Creating your dream team is easy. Here are the secrets of a successful employer
Are you a business owner or manager who feels like your team spends more time chatting about non-work-related topics rather than applying that time and energy into creating and developing new business ideas? Do you have a small team but are struggling with employee engagement and motivation? Maybe your team is made up of several different personality types where conflict and tension are a common occurrence? No doubt you will have heard the words ‘team-build’ and you’re possibly groaning at the thought of offering this as solution to these problems, but let’s look at the bigger picture and highlight the benefits this can have for you, your team and the company, no matter how big or small.
COMMUNICATION
Communication is key to anything in life and that is why it’s the number one benefit to a team build. In order to build and develop a working or personal relationship, you need to be comfortable with those around you. If you don’t know the people you’re working with, it makes it difficult to have any open line of communication. Working in a large company can make it difficult for people to get to know everybody but on the other hand, even if you work on a small team, people may still find it difficult to connect on a more personal level if they’re not in an open and comfortable environment. Therefore, a team build is a great way to enable employees to get know each other in a more casual environment outside of the office. Activities that create discussion allows for these barriers to be broken and enable people to naturally open up to each other, whilst having fun at the same time.
PRODUCTIVITY
We’ve already pointed out that communication is of particular importance when it comes to team building. When there are no communication barriers and employees are more comfortable with each other, productivity increases. The collaborative nature of a team build teaches people how to work together more effectively, especially if there are activities that require your team to listen to each other, step outside of their comfort zone, support each other and generate ideas. Surely this must be worth exploring?
TEAMWORK
The success and progression of any company relies on its team members that know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and who work together to support, promote and develop each other. Working collaboratively on a team building activity will definitely teach people how to work together more effectively and understand each other better. A team build challenge that focuses on using a different mixture of skills will only enhance teamwork and working relationships.
MOTIVATION
The number one way to drive motivation in any business is to provide opportunities for employees to work together and a good leader will empower them to improve their skills and abilities. If employees are comfortable enough to express their ideas and opinions, the more confident they will become in giving you their best. In turn, if you feel more confident regarding what your team can do, it will produce higher employee motivation and performance.
TRUST
Sometimes there is disconnect between managers and their staff, and corporate hierarchy can sometimes make it feel like an ‘us-against-them’ situation and any trust can be slowly diminished if the problem is not addressed. Team building exercises give management the opportunity to be seen as colleagues rather than bosses, and this can help boost employee morale. So, why not be daring and fun? Break down those walls and get involved in the action with them. Show them you’re a friend and not foe and we can guarantee they will respect you more for it.
At the end of any team build there should have been bucket loads of excitement, laughter and an overall feeling of accomplishment. These moments shouldn’t be taken for granted. Employers should continue to promote and create opportunities for their teams to interact and connect, generate productivity and strengthen bonds. A team build shouldn’t be considered as a once-in-a-blue-moon fix but seen as an investment.
If you’re convinced and you’re about to close this page in search of activities you can do, wait! Don’t offer them a forced, dull, run-of- the-mill team build which can be demotivating and counterproductive. Do something unique! At Plan A we have a whole catalogue of corporate events that we guarantee will leave you and your staff feeling like you really do work for the best company in the world.
