Let’s paint a picture, shall we? Imagine an office filled with employees, all of whom are so overjoyed with life that a frown hasn’t been seen in months. Everyone gets along with each other. Emails do not exist because they love communicating via talking in person. Sales have grown 187% in the last quarter due to customers absolutely falling in love with customer service, quality of the product, and services provided.

Sounds impossible, I know. That’s because it is. The reality is most companies are significantly removed from this ideal (and unrealistic) culture that I just described above, but there are clear benefits in getting a business closer to this reality.

Escape Games, a new trend that’s taking the country by storm, offer a unique platform that helps facilitate a team building atmosphere that businesses can benefit from.

For those not familiar, an Escape Game places a group of friends, family, or co-workers in a room for 60 minutes. The group of people will dig through clues, analyse objects, use team work and communication, and race against the clock to find the key to solve the room.

Not only is it incredibly fun for all of those taking part, there are three key takeaways from the Escape Game experience that directly benefit the health and profitability of a business.

Team Building

Teamwork. Communication. Collaboration. Three nouns that make a business environment. Escape Rooms fundamentally require all three things be present for a group to be successful in their mission.

Most the puzzles and challenges that exist in any given room require people to work together to decipher codes or make sense of set pieces. It also requires them to constantly keep each other updated on progress made, as well as checking in with each other to see if help is required (and making sure everyone is aware of the time that is left).

This setting is very close to a project environment in the work place. The experiences that the group will feel and witness in an Escape Room are directly translatable to a wide array of situations in the business world. Having a team work together, communicate, and collaborate to solve a room will set a strong precedent and foundation for everyone involved, and the experience can be pointed to as a successful result of working as a team.

Morale and Motivation

A happy workforce is a happy customer. This notion has been proven millions of times over in every imaginable industry. It is no surprise that an employee who feels treated right by her company will be driven to do as good of a job as she can. Luckily, Escape Rooms offer a great way to improve morale in the work force.

It is human nature to feel a sense of pride when accomplishing a major task with a group of people. Escape Rooms not only offer that feeling to all that can conquer the challenges (and those that can’t), but is always followed by a tremendous amount of fun. The feeling of camaraderie is a powerful one, and a very beneficial one for a team of people working for a common goal, which is the purest definition of what a business ultimately is.

Identifying Leaders & High Performers

Every mission requires a leader. Every department requires a manager or supervisor. Every company requires a strong CEO that will point the ship in the right direction. These traits are very often part of a person’s personality – something that is written in their DNA. Escape Rooms allow these traits and characteristics to surface in a clear and obvious manner.

Companies will be able to clearly see who is acting like a leader, or identify someone that has a high ceiling. This person will often delegate tasks to others and will play a key role in solving the most complex puzzles in the room. He or she may also be a constant point of contact for all other people in the group (every office has the person who seemingly knows everything). This helps companies identify employees who are respected by their peers and have a lot of value to bring to the business.

In conclusion, a business’ key mission is simple – maximize the value of every penny invested in the company. Escape Rooms offer an ROI that is hard to beat by offering a great platform for team building, improving morale and motivation, and identifying leaders and high performers.

And its fun as hell. What’s better than that?