Team building at work
Team building at work
First of all, you need to determine if a team building activity is successful.
The results are not always obvious. They cannot be always be measured by how enthusiastic everybody seems to be, but rather it's in evaluating future performance. Enthusiasm could potentially be faked, and there is also a big difference between hearing helpful information and applying it.
Therefore the results of a successful team building event will be measured by how well the team performs in the future, having benefited from the team building activities.
What exactly makes a team work?
A team works best when each member is happy and excited about the group's combined success. A victory in achieving a goal (or financial success) gives each individual a sense of self worth and reinforces the spirit of team work.
When team members are excited, they work harder, reach for victory and do their best to maintain productive relationships with each other.
When planning team building activities it is important to plan exercises that are productive, and that actually work toward team building, rather than just group activities in general. Many group activities cater towards individual achievement rather than a group effort.
When planning a team building exercise it is important to know your audience and to know your objective. Not having a clear idea of what you want to accomplish with the team exercise will probably end up a disastrous effort. You should always factor in these three things:
1. what your audience already knows
2. what they need to learn (including what specific part of team cooperation is important)
3. what is the simplest way to teach that in a short amount of time
In order to reach your group with team building activities, you must include some fundamental lessons:
1. The instruction must be relevant to the organisation you are representing. The information dispensed should be informative and reflect the interests of the company
2. You should strive to cultivate a fun and energetic atmosphere so that everyone feels involved. Laughter and even some games might do well to improve the team spirit and endear members to each other
3. The team building lessons should be applicable to a daily work routine. These exercises are not for entertainment; they are for strengthening the team dynamic and improving performance.
4. Management should frequently organise team building events, so that progress can be monitored and team members can continue to improve upon what they learn
How do confidence and trust determine the effectiveness of a team?
A team that is confident in each member's abilities will perform well. Trust is needed to truly excel-the trust among team members and the trust that team members have for their superiors and the entire organisation. In all avenues of team work, careful planning is the most important factor, from selecting the individual exercises to emphasising the final mission.