Monday Mashups: 4 Teambuilding Ideas to Digitally Connect Co-Workers in Multiple Cities

It's 2019! Companies are headquarter in one city but are able to employ people across the globe thanks to advances in technology. We're here to share that as more and more employees telecommute or collaborate with colleagues virtually in offices spread across the globe, there are still opportunities for effective teambuilding. Here are some ideas from BizBash for digital teambuilding with co-workers located in multiple cities.

1. Play online games.
Popular, non-violent online games for teams include Bike Mania 4–Micro Office, which is an obstacle-course game from the Bike Mania game series. Rescue Team and its sequel, Rescue Team 2, give users the opportunity to use time-management skills to rescue virtual people and rebuild virtual locations that have been hit by natural disasters. Websites such as Kongregaate and Armor Games offer numerous free online games that can be played by teams.

2. Plan hybrid activities.
It’s not uncommon for companies with offices in different cities to have employees who never meet because of long distances. Digital services with video capabilities, such as Skype, can be used for everything from virtual office tours to games like in-office scavenger hunts in which in-person and long-distance employees collaborate.

3. Use a digital conference systems to bond over a major live event.
Events that are televised live in several time zones, such as the Super Bowl and Academy Awards, can be opportunities for long-distance co-workers to connect. Social media platforms are ideal, as are digital conference systems like the AKG CS5 Reference Digital Conference System, which can work for meetings that can accommodate as many as 5,000 stations and 63 languages.

4. Host an online auction.
Co-workers can donate items for company fund-raisers in the form of online auctions, many of which are live. While eBay, eBid, and Bonanza are options for those who want to have auctions according to those sites’ terms, companies can custom-build their own auction websites. AuctionWorx Enterprise, Bidding Owl (which specializes in auctions on mobile devices), Auctria, Bidding for Good (which specializes in auctions for nonprofits), and Charity Auctions are some of the services for people to create their own online auction sites.

Just because colleagues are working globally doesn't mean they can't be part of teambuilding activities. Consider these digital options and devour the details of collaborating outside of work-related projects!