is safe to say that nearly all organizations across the globe were not ready to fully adopt a work-from-home setup. One of the main challenges of remote teams is proper communication.

We indeed have the convenience of technological tools and equipment nowadays.

However, talking physically with your team is different from conversing over the phone, text, and other communication channels.

This is why it is highly recommended that remote teams conduct virtual team building activities regularly. These activities help your remote workers enhance communication within the team.

Thus, it builds employee relationships and trust, mitigates conflicts, and boosts each remote staff’s creativity.

To make your virtual team buildings fun and more interactive, mix them with some communication games.

This ensures that each staff will have the opportunity to engage with everyone and enjoy themselves.

How communication games can benefit your remote team

It is hard enough to keep your daily operations running smoothly while working from home. This is why your remote team has to be synchronized and able to work effectively together.

Incorporating communication games in your next virtual team building can help you with the following:

Productivity

Communication games help promote effective communication. They let you create a working environment wherein everyone can express concerns, ideas, and suggestions freely.

As a result, your remote team will be comfortable enough to take on responsibilities and creatively contribute to brainstorming ideas.

By incorporating various communication exercises into your team’s routine, you can improve teamwork, problem-solving skills, and overall productivity.

Alleviates conflicts

Communication games help your staff get to know each remote team member better.

It creates a bond between the team in a manner that everyone understands one another. This helps avoid conflicts and misunderstandings in the entire remote team.

It offers a unique platform for team members to enhance their verbal communication skills, enabling them to express ideas and thoughts more clearly and concisely.

Physical distance may limit the use of traditional body language cues.

However, communication games allow remote teams to develop alternative communication strategies that are just as effective in promoting collaboration and unity within the team.

Fuels growth and innovation

Establishing good communication within your team will help foster growth and innovation. It also saves the team more precious time, as everyone can communicate effectively.

In addition, it plays a big part in employee retention and uplifts employees’ morale.

Incorporating communication games into your remote team’s routine can be a strategic tool to foster growth and innovation while enhancing listening skills.

Engaging in interactive activities lets team members enhance their non-verbal communication skills, such as understanding body language and facial expressions, which are essential in virtual environments.

Improve communication skills

To excel in any professional setting, it is essential to develop communication skills continuously.

Improving communication skills within a remote team is essential for successful collaboration.

Communication games can be a valuable tool in enhancing team dynamics and fostering better interaction among team members. These games encourage active listening, clear expression of ideas, and effective problem-solving.

Clear communication is essential in avoiding misunderstandings and conflicts within the team.

Utilizing effective communication techniques like active listening, asking for feedback, and offering concise and constructive messages can significantly boost productivity and team morale.

5 communication games you can use on your next virtual team building

Now, there is no need to worry about coming up with communication games you can utilize on your next virtual team building.

These games not only improve communication styles within the team but also create an enjoyable and collaborative atmosphere, which is essential for effective virtual team building.

Understanding the significance of nonverbal communication cues, such as body language and facial expressions, is crucial in remote interactions.

Here, we have listed five innovative communication games for your next remote team building activity:

1. MTV cribs: Remote team edition

This game is inspired by the American TV show MTV Cribs. In this fun game, remote employees have to make a video presentation showcasing their homes.

MTV Cribs: Remote team edition allows you and your team to take a look into the personal lives of each of the staff. It is also a great way to get to know each coworker better.

2. Icebreaker questions

Utilizing icebreaker questions is a beneficial strategy to foster positive interactions and boost workplace communication.

Icebreaker questions are also a fun activity for getting to know each colleague better. This can be done at the start or during virtual team building.

You may begin by asking each team member’s name and position in the company. Then, follow up with specific questions that will lead them to share about themselves.

Here are some examples of icebreaker questions:

• What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
• How do you stay motivated and productive while on remote work?
• If you’re given the opportunity to learn one new professional skill, what would it be? 

Give each member specific time to answer and make sure everyone will be given their moment talk.

3. Truths and a lie

This classic game is perfect for new remote teams, as it is a good way to introduce themselves while making it fun and interactive.

The mechanics of this game are very simple. One team member must share three truths about himself or herself and one lie.

Other team members should then be able to point out which among the given statements is the lie. The one who guesses the correct answer will earn a point.

4. Pictionary

In this communication game, you will need to use an application to play. One example of this game is Skribbl.

Note that you need to create a virtual room and have all your remote team members join before playing.

Each team member will be given a word to doodle. The team member has to draw the given word at a given time and the rest has to guess the word.

All team members who guessed it right will be given a point.

5. Virtual escape rooms

Virtual escape room games are famous online games for groups. Just like Pictionary, you will also be required to use an app or another website to play the game.

These virtual challenges often mimic the thrill of navigating through an obstacle course by testing players’ problem-solving skills and teamwork.

In a virtual escape room, you and your team will go through different rooms, answer questions, solve puzzles, and more. Completing all these lets you solve mysteries or murders and escape in time.

There are tons of ways you can make your virtual team building alive and fun besides communication games.

Moreover, you also have plenty of options for communication games online. There are innovative games that you can play for free.

If you have an extra budget, you can also utilize paid interactive games for your next virtual team building.