Team Building Quiz
QUESTION
What are the principal ingredients that bring people together to mirror team building in competitive work environments?
- Competitive, creativity, co-operation.
- Innovation, collaboration, imagination.
- Co-operation, collaboration, creativity.
- Resourcefulness, corporate culture, creativity.
ANSWER
- Co-operation, collaboration, creativity.
WHY IS IT RIGHT
Purpose of Team Building
Team building activities are usually designed to promote and improve the quality of interactions between members of a team by learning about each other while having common experiences.
People pulling ropes or climbing mountains can be part of team building
Those are some examples of team building activities, however, team building goes beyond single events or outdoor activities. Team building activities are tailored to company needs and participant preferences. What happens after the activities when the team returns to its regular routine is just as or, even more important than, the activities.
Team building goes beyond a specific enjoyable activity. It is important to have time to reflect on what was done and what the experience meant for participants before closing the session and, more importantly, how they can apply what they learned about each other to their day to day work.
Planning a Teambuilding Program
First, define your outcomes and to decide on your definition of “team building”. At one end of the spectrum team building is just fun activities that enable a natural sense of camaraderie to develop, while at the more sophisticated end of the spectrum is a program that works towards specific team development outcomes. It is risky to invest time and without careful program design and facilitation, so we recommend considering what the key issues or challenges are that need to be addressed through the program, and then deciding what approach will best meet these needs. No matter what the specific outcomes, an effective team building program will take the participants on a journey, developing a memorable theme and providing an engaging series of experiences that work towards a positive conclusion. Effective team building programs also allow participants to explore behaviours and ideas in a safe environment where actions can be trialled without serious ramifications in the real world. A good way to choose a program can be to consider the most cynical team member and think what will be most likely to engage that person and meet their needs. Cynical people want to enjoy the process and see the value for themselves and their team, so imagining how they would react can help.
WHY IS EVERYTHING ELSE WRONG
BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
Businesses have moved away from competitive work environments to workplaces where collaboration and co-operation between staff is seen as the key to success.
As part of this change more and more companies are undertaking regular team building activities. These activities can range from a short, problem-solving activity to a retreat lasting a couple of days. And whilst some people see team building activities as a ‘nice break’ from work, they do have a serious purpose: and that is to develop the skills and knowledge of your staff.
Organize team building activities that have a purpose and objectives behind the planning.
Improving productivity is one of the most common goals of team building activities. Take the opportunity to identify ways to improve the three Ps (policies, processes and procedures) that can affect productivity. By encouraging employees to learn to work together more effectively and reduce duplication of effort your employees can work more efficiently.
INCREASE MOTIVATION
Team building activities can help increase employee motivation and nurture a successful company culture in a number of ways. When a group of employees successfully complete a team building activity it creates momentum and makes them feel good about themselves, it increases employees’ confidence in their, and their team’s, ability and it also shows employees that the organisation is willing to invest in them.
INCREASED COLLABORATION
One of the most important benefits of a properly planned team building activity is greater collaboration between employees. Collaboration is about knowing who has what knowledge (or can answer to a question), trusting them and their experience and being able to get access to that person when you need it. By creating activities that people enjoy and can experience as a group, employees can build relationships and develop networks of contacts outside their day-to-day role that will help them in the future.
ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY
To have a successful business based on creativity and innovation you need to employ different people with diverse perspectives and expertise in order to “cross-pollinate” the organisation with fresh ideas. Out-of-the-ordinary team building tasks give employees permission to use their imagination to come up with creative solutions, and they send the message that creativity in the workplace, and bouncing ideas off each other, is welcome.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Team building activities can also be used to provide recognition to employees by highlighting the work specific employees are doing and the behaviors that have led to the recipient receiving the recognition. By incorporating recognition into the team building you can send a strong message to every attendee about your company values and what that means to the success of the organization.
IMPROVED COMMUNICATION
Perhaps the key benefit of a properly planned team building activity is improved communication between employees. Enjoyable, fun activities enable employees to get to know each other, create a better understanding of each other and break down walls of mistrust by encouraging people to focus on what they have in common rather than their differences.
Team building activities can be a powerful way to develop collaboration and trust, improve motivation, nurture strengths, and address weaknesses. However, they need to be have a real purpose and be properly planned in order to make a genuine impact, rather than just providing ‘a nice day out of the office’.