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Strengthening Your Team in 2006

Year's ago, my next door neighbor's husband worked in corporate leadership with a local industry.  I'm not sure what his job title was, but a big part of his job was team building.  I can't remember how many times he came home from the factory frustrated by a bunch of adults bickering like jr. high children! While all of us understand how difficult *getting along* can be sometimes, employers need to take the initiative to build their teams so that they will be as happy, efficient and productive as possible.

 

He shared some of his techniques for improving the team morale and I was amazed at how some of those techniques parallel parenting.  As a mom, I know how much more smoothly and efficiently things go in our home when everyone is working together well.  In order to be successful, today's companies and businesses need highly motivated and efficient team members.

 

Alan Chapman from BusinessBalls.com has many great free team building resources on his website. Here's a little bit of what he had to say about choosing team building activities!

 

"People are best motivated if you can involve them in designing and deciding the activities - ask them. Secondly you will gain most organisational benefit if the activities are geared towards developing people's own potential - find out what they will enjoy doing and learning. Games can be trite or patronising for many people - they want activities that will help them learn and develop in areas that interest them for life, beyond work stuff - again ask them. When you ask people commonly you'll have several suggestions which can be put together as a collection of experiences that people attend or participate in on a rotating basis during the day or the team-building event. Perhaps you have people among your employees who themselves have special expertise or interests which they'd enjoy sharing with others; great team activities can be built around many hobbies and special interests. If you are planning a whole day of team-building activities bear in mind that a whole day of 'games' is a waste of having everyone together for a whole day. Find ways to provide a mix of activities that appeal and help people achieve and learn - maybe build in exercises focusing on one or two real work challenges or opportunities, using a workshop approach. Perhaps involve a few employees in planning the day (under your guidance or not according to the appropriate level of delegated authority) - it will be good for their own development and will lighten your load."

 

How about spending some time in the beginning of 2006 strengthening your team so that you can enjoy the benefits for the rest of the year?  Increased productivity, efficiency and heightened morale are worth it!

 

 

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