Startups and scaleups are famed for their people-focused culture. If you’re a founder, you’ll know just how much pride is involved in creating a great work environment. Keeping teams motivated and happy at work is likely to be a cornerstone of your leadership agenda. But how do you keep morale high when everyone is working from home? And how do you facilitate easy connections amongst your team when communal lunches and pub drinks are no longer possible, and when the joy of the Zoom quiz is waning? Here at TableCrowd, we’ve selected a few of our favourite unusual (virtual) activities that are guaranteed to boost your team’s spirit.
1 Develop a positive and winning mindset
The daily corona coaster is a tough ride. Sometimes we feel motivated, other times we find ourselves reaching for the fridge door yet again. But there’s plenty to be learned from Olympians.
With their laser focus and ability to bounce back from failure, Olympians are the perfect people to teach how to cultivate a winning mindset for you and your team.
Two of our favourite British Olympians are Gail Emms and Derek Redman. Gail won a silver medal in mixed doubles badminton at the 2004 Athens Olympics and Derek won a gold medal at the 1991 Tokyo World Championships as part of the men’s 4 x 400-metre relay. Tipped for Olympic success in 1992, his hamstring snapped in the semi-finals and was subsequently told he would never run for his country again.
Listening to both of these British sporting icons speak, you learn tips on how to focus the mind on winning and moving on from failure.
You can book onto a group class or a private session with Gail or Derek.
2 Wellbeing and mindfulness
Looking after the mental health of your teams has been a key topic for Founders over the last few years. With coronavirus taking its toll on our collective wellbeing, a mental health team activity could be just what the doctor ordered.
We’re big fans of yoga and pilates at TableCrowd HQ, so we teamed up with the folk at My Method for an hour of yoga together. The set-up process was excellent – including tech support to advise us on our computer angles at home, to ensure the instructor could see each of us and vice versa.
Details
Max 20 people in a virtual class. One day notice to book, prices from £25.
Office dogs are the cultural stalwarts of the startup community, bringing four-legged love and humour to offices across London. During lockdown, a working day is just not the same without their funny antics. Featuring London’s cutest doggies, spread the canine love amongst your team by having a virtual cuddle session with the Cuddle Club.
Details
Max 48 people. Individual slots run for 40 minutes. 2 days notice to book, prices from £120
Meditation with a Japanese Monk
Something a little more unusual for us was a group meditation session with a Japanese monk called Kuniatsu. The experience was incredibly peaceful – a great way to learn about calming breathing techniques, and the physical benefits of meditation and chanting.
Details
Max of 12 people, £8 per person, 2 days notice to book
Escape rooms are always a great form of team-building, but with all of them closed, how can you get your intellectual fix beyond Zoom quizzes? We’ve completed CSI Stranglehold and CSI Mafia murders, thoroughly enjoying the mental puzzles, with each one leading to the next set of clues. Each game took between 1 to 1.5 hours to solve, and it’s a great way to power your brain during the lockdown.
Details
Unlimited numbers, 10 game choices, with prices from £10 to £75. Available instantly.
3 High Energy Fun
Snacking too much, locked out of your gym, and feeling a bit lethargic? We feel you. The good news is, there are a few virtual experiences out there guaranteed to get your heart racing and your spirits high.
This twerking class took us well out of our comfort zone – but MoeJoe, based in LA, soon took the embarrassment factor out and taught us some great moves. Not only is it a great way to facilitate team bonding, but it’s a brilliant work out.
Details
Up to 10 people, £17 per person, 1 day to book.
If you’re laughing, you’re happy – so why not force yourself to laugh more? Humorist turned laughter guru Thomas Cock navigates the awkwardness and shyness that comes with forced laughter, encouraging you to relax your inhibitions. He’ll have you genuinely laughing moments into the class.
Details
Up to 12 people, £11 per person, 1 day to book.
4 Learn a new skill
Learning new skills is great for the brain, with pub drinks no longer possible, and trips to our favourite artisan coffee shops on hold, here are some ways to bring some elements of startup culture to your teams.
Talking about wine can make a lot of people feel nervous, given the elitist reputation it has in our collective psyche. So if you have a team that loves wine but doesn’t necessarily know their Merlot from their Malbec, the Wine List does a great virtual class teaching you how to taste wine. Their session will give you and your team the confidence to choose from a wine list when we are finally out of lockdown.
Details
Min 9 people, £39 per person, 2-week lead time to ensure your wine arrives in time.
Coffee is a key component of startup life – many artisan coffee shops are regular meeting places for London’s founders. But without our favourite cafes, how can you recreate coffee magic at home?
Ricardo is based in Mexico, a judge for their national coffee competitions. He’ll show you how to make the perfect cup of coffee, from learning about the importance of balancing flavour, to teaching you how to let your coffee percolate before pressing.
Details
Up to 10 people, £6 per person, 2 days to book.
5 Goats for Team Meetings
If you’re simply looking for a way to liven up yet another Zoom meeting with your team, why not invite a goat to join? Who knows what innovation and new ideas they could bring? Book a goat via Cronkshawfold Farm, or Puddle Duck Valley.
Details
Prices from £5 to £20.
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Who we are
Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK and Europe.
