There’s plenty of discussion about building teams in the workplace, but often, the team can simply be a group of individuals working to implement the ideas of a single individual. They might have caps with ball logos or T-shirts, or mugs that bear the name of the group, however when you boil it down, it’s the group of people working on their own projects, and they are then judged by the individual in charge of”the “team.” It’s an old-fashioned structure of an organization with cookies.
However, a successful team-building program can bring tangible benefits to an organization, not the least of which is an increase in productivity. Review these seven strategies for building teams and consider if they make sense for your company.
1. Just What Do You Hope To Gain
Before you begin any team-building initiative, it is essential to understand what you’re expecting to see and how these results will impact your business. The goals must be clearly stated and also measured, which means that you’ll need to consider the implications. For instance, team building when properly will encourage respect and a sense that you are accountable to the team members. This can result in fewer sick days, fewer tardy arrivals, and perhaps fewer work comp claims. This is the type of extrapolation that you have to make to establish your goals. Finally, a budget must be created.
2. Use An Outside Facilitator
To prevent the impression that team building is just the boss’s favorite initiative, you should hire an outside facilitator. It doesn’t mean that you need to employ a consultant, but if you’ve got the funds, it’s the most effective option; however, you should only hire a competent employee in the organization who can understand the purpose of the plan.
3. Make The Exercises Fun But Relevant
There are many simple exercises that could be amusing for the group but can also be used in the workplace. If, for instance, you are trying to create a project management team of a bunch of people who have different expertise, offer them a task that asks them to lose their skills and concentrate on the mission of the group.
4. Debrief The Team
Every exercise must have a purpose, and it’s essential to review participants at the end of every exercise. This gives you the chance to highlight the challenges and ways to overcome them as well as an excellent chance to ask what could have been done to ensure that the goal has been achieved quicker or more efficiently.
5. Use The Debrief To Make Changes
After the activity is completed then, you can present the group with a similar procedure or task from their actual job. Ask what the lessons learned could be implemented. Making sure that everyone is comfortable talking about “team” problems and challenges rather than focusing on their individual issues will be the initial step towards improving the process.
6. Bonding Is Dandy But…
Teams are created through sharing experiences. The experiences shared can be either positive or negative. The crucial thing lies in the fact that these experiences were equally shared by all the members of the team. If that you’re not running a terrorist-related training camp, then you’ll like to plan positive events such as a paintball tournament or bowling, or maybe just the occasional happy hour. Be aware that these events rarely affect the improvement of processes, but they do help to bring people together and create a sense of enthusiasm and pride in the team.
7. Review And Repeat
Within your overall plan, you need to schedule regular review time periods to assess the progress or lack of it of the plan. If you do this every quarter, then goals must be evaluated against the amount of time and money allocated. In the event that the pattern is favorable, boost the budget and continue to work.
You have two options. Or, you can help the industry of sales promotion and purchase more cookies to pretend to be a part of the support of a team or invest in a designed and quantifiable program. What will it be? Your coach?
