Brian Setencich, an experienced property and operations manager, is based in San Francisco. With a background in European professional basketball, he is deeply interested in building his company’s team spirit. Building camaraderie through sports can be challenging, but the rewards far outweigh the risks. In this post, Setencich walks us through the basics of using sports as a team building activity and offers suggestions on how any business can benefit from this method.
Encourage Fun in the Workplace
Sports give an office a fun way to let off steam. Many people have not played a sport since they were teenagers, and a sport will bring them back into contact with their younger selves. Your office will have more energy, and they will be better able to meet day-to-day challenges.
Healthy Competition
Building a spirit of healthy competition between departments can enhance teamwork. When teams are pitted against each other, they have to learn to band together to share their talents and skills. For example, a workplace softball team will have to determine who is the best batter and who should be out in the field. Weaker players need to be provided for as well.
When teams meet on the field or on the court, they need to exhibit sportsmanship. Especially within an office, resentment may build if one team continually dominates the others. Encourage your employees to practice their sports skills outside work.
Something to Look Forward To
Sporting events give the entire office something to look forward to. This helps bond them with community spirit. When teams are finished playing, the participants may want to go out for a drink or dinner together. Encouraging socialization is a key benefit of encouraging sports in the workplace. When team members feel a bond with each other, they are more likely to work well as a group.
Physical Activity
Beyond the team-building aspect, exercise in the workplace is associated with better health. Employees who exercise regularly are less prone to diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and back problems. They exhibit less absenteeism and also have better mental health. Exercise also increases workplace productivity.
Mix Up Peer Groups
While working together with your department has team-building benefits, you can spread team-building across your organization by combining different departments into one team. This will encourage people to get to know members of other departments and will make your workplace more collegial.
Better than a Gym Membership
A gym membership is a generous perk, but office sports teams can benefit everyone even more. Office sports teams are also much less expensive to set up than gym memberships for everyone. Encouraging people to get together and have fun outside work has many great benefits, where going to the gym is often a solitary activity.
Use these tips to help you create a workplace sports program that will enhance your company’s productivity, teamwork, and overall health.
About Brian Setencich
Brian Setencich, a General Manager at First Service Residential in San Francisco, has a broad skill set in property management and public service. Setencich is experienced with the day-to-day needs of developing and managing commercial and residential property. He also manages homeowners’ associations.
Setencich attended California State University – Bakersfield where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Business Administration and Management. He took a few years off to play professional basketball in Europe. When he returned to the United States, he ran for the Fresno City Council and began his political career. He was a successful councilor who later ran for office as a California state assemblyman. After his term ended, he embarked on an operations management career with the 911 Emergency Response Project for San Francisco.
Away from work, Setencich passionate about animal rescue and spends time helping deserving shelter and rescue organizations.