Let's take a look at the two different scenarios. The first scenario is one which we hear all too often, you have a team that doesn' really communicate, there's been a high turnover of staff and morale needs a good boost. This is when team building comes in. Taking your team out of it's normal environment, taking part in a seemingly non business related task will relax your people.
They will become less guarded, they will start to learn more about each other and quite importantly they will learn that within their teams it's actually ok to ask for help or to utilise someone else's strength for the good of the team. They start to work together and see the results for doing so.
The second scenario has a much more positive feel initially, you have a great team of people, they are working together and producing some great results, all seems good in your company. Unfortunately when people or teams are performing well, this is when they attract interest from other companies and they get offered alternative jobs with attractive packages.
Team building is an extremely useful tool for this kind of situation. By continually strengthening the bonds within your team, individuals will becoming increasingly satisfied at work, they will be more likely to think twice about leaving the team and the great atmosphere for the unknown.
So we've looked two different situations where team building really does help, now let's look at the reasons not to host an event. We haven't got time, "we can't close the office down just for a day out" or "we haven't got any money". These are reasons that we hear a fair bit, they are real reasons but you have to see the bigger picture.
You don't have to close the office down for the day, you can host an event in the evening after work, so you do have time. Ask yourself who is the most important employee you have in your team, who's the key achiever, now ask yourself what you would do if they left?
How much business would you lose? How much would it cost to recruit and train a replacement for them? You will probably see that hosting a team building event to keep your team happy is far more cost effective than loosing them.
Team building doesn't need to be expensive. Choosing the right event for your team is crucial and this is where you need to speak with an experienced events company. It's possible to get some great cost effective events and if you tell the events company what budget you are working towards and what your objectives are, then they can usually adapt or create something to maximise your budget.
So is team building really the secret to success? Absolutely, a team that plays together stays together!
Latest Team Building Articles
Basics of Team Building
By: shijina | 18/07/2008
A team may be defined as a group of people who come to achieve a common purpose. The word team is derived from the use of oxens or bullocks shackled together to create a focused, shared force for transporting heavy materials.
Keeping Colleagues Happy With Birthday Ecards
By: Andy Smith | 11/07/2008
Sending birthday ecards to colleagues to express your friendship and care, is one of the easiest ways to show your warmth and feelings for them.
Were on the Road to Nowhere
By: Bill Nelson | 06/07/2008
Where are you and the team headed?
Do you know and do they?
One of the things I constantly hear from team leaders is that their vision or plan to go forward is all in their head. Which is great for the team leader but what about the team?
The Winning is in the Picking
By: Bill Nelson | 06/07/2008
Then he started to tell me about
the soccer team that he coaches. And the fact that he had five good players and seven or eight that were not as good. He then proceeded to tell me how he was going to combine two teams next year and have one good team and one, well lets say, not so talented team.
Who Moved the Goal Posts
By: Bill Nelson | 06/07/2008
We have selected what we think is the right team member, and the team member selected, what they believed is the correct team for them. We work through twelve months and all of a sudden it hits us. That what the team thought they were getting and what has happened slowly over the past twelve months are two different things. What we needed from a team member in this position and what our team member is delivering are two different things.
Where is our Focus ?
By: Bill Nelson | 06/07/2008
As with many instances in business, life, sport, and education, Individuals and teams alike are searching, devising and implementing new and innovative approaches to maintain or increase certain levels of productivity and performance.
As this search for a tried and true methodology to increase results becomes more apparent and necessary. It is not long before the search for increased performance finds itself tripping up on the concept of focus.
Changing The Culture Of Your Office
By: Anna Stenning | 04/07/2008
Discussing how important it is to implement a stronger workforce and improve the working environment in any organisation.
Are Office Gifts a Major Part of a Healthy Work Ethic?
By: Musa Aykac | 03/07/2008
We all know that if you get a gift you will probably be happy for the rest of the day.