ONE of the effective tools that people managers can use to enhance their team’s working relationship is to hold a team building activity. The primary goal of team building is to enhance the current working environment and ensure that there is a smooth working relationship among your team members. It becomes necessary when the team is new, your team is reorganized, or most issues arise because of team members.
Most team building activities happen outside the work environment, but I have heard of people doing it in their offices or virtually, given the still ongoing pandemic. Others opt to do the activity as just an occasion for rest and relaxation, while others have a more structured approach. It all depends on how engaged your team is with each other, and what is needed to make them work together better. But however you want to do it, team building is an invaluable tool in helping your team work more effectively and efficiently.
Team building can help your team get to know each other better so they can improve their communication with one another. A relaxing environment can help people let their guards down and just enjoy the venue together. Going out of the office could help your team look at each other from a non-work context, and help them understand their teammates personally. They get to know each other better which increases their confidence in their teammates, which then eventually increases their trust in each other. Of course, it could go the other way so you would have to design activities that help them become confident and trust their teammates.
One of the most effective team building activities I have experienced was during my high school. The facilitator grouped us into three teams and asked three people to lead each team. We did not know it during the activity, but he gave instructions for each of them to act in a certain way—one acted like an arrogant know-it-all leader, the second was timid and uninspiring, while the third was collaborative and helpful to everyone. That became the springboard for a discussion on what kind of leader we would like to be. Some were still angry at the arrogant leader even after the activity, but that was a good way to drive home a point. The activity was intentional because the facilitator also understood that it was a lesson all of us needed to learn.
Team building will also help you discover the strengths and weaknesses of your team, so you can fine tune your leadership to improve collaboration. Your role as a people manager is to minimize your team’s weaknesses by highlighting the strengths of other team members. Activities in a non-work environment can help you understand your team’s motivations because they will act and behave as they usually are if the team building session is programmed properly.
I once attended a teambuilding session where teams competed in a relay, and people who were normally timid in the office became so competitive, taking on leadership roles in the games. After that, it became easier to tap them for more responsibilities because their team members had a newfound respect for them, and they also realized that they could lead others. As a people manager, it will also help you lose your unrecognized bias and help you see your team differently.
A well-programmed and successful team building can enhance morale and increase motivation by creating a positive working environment. When people understand each other’s motivations and know each other better, it becomes easier for them to empathize and relate to one another. Improved communication and enhanced collaboration promote a positive working environment.
There are times when teambuilding can also be a venue for resolving issues with each other and finding a common ground where everyone can work together. A good people manager will have to expertly navigate personal issues and how they affect the work environment. A well-planned team building session can help your team resolve their differences and arrive at a place where they can work together professionally.
Your team building activities can also help encourage creativity among your team members. There are common team building activities like creating the tallest tower using only sticks and marshmallows, combination relays, and different variations of “Pass the Message.” There are also facilities that have an assortment of trust falls and obstacle courses. These are all designed to make teams think of out-of-the-box ideas so they can win. Increased creativity can help your team find better ways of doing things together. This will not only affect the quality of ideas you have for office problems, but also help increase your team’s productivity.
When a team has been working together for a long time, team building can just be a rest and relaxation time where you appreciate your team for their hard work. When everyone has been pulling their weight and contributed significantly to the team’s success, team building can just be about enjoying each other’s company and catching up on each other’s lives. It can be a time of reinforcing the team’s commitment to quality and excellent work, or a venue for exploring future enterprises.
Team building does not stop after a scheduled outing or a planned out-of-office activity. Your role as a people manager is to understand your team’s motivations and encourage them to become the best versions of themselves.
A one-off activity can only show you a glimpse of how your team acts and behaves. You need to process all of these to create a leadership style that is responsive to their needs. Because it is only when you understand your team that you can lead them to where you want them to go.
Image credits: Hillary Ungson on Unsplash