Effective Team Building: It's Never Too Late
05/27/2009 - Leadership - 153 Views
Anyone who works in any sort of group setting knows just how much the group dynamic can affect the way that each individual works, even if it is just in an office, where every person has a computer and assignments to themselves. If there is dysfunction, disunity, or merely impersonal relationships, then it follows that the office or company as a whole will have little efficiency or productive output.
On the other hand, if members of the group are able to interact with one another positively and can play off one another's skills, then the business is bound to run like a well-oiled machine. That is why, as early as 1921, Sigmund Freud himself was discussing the importance of an individual's identification with a group! Exercises in "team building," began in the workplace at about the same time.
There is a number of reasons why a group would participate in team building exercises, and it definitely should not be delayed until group dynamics are going sour. Allowing your team to take time out to get to know one another better will improve communication throughout the workplace.
This will, in turn, make the working environment more enjoyable for everyone, leading to increased motivation in individual members of your staff. Various team building exercises help to expose employees' strengths and weaknesses to themselves, thereby helping them understand how to best utilize the skills of others to increase overall productivity. The more united any group is, the more they will want to work toward the same goals.
There are typically about four categories into which team building activities tend to fit: communication, problem solving/decision making, planning and adaptability, and trust. When you select these exercises, keep in mind that they do not have to revolve directly around the work you actually do in the office.
In fact, the most effective team building often comes from choosing interactive activities that are fun and unexpected. One classic cooperative game is a treasure hunt. This can be tailored to your location, whether it's the standard area in which you work or it's a city in which your team is enjoying a retreat.
No matter how you decide to approach your activities, they each need three major components: the instructions, the execution of the activity, and the debriefing afterward. The first two are self-explanatory--it's the debriefing that should have the most emphasis in the long run.
While ensuring that the team enjoys the activity is important, delving into its real meaning and then re-hashing how the group accomplished its goals will help to cement it all into their memories.
Team building should take place often in order to continually develop a more positive group relationship for a working team that is full of dynamic individuals. It doesn't always have to be formalized, but it should be fun and informative. No matter how young or old your company is--no matter how long your team has been together--it is never too late to start.
