Motivational activities for employees are silent game-changers in modern workplace culture.
Traditional motivational tactics—like monetary incentives—don’t cut it anymore. Sure, employees need to be paid well to be happy, but today’s talent craves meaningful experiences. They want to feel a sense of connection and purpose at work.
Engagement is essential if you want to stay competitive. Unmotivated teams lack productivity, crush morale, and spike turnover rates. The solution? Thoughtful team building and motivational group activities that go beyond generic workshops and the occasional pizza party.
For over twenty years, TeamBonding has been reimagining how teams connect, communicate, and build camaraderie. We spark transformation while planning fun ways to motivate employees.
If you’re ready to revolutionize your team’s potential, we’re here to help. Keep reading for a look at workplace motivation and a list of activities to kindle it!
The Science of Workplace Motivation
Not all motivation is created equal. Enter the Needs-Based Theories of Motivation—a game-changing framework that helps break down what gets people to engage.
It comes down to this: Motivation is personal. It’s all about an individual’s efforts to meet their own needs. It goes beyond the standard job description, too.
For example, if a remote worker is feeling isolated and disconnected from team culture, their motivation can tank.
The numbers tell an even more compelling story. For example, one 2024 employee engagement report found that just 27% of employees feel that their organization works to maintain high levels of motivation. Likewise, a 2019 study found that 64% of the employees identified encouragement and recognition as motivators.
None of this is about grand gestures or throwing money at problems—it’s about consistency, connection, and acknowledgment.
The Connection Between Managers and Team Motivation
Managers aren’t just task managers in today’s workplaces. If you want your team to be motivated, you’ll need to understand what drives each person and then create environments to help them thrive.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal, either. Your team is made up of a unique blend of personalities, goals, and, well, motivations. To succeed at managing a team, you’ll want to design experiences and craft organizational culture like a master architect.
These experiences (and the culture as a whole) should resonate with employees on individual and collective levels. You’ll want to listen, adapt, and create spaces where team members can realize their full potential and feel excited to work each day.
Strategic, fun, motivational ideas for teams and employees can help improve morale, productivity, job satisfaction, and so much more. But you need more than good intentions—you’ll need to commit to nurturing and understanding your team members.
Remember, it’s not just about managing your team. It’s about team motivation. It’s up to you to inspire them and give them time to grow, learn, and laugh together. Help your team members become friends and see how much stronger they are when they work together. And set a good example by joining in on the fun, too!
Our Top 5 Breakthrough Motivational Activities for Employees
Great teams have the ability to challenge, inspire, and connect with each other. Likewise, excellent team motivation exercises open doors and help your employees challenge, inspire, and connect with each other.
The best motivational team building activities teach leadership skills and use the power of play to break down barriers, spark creativity, and uncover hidden strengths. They turn ordinary workdays into extraordinary experiences and share the joy of collaboration and discovery with your employees.
So, whether your team is remote, in-person, or hybrid, check out these staff motivation ideas to spark true change in the workplace.
1. Game Show Activities
Some of the most fun, motivational games for employees are based on popular game shows. You might be surprised at how well they land compared to other motivation activities for teams. Game show ideas are a favorite here at TeamBonding, too.
Whether you are playing Spin to Win, bingo, trivia, or another game show-based activity, they’re sure to get your team members working together and increase motivation.
For team members and employees, these activities represent a chance to unwind and relax. They’re an invitation to step away from day-to-day tasks and cut loose. For managers, these games are often ideal motivation activities for employees who thrive on shared social experiences.
2. Volunteer Together
Motivational activities for employees are already great, and they’re even better when you’re giving back! Corporate social responsibility (CSR) events offer tons of benefits for businesses. They also create space for team members to find shared interests, bond, boost morale, and make a difference in the lives of others.
Many organizations try to plan at least one activity that allows their team to give back every year. They’re usually added to an annual roster of other motivational activities for employees. If you target the things your teams care about, they’re sure to be a hit.
You might fundraise as a team for a joint cause, spend a day volunteering at a soup kitchen, or donate items to those who need them. Or, if you want a more social experience, consider a Charity Bike Build! This activity promotes collaboration as your team works together in a bike build that will later be donated to a local children’s organization.
While volunteering starts out as an act of service for others, it quickly becomes a motivational activity that will spark employee growth and purpose.
3. Give Your Team A Thrill
If you’re looking for exciting motivational activities for employees, what about a thrilling experience like go-kart racing, scuba diving, or zip-lining? Or maybe something like mountain climbing, glass walking, surfing, rafting, or bungee jumping is more your team’s speed.
If your team thrives on adrenaline, team motivation activities like these are great ways to reward and recognize them. While these events can be expensive, remember that a motivated employee is more productive, which spells a boost to the company’s bottom line.
You could even use a thrilling event as motivation for team members to do their best on a project. Let them vote on which activity they want to do and make it happen once the project is complete!
4. Solve a Problem as a Team
Problem-solving is the ultimate goal for many teams—it’s what drives company success, and it’s almost always better when multiple people work together. These activities can transform your teams into collaborative innovation superheroes.
If you want to design your own, do it together. Start with a twist on traditional brainstorming to come up with a fictional problem that must be solved.
Here’s how to do it:
- Have someone on your team devise an idea for a fictional problem on a big piece of paper. Just a sentence or two is fine.
- Next, have them pass the paper to the person to the left. This person uses that new idea to create another solution.
- Repeat this process enough to give every team member one or two chances with the paper.
- After several rounds, see what they come up with. Review the paper together and discuss how each person’s input took you toward the end result.
When you use motivational activities for employees and teams to work together and solve a problem, you shine a light on the power of teamwork and creativity. The best part? It’s a free activity that you can do frequently!
If you’d like something that’s a bit more structured, try Corporate CSI—one of our favorite interactive experiences. It’s designed to test your team’s deductive reasoning, communication, and critical thinking. Team members must work together, eliminate suspects, and uncover the truth.
5. Experience Virtual & Augmented Reality
Welcome to the future of team building! Virtual or augmented reality experiences break down traditional boundaries and transport your team to worlds without limits.
These motivational activities are an excellent way for employees to see how effective and fun it is to embrace change and new technology.
The popular VR activity, Infinite Loop, challenges a team of players to exchange roles in the real world to save a character trapped in the virtual world. They’ll communicate and solve problems in real time, working together to overcome obstacles and unlock solutions.
With an electronic leaderboard to encourage friendly competition, this experience provides continuous feedback and improvement. The more accurately a team member describes their virtual world, the closer they get to solving the puzzle!
Try Motivational Team Building Activities with Your Team
Motivation is all about investing time and effort into inspiring your team and fostering a positive, productive work environment. You’re showing that you value your team members beyond their professional contributions and are actively working towards building a more cohesive and motivated workforce.
The shared experiences from these fun, motivational activities for employees help create memories and inside jokes that contribute to a unique team culture and connection.
No matter which of these motivation exercises you choose—or what ideas you add to this list—your employees will appreciate that you care about their morale. Check out our extensive list of activities for more ideas!
Ready to transform your workplace? We’re here to help you turn potential into performance. Contact TeamBonding today.
