Team building is very important if you wish to extract the best out of your workforce. There is a lot to learn about the importance of team building at the workplace, and how to go about it.
With corporate workplaces becoming increasingly competitive, performance and results are the assessment factors that remain at the top of a management's priority list. Almost every manager is hell-bent on achieving; and in many cases, bettering his assigned targets. Consequently, employees are urged to work smarter, and not just harder, in an effort to deliver the desired results. Though it definitely contributes in its own way, individual brilliance does not solely decide the fate of an entire project. Almost always, it is the joint effort (or the lack thereof) of the whole team that eventually decides the success or failure of a project. In such cases, team building in the workplace becomes absolutely essential for a number of reasons.
Why is Team Building Important?
Team building in an office helps foster better and open communication between employees themselves, and also between employees and the higher management. It goes a long way in improving professional relations, understanding, and co-operation, and this is very much reflected in the quality of the work done. Team building significantly contributes towards employee motivation and building trust among employees, thereby ensuring better productivity. Making the team, a unit and improving coordination between its members is one of the important goals to be achieved on the way to success. Activities aimed at team building can certainly play a part in the success of a project, or even a long-term goal. Even simple activities would help employees get into a better mood.
Simple Team Building Exercises in the Workplace
Employee surveys and feedback activities are a great way of breaking the ice and encouraging employees to speak freely. These make the employees feel wanted, and gives them an assurance of the fact that their opinions are valued. Useful inputs for the success of a project can be obtained during feedback sessions.
Step out of the traditional and formal way of employee-boss interaction and speak freely. This gives the employees a reassurance that you are one of them (just like a team member) and not a corporate Hitler. This will work to your advantage as it encourages open workplace communication, sharing of ideas, and helps maintain healthy work relations. One cannot keep an open mind while listening or speaking when under pressure. An informal session can thereby, ease the pressure.
Reward your employees for the good work they have done in the past by organizing a day trip. Encourage employees to bring along their spouses and children. It can be a welcome break from the daily work-related pressures and help the fellow employees and their bosses to interact, bond, and get to know each other in a better manner. This can, in many ways, translate into better returns at the workplace.
Learn to appreciate and acknowledge each other's efforts. Also, celebrate the success of a job well done or a project delivered well ahead of the deadline. There is no better way than appreciating each others' success to instill a sense of team spirit. This helps in wiping out any kind of negativity and keeps the team united. Also, the team begins their work with a renewed vigor and greater focus.
If you have a major project-related decision to make, which you are not very sure about, try asking your employees for their views on the subject. Have a group discussion on the matter and seek their suggestions and opinions. In any case, it will be you yourself who has the last word, but this particular gesture will promote teamwork, boost employee confidence and, once again, make them feel valued and wanted.
Team building projects and activities are seldom complete without the use of some inspirational slogans. Such slogans are instrumental in breathing life into the given activity, be it a political campaign, a college election campaign, or a simple team building activity. Words possess great power; this power can be used in drawing attention and inspiring people.
"A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skill of the others." - Norman Shidle
Remember, team leadership and team building go hand in hand. The proper use of these activities for the workplace often translates into success for everyone. It is not difficult and does not require that you go out of the way or do anything extraordinary. As the popular saying goes, 'teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results'.
