There's nothing like working in an office that has camaraderie. When you get along with your fellow employees and when everybody shares a like-minded sense of purpose, the business of going to work becomes less of a chore. Creating an office team of some sort could be a valuable way to create or strengthen the bond among your team. Of course, there are lots of things to consider when thinking about asking your staff to take on extra responsibilities.

1. Consider Your People When Choosing a Sport

Whether you're selling business insurance Washington State, new cars or fried foods, you've probably got a fairly disparate group of people around. The first step to generating an office team is to figure out who wants to be part of it and what they actually want to be a part of. You might ask people to come up with some ideas, then put them to a vote. Will your team be debating, throwing darts, playing slow-pitch softball or flag football? This part of the process will be impactful because folks will already be communicating with purpose, hopefully sharing ideas with one another with a mix of excitement, dignity and respect.

2. Consider Expenses and Resources

Money is going to have to be part of this deal, but it will be money well spent. The business will need to set aside some capital for uniforms, for instance. These will probably only be tee shirts, but can also include hats and flare. Depending on the sport, money may have to be generated to go towards equipment or space for practicing. Your baseball team might take some batting practice at the local batting cages between games or practice on the miniature golf course that they'll soon be competing on.

3. Consider Logistics

Logistics is a huge consideration. You're going to need to figure out times of availability and transport considerations. All information is going to have to circulate the office enough so that nobody is left in the dark. The last thing you want is an unprepared unit due to the fact that you couldn't pull everybody together to practice or gel, or worse, to forfeit an event due to lack of numbers. You might think about potential issues like who could perform as a backup to the pitcher if she can't attend a game or who will step in as the quarterback if your starter gets sick on game day. Of course, these decisions shouldn't occupy hours upon hours of thought. Rather, to invest in the spirit of the venture is just to engage with each other in problem-solving potential issues.

4. Join a League

Now that you've put together your squad, you'll need to join a league. By now, you've already figured out what's around, so now that you're ready, put your collective hat in the ring and prepare to have some fun with your 'second family'. Ideally, your squad establishes its identity within the league and you develop some new relationships within the league. After all, it's a great way to network.

5. Make Sure the Point Is Not Lost

Sure, most everybody wants to win, regardless of what it is. Winning shouldn't be the only reason to invest, though. The investment is actually in the getting together outside of work to support each other in another common cause. If there are differing opinions on this, better that they be ironed out in the beginning. If you lose the big game, or the big debate, you're going to want to see positivity and laughs the next day at work, even if somebody couldn't deliver in the big moment.

Working well together is tantamount to good, productive business. Helping your staff to buy into the idea of being on another kind of team together, then facilitating that reality, can go a long way toward maintaining a healthy office identity and a bond among staff members.