10 Subtle Ways to Boost Team Energy Without Forcing Fun

Team energy is a major contributor to employee morale and productivity, and if it wanes, so do your workers. Read on for 10 ways to keep your teams energized without forcing them to have fun (which they will, whether they realize it or not).

Team Energy in a Nutshell 🧨🪫

Rather than being the motivation behind why team members accomplish their tasks, team energy is the combination of collaboration, enthusiasm, and focus that keeps a team performing well. Energized teams are happy and engaged teams. They enjoy their work, collaborate well, ensure projects run smoothly, and meet deadlines. 

Why Boost Team Energy? 

A Deloitte survey found 34% of workers were dissatisfied with their workforce experience, and 89% of workers said they believed they would be more productive if they were happier and more satisfied at work. For teams, the workplace experience ranges between motivated engagement and burnout, with every team leaning toward one or the other end of this spectrum. 

Those closer to the burnout-end of the spectrum usually feel exhausted, unhappy, and overwhelmed. According to the World Health Organization, the three main aspects of burnout include:

• Feelings of exhaustion or depleted energy.
• Cynicism or negative feelings toward work or increased mental distance from work.
• Reduced professional effectiveness.

If some of your teams are demotivated and de-energized, allowing the situation to continue can affect your more productive teams. This could contribute to a generally unproductive and toxic work environment.

10 Subtle Ways to Boost Team Energy 💡

The good news is de-energized teams aren’t a done deal. However, if they’re feeling demotivated, they’re not likely to want to participate in activities where they feel like they’re being forced to have fun. 

Luckily, there are all sorts of subtle ways you can boost team energy.

1. Gamify Their Important Tasks ♟

Gamifying your team’s important tasks is a great way to give them a sense of accomplishment when they complete those tasks. This sense of accomplishment can be an excellent motivator that inspires team members to move onwards and upwards. Do this by:

• Creating leaderboards to encourage competition and striving for recognition.
• Awarding employees points and recognizing their progress with badges or other awards once they reach certain milestones.
• Unlocking access to new responsibilities or training opportunities as they level up.

2. Celebrate Workplace Milestones 🎉

While not every team member will be promoted during their time at your organization, they will all complete an important project or have a workplace anniversary. Acknowledge and celebrate these achievements to assure your teams that you appreciate their contribution. Some ways of celebrating milestones include:

• Posting a sincere message on the noticeboard or engagement platform.
• Hosting a virtual event acknowledging different team members’ milestones.
• Budgeting for employees to receive a once-off bonus when a progress marker is reached.

3. Help Your Teams Balance Work and Home ⚖️

Not enough balance between work and home can leave teams feeling de-energized and contribute to burnout. 

Boost team energy and help them create a better work-home balance by:

• Signing them up for helpful services such as cleaning or food delivery when they’re pressed for time or going through important personal events, such as the birth of a child.
• Inviting their spouses, children, or other family members to work events.
• If your team is primarily in-office, consider offering flexible work-from-home options when employees need a break or have important personal matters rather than requiring them to use their PTO.

4. Mix Up Your Meeting Venues 🌍

Ditch stuffy boardrooms for more interesting meeting venues out of the office. A change of scenery and atmosphere can go a long way to encouraging communication, inspiring creativity, and boosting team energy and productivity. 

Consider venues and locations with a difference, such as:

• Cafes or restaurants.
• A gallery, museum, or theme park.
• A public park or other green space.

5. Take Your Teams Out for Lunch 🥘

Treating your teams to lunch from time to time is a good way to break the typical workday routine and boost their energy. They’re also a good opportunity for team members to socialize in a different environment. If your team is fully remote, you can send everyone an Uber Eats gift card and have a Zoom lunch instead.

If you need concrete reasons for team lunches, a couple include:

• Welcoming a new team member to help them feel included and build rapport early on.
• Showing appreciation for a team that’s working hard to achieve a specific goal.
• Acknowledging a job well done at the end of a project or busy period.

6. Tell Teams to Take Short Breaks 😴

Studies have found taking short breaks at work can increase overall performance by 25% and reduce burnout by 30%. Breaks give the brain a chance to rest, enhancing mental clarity and contributing to greater focus and better problem-solving skills. Encourage your teams to take regular short breaks by doing the following:

• Enjoying a snack or coffee break away from their desks.
• Taking a walk through the workplace grounds, garden, or office building.     
• Doing a few stretches or light movements to reset their energy levels.

7. Encourage Team Members to Use Personal Days 📅

If your team members feel like they’re abandoning their colleagues when they take time off or that your organization allows time off begrudgingly, they’ll probably be less inclined to use their personal days. 

Encourage them to use all the paid time off due to them by:

• Sending monthly reminders of their remaining vacation days.
• Letting them know you believe taking personal days is important.
• Emphasizing that team members who take time off don’t need to attend meetings or check emails.

8. Suggest Team Traditions ☕️

Team traditions are a great way to create a sense of unity among team members, which can have a positive ripple effect on the work they do. Encourage your teams to create traditions of their own, such as:

• Hosting a monthly themed dress-up day or casual day.
• Always ending virtual meetings in a fun way or closing in-person sessions with a light-hearted activity.
• Creating a shared team playlist that everyone contributes to and plays during specific times.

9. Improve the Work Environment ⛲️

A recent report confirmed the office space a team works in can have a positive or negative effect on their performance. According to the report, high-performing workplaces were twice as likely to be in high-quality office buildings with impactful spaces such as cafes, focus rooms, innovation hubs, and outdoor areas. 

Improve the work environment for your teams by:

• Offering free refreshments and healthy snacks in the staff lounge.
• Creating comfortable dedicated areas with books and board games or tranquil outdoor seating areas for team members.
• Replacing small cubicles with a colorful, ergonomic open-plan setup.

10. Set a Positive Tone in the Workplace 🧲

Collaboration and seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn are only two of the many effects of a positive environment in the workplace. It can also encourage team members to adopt a more positive attitude. 

Set the tone through:

• Ensuring your verbal and written communication with your teams is positive.
• Using encouraging language in feedback and daily interactions to boost motivation.
• Displaying positive messages in the workplace. 

Boost Team Energy for a Lasting Impact

There’s no need to use silly gimmicks or force your teams to have fun if they need an energy boost. Celebrating milestones, encouraging breaks, creating a positive workplace environment, and other subtle actions can have a lasting impact. The result is teams that are motivated, productive, and connected to each other and their work.

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