How to Raise the Game for Your Recreational Sports Team

Being part of a recreational sports team is a fantastic way to make and keep friends as an adult. It’s also a good way to keep fit, especially if it’s a team that has regular practice. Setting up a sports team is a fun team-building idea for offices or other workplaces too, allowing people to socialize and bond outside of work. Although it can just be a bit of fun, there are also things you can do if you want to raise your game and maybe take it a little more seriously. Here are some of the things you could do to take your team to the next level.

Create a Consistent Training Schedule

It’s not always easy to keep an adult sports team going regularly. You all do it for fun and you have busy lives, including work and family commitments. But just because not everyone will turn up to every practice, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have a consistent training schedule. If everyone tries their best to turn up every time, you’re sure to find that most people are there when you need them to be. A consistent schedule makes it easier for everyone to come too, making it clear when practice is and when they should put it in their diaries.

Get Personalized Gear

Personalizing some of the gear you use can be a really fun way to create more team spirit and a cohesive bond between everyone. Of course, you might want to start with uniforms if you want to have some cool threads to wear to practice or at games. But you don’t even need to shell out for uniforms to personalize some of your stuff. Even something like personalized pro lineup cards with your team’s name on them can make your team seem more official. You can elevate everything about your game by customizing a few small things.

Do Team Building Exercises

Playing with a team doesn’t just have to be about the game itself. Learning to work together as a team is important, and it’s a good chance to get to know each other better. Doing some team building exercises can help to strengthen bonds and get you playing better as a team. It’s something that can be incorporated into your practices or you might seek out other activities that you can use for team building. It could bring the whole team together.

Do Some More Promotion

Are you looking for more members or perhaps hoping to see more people at your games? It’s important to promote your team if you want people to know about it. It’s always good to promote what you’re doing and make sure that people know they can come along if they want to join in. Find the right places to advertise your team, whether it’s on your workplace message board, by handing out flyers in the park, or just by posting on social media.

If you run a recreational sports team, you can make it seem more professional and organized while still keeping it fun for everyone.

4 Ways to Spend More Time Outside to Increase Business Performance

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It’s no secret that spending more time outside can benefit your health, as well as your business. 

If you are a business owner, you don’t always have the luxury of time to spend outside when you have 101 things to do! So, here are some ways you can spend more time outside with minimal disruption to your day-to-day business.

#1 Walk and talk 

Popular amongst millennials, it is a new concept that moves away from traditional business meetings, is to take your business meeting outside. If your meetings are held online, all you need to do is take a high-quality headset with you and find a nice, quiet place to walk. If your meetings are usually in person, then why not ask the other party if they wouldn’t mind taking it outside? You could sit outside a cafe, or walk while you talk. It’s a great way to get out of a stuffy meeting room and create more productive meetings. People are more likely to loosen up and talk openly when outside in nature. 

#2 Household chores 

When you run a business, there isn’t much free time. So rather than doing the laundry or washing up when you are home, switch with a family member while you head outside and get the jobs you were putting off done! Pull up the weeds, plant the flowers and trim the bushes. It is also a great excuse to invest in some new tools too! Ensure you have great clippers to cut back the brambles, a decent watering can for efficient refreshing and the best electric pole saw for cutting down trees. Having good tools and specific chores to complete can be a great way to get yourself outside while being productive. When you spend more time in nature and get things ticked off your to-do list, you are less stressed and more efficient in all areas of your life, home, and business! 

#3 Build a garden office 

If you can’t find time to spend outside and reap the benefits of nature, then why not immerse your business in nature instead? If you are a one-man-band, then why not move your office outside? Many, excellent garden office services can quickly and cheaply build you your own space, where you can enjoy nature all day long. If this is not possible just yet, why not move your desk to a window, or if you have an office with employees, keep the blinds open, invest in more plants to fill the space, and encourage breaks outside. 

#4 Regular team building days

If you own a business with more than 1 employee, why not integrate nature as part of the business with team building days. These can be scheduled regularly (perhaps monthly or quarterly) to encourage the team to get outside regularly, have fun and let loose. If they are planned, then business tasks can be tailored around them.

Finding new ways to work to incorporate more time outside can be a great way to lift your mood, get creative and in turn, increase business performance.

How To Ensure Your Staff Are Happy And Motivated

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As the owner of your own business, one of the most exciting things you can do is hire your own staff. It’s a great sign that things are going well within your business as not only do you need to hire staff to help you, but you’re in a financial position where you can do so. When it comes to hiring staff, however, you need to ensure you’re doing everything you can to keep them happy. With that in mind, here are a number of ways you can ensure your staff are happy and motivated to work:

– Tell Them When They Have Done A Good Job

Although this may seem obvious, it’s important you’re telling your staff members when they have done a good job. People like to know that their hard work is paying off and often within a business, people don’t know this unless they’re told. Even if it’s just a simple thank you email after a job well done, your employees will appreciate the recognition.

– Encourage Them To Have A Say In Big Decisions

Although your team members can’t make ALL of the big decisions within the business, getting them involved is a great way to help them feel part of the team. Whether it’s deciding on a new product to launch or having a say in a huge social media campaign, approaching your team for ideas and suggestions is a great way to get involved. Even if you don’t use any of their suggestions, they will definitely appreciate that you asked. For tips and tricks when it comes to getting employees involved, you can visit this guide here.

– Make Sure You’re Paying Them On Time

Another important aspect of having staff in your team is ensuring you pay them on time. Most of the time the staff you hire will be freelancers and they’re really on you to pay them when you say you’re going to pay them. If this is something you struggle with, it may be worth investing in software that allows you to set up monthly payments for your staff depending on the hours that they have worked. For professional payroll solutions, you can visit this site here.

– Don’t Micro-Manage And Allow Creative Freedom Where Possible

Although it may be tempting to micro-manage your staff, it’s important you’re not doing this on a regular basis. Whilst it’s good to have a certain amount of control over your team, allowing them to have creative freedom and the ability to create their own schedules is what will help them stick around. For tips and tricks when it comes to avoiding micro-management, you can visit this site here.

– Ensure They Have A Place To Relax When They Need A Break

If your staff work in the same office space as you, you need to ensure they have a place they can go when they need to relax and take a break. For the best results when it comes to productivity you should be letting your team take a break from their screens whenever they need it. Whether it’s a five-minute break every hour or an hour-long lunch break during the middle of the day, having that time away from their computer will help them refresh and stay focussed. For more tips when it comes to staying focussed, you can visit this site here.

– Host Regular Team Outings And Out-Of-Work Activities

Finally, no matter how big or small your team are, you should be hosting regular out-of-work activities. Whether it’s a couple of drinks after work or an activity to help you bond, you want to ensure everyone has a good working relationship with one another. If you’re stuck for ideas, ask your team what they’d like to do.

Are you struggling to keep your staff happy and motivated at work? What can you do to ensure that changes?  Let me know in the comments section below.