In Da Club — 10 Tips for Launching Company Groups

Happy employees are good employees, and people tend to be happy when we have successful social interactions with each other. A great format for socializing and creating connections is by participating in engaging activities together, such as office clubs.

From sports, to food, to finer things, clubs can bring your team together, but successfully launching office clubs can be hard. To help you navigate this process we have 10 hints for creating an office club:  

1.     Don’t be exclusive

We all remember how Pam’s Finer Things Club got out of hand quick. Make sure all skill levels and experience with the activity are welcome, including those completely new to the activity.

2.     Make it about what people like

This might take some digging, but you need to find out what people are into. What is trending across the office? What are some interesting or unique things a team member has expertise in?

3.     Seek out club leadership

You can’t do this one alone –– you’re going to need some support. Ultimately, these clubs should run themselves. Look for those passionate about the activity and give them ownership over the club. Elect a (willing) committee to lead and oversee the group.

4.     Support the groups

You know sometimes your job is to be the office cheerleader. It might be up to you to get the fire started on the office clubs. Be prepared with a smile and some enthusiasm to pump others up. It will be imperative that you make the time to attend some activities.

5.     Timing is everything

If schedules are not right, the club won’t last long. Make sure meetings happen when people can show up. Also consider the frequency for meetings to avoid lost interest and burnout.

6.     Make it repeatable

Make sure the activities of clubs are repeatable in regular intervals without getting boring. Might be a game, a craft, or something new to learn.

7.     Cultivate organic growth with financial support

Ideally, clubs become self-sufficient groups that facilitate greater employee connection and make the office more fun. To do this, clubs need to grow beyond your constant barrage of emails and pep talks. Allocate company funds to sponsor activities for the groups to convene and grow.

8.     Get the word out

People are busy. It’s good to send out email reminders, hang posters, and talk face-to-face to ensure employees are hearing about the clubs.

9.     Get space

You manage the office, so it will often fall on you to make sure the clubs have space to meet. Whether that is in the office or an external location, this has to be planned.

10.  Get leadership buy-in

You want public support for clubs from top leadership. Getting leadership buy-in is imperative because no one wants to risk participating in a work club their boss could look down on.