Team building can help create a sense of belonging and camaraderie elevating your workplace culture so that team members feel supported to communicate clearly and freely leads to increased fulfillment, authenticity, and productivity.
Open communication leads to more workplace collaboration, and motivates people to work together instead of in silos leading to more productivity, clarity, and fulfillment. My point is that team building isn't just a fun social experience. When done masterfully it directly impacts your bottom line.
This is why it is so critical to choose the right team building activities that boost morale while being engaging, and purposeful.
Wellness team break for ADMEI Conference
What is unique about a Be You Disco team building experience ?
Be You Disco combines team building and wellness in a way that encourages your team to be playful and authentic with their colleagues. We look at your organization holistically; creating a safe space for people to connect, let go, and have fun with no judgment.
Most team building for adults lack depth. They do not cultivate a mind-body connection or create the safety and permission for deep connection to flourish.
Be You Disco invites participants to first and foremost connect with themselves and the present moment through a guided meditation exercise. Participants are guided to bring their attention inwards, focus on their breathing, as well as let go of any tension they may be holding in their body. It gives participants permission to let go, relax, take deep breaths, and just be present in their bodies for a moment. Beginning the experience by establishing this state of presence opens people up to the activity and connects the group. Breathing techniques and meditation are typically solo practices, so we are already accessing a level of vulnerability and buy-in that enriches the soil for deeper connection.
Most researchers agree that 90% of communication is indeed non-verbal. We know this to be true and that is why our experiences focus so much on tapping into the power of dance, mirroring, and collaboration as overlooked communication resources. The act of simply dancing with another human being and mirroring their body language builds empathy. This is a tactic used in dance music therapy for patients who have trouble feeling empathy for others. It can also be validating for someone to mimic your dance moves, like they are walking in your shoes for the day.
Traditional team icebreakers such as the "trust fall" can certainly cultivate better teamwork, but they don't access a deeper place of emotional connection because typically we are still wearing our invisible armor. Most everyone is taught from a young age the "right" way to act, behave, etc. whether it be in a professional or non-professional setting. We fear that if we are too self-expressed and really let other people see us, we will be rejected. In turn, we learn to develop a thin layer of energetic armor that keeps conversations and connections at surface level because we think it is safe there. Our team building activities for work are designed to gently help remove this armor, and when this armor comes off, your team thrives; the energy in the room completely shifts and everyone accesses a reservoir of deep fulfillment and wellbeing. Instead of compartmentalizing who you are for work or home, you get to break down the boundaries and express yourself. It can be very healing to see your colleagues access a playfulness that they might not usually share at work.
Lastly, our team building events teach embodiment. We play different kinds of music that represents different states of being and invite people to dance as their most confident self or to dance as a playful younger self. Participants are encouraged to express these emotions knowing that it is not about what it looks like, but what it feels like. At times, the facilitator will guide participants to find a partner and you get to have fun doing these things together.
Our team building events enrich your team's connection to one another, and cultivate a sense of belonging rather than being an individual contributor. Be You Disco team building experiences are a more holistic approach to creating trust and safety.
Wellness team break for ADMEI Conference
What are the major parts of a Be You Disco Experience.
There are 5 key parts to the Be You Disco wellness team building experience. The full experience takes 1 hour and 15 minutes however we have more condensed versions for break out sessions and such.
Grounding & Presence
We always start with a guided meditation cultivating awareness, relaxation and connection to self followed by mindful movement. The goal is to wipe the slate clean. Someone may have just come from a stressful meeting and we want to create some space to connect internally so that we can walk into this experience from a new place and not bring that stress along with us. This relates to team building and togetherness because if our mind is racing and distracted with other things, we can't truly be present with our team.
Creative Connection
People are guided to dance with each other, connect, and explore different mirroring prompts. One person may lead for a bit and then the other may take the lead. Together you create a super creative and intuitive dance. The purpose of mirroring is to validate the other person's experience and cultivate empathy. This part of the experience is always a highlight.
Embodiment
Participants are guided to embody different parts of themselves on the dance floor. For example: dance as your most empowered self. Dance your gratitude. This is a combination of solo dancing weaving in group connection prompts. The purpose of this part of the dance is to really cultivate a sense of playfulness and togetherness.
Group Circle
After the dance we close the activity with a group circle. Your team gets to share their insights and experience on the mic! This is an empowering part of the experience where everyone gets to really see that we are all the same. So many shares are inspiring, moving, and are the catalyst to deeper friendships and camaradarie within the organization.
Wellness team break for ADMEI Conference
What is the takeaway?
Magic and connection always happen outside of our comfort zone. This experience gently invites team members to lean against the edges of their comfort zone. Creating a safe space for your team to let loose, dance, and feel uninhibited with their colleagues increases their connection, sense of belonging, and fulfillment 10-fold. To create authentic workplace cultures where people feel valued and want to work together, we first need to let them let down that armor we talked about earlier. Authenticity is key to better communication and more fulfillment in the work place.
Some people get a glimpse of this experience at the company Christmas party (after having a few drinks) and feel that they can finally open up, but our experiences allow you to access this freedom without the aid of social lubricants (aka substances). Dance and music combined with the right guidance and connection activities are just that powerful.
Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Empathy all lead to better communication, better teamwork, and deeper trust.
Dance transcends barriers and has a unique and mysterious way of bringing people together without needing to utter a single word.
How should teams feel after the event?
Your team will feel uplifted, and sense of playfulness and connection. They will feel fully-expressed and a deeper sense of camaraderie and courage to be their authentic selves it the work place. After the group circle the will feel compelled to get to know each other more and comment on how someone else's share really touched them or applies to where they are in their life.
They will have a felt sense that everyone on their team is human (just like them) trying to do their best. It will put stressful situation in the office into perspective and allow them to feel a deeper sense of empathy and understanding for their colleagues.
Dancing releases dopamine, so overall everyone will feeling their best. "Studies show that dance helps reduce stress, increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and helps develop new neural connections, especially in regions involved in executive function, long-term memory, and spatial recognition." (Harvard Medical School)
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