How do you encourage your staff to get along with eachother?

Question

What sort of team-building activities or anything else will help the staff become good friends, or at least remain civil?

Answer 1

While you can't make 'em love each other, one way to encourage team work is to have lunch. Seriously. Have a pot luck and everyone brings SOMETHING. Once a month if it works well the 1st time, too often is a burden.
Team building requires someone to build, are you up to it? It's alot of work, and there's always at least one person in the group you just cant reach, let em be. If you work with everyone and progress is being made, either they'll buck up or get out.
Try partnership skills. Break everyone into pairs, blindfold one and have the other direct them around an obstacle course, verbally. Winner gets ........(fill in the blank with what you have)
Teams can go on scavanger hunts through the office, Non restricted areas of course.
If they enjoy themselves they wont even know they're being trained!

Answer 2

I took my sales team from two different stores out to play Paint ball... they had to learn how to work together.. and in the end; they were a real team.. Plus we shot the CEO in the forehead by mistake and it was hilarious.
Nothing like getting dirty together to unite a team.
you might even try white water rafting. or a canoe-ing trip. anything where fun and team work is involved

Answer 3

A company outing might help. So will a strong warning.