Team Building Methods

At the company I am currently employed we have much need of team building. Each individual shift is unified with the team members, yet the interactions that we have between shifts is not so unified. I work on a production line Monday-Friday from 3p.m. to 11:30p.m. There are currently three separate shifts who operate throughout the day, a day shift, a swing shift, and a graveyard shift. We have been asked to try and improve the relationships that we have in order to better comply to our customer needs and to insure that our job is completed weekly in a timely manner.
The article that I read said that "regular team building activities can help create a cohesive, productive and happy office staff." Team building activities can happen on a day-to-day basis or once a month. The activities can help the team members develop better "teamwork, cooperation, creative thinking, skill building, strategy and support of other's strengths." One difficult thing with these activities is that it is often difficult for people to be positive with one another. Goals should be set and individuals should all work together to achieve those goals.
One suggestion given was an icebreaker activity, where team members have an opportunity to get to know one another better. I think that this could be a positive way for companies to create better interaction amongst employees. Another important thing is to make sure that all activities take place in a positive environment. This can lead to less conflict and greater participation.

http://www.life123.com/career-money/career-development/team-building/team-building-activities.shtml