Company Sports Team - New Strategy for Team Building and Turnover Reduction

Today it is more important than ever to develop relationships within your company. Relationship development can be done in many ways, but one of the latest emerging trends is to team build through company sports teams and endeavors. Company sports teams offer many advantages to both the employees and to the company, including healthier employees, better teamwork and increased exposure within the community.

Healthier Employees

Having healthy employees is critical to a company's bottom line. Companies that have employees that smoke, that are overweight or that are out of condition have higher rates of absenteeism and turnover than companies that have healthier employees. One way that companies can encourage their employees to live healthier lifestyles is to develop company sports teams. These sports teams can be for a team sport like softball or bowling, or they can be developed for special athletic competitions, such as triathlons or 5-K races.

Building Teamwork

When your company develops a sports program it not only is impacting the physical health of your employees but it is also impacting the emotional and social health of your employees. As you train together and learn about your sport together you will be creating new and more dynamic bonds between your employees. These bonds will spill over into the work environment and help your employees to work as a team at work as well as at play.

Support for Important Issues

Another advantage offered by company sports teams is that they identify issues that you want to support. For example, your company sports team may sign up for an event that raises money for breast cancer or heart disease research. The issues that your company chooses to support can be based on issues that are impacted specific members of your team, or that you as a group feel is important.

Community Exposure

The saying goes that "there is no such thing as bad publicity." Publicity is important for a company's survival as it creates awareness that the company exists and that it is available to do X, Y and Z for community members. A great way to gain free publicity and to generate local, regional or even national awareness for your company is to participate as a team in sporting events. This is why there are so many corporate teams participating in triathlons, marathons and other high profile sporting events.

Becoming a Team

To encourage your employees to join your sports team or program you need to offer incentives to them. These incentives can be free health counseling, paid time off to participate in the event and company recognition for participation. You can also offer discounts on gym memberships or use of company owned health equipment. Also, do not forget the day to day things that you can offer like free healthy snacks, access to a small office gym and free emotional support for their journey to a healthier lifestyle.

References

http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/publicrelations/prcolumnistaaronkwittken/article204182.html