One of my all time favorite commercials is on youtube from American Airlines. I haven't seen it air for a while but it makes fun of the teambuilding industry - an industry of which I am a proud participant. What makes it so funny is its resemblance to what actually does happen often times at teambuilding off-sites. If you watch the spot (which you can do online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olPmEddZjHY) and then think about it for a second, it's hard to believe that companies really do put their employees through programs such as these shown in the ad thinking that they will help people work better as a team. Meanwhile, what it tends to do instead is leave employees feeling foolish, and worse, like their employers just don't "get it."
Setting the laughs aside though, it does raise a more serious question about the investments made in teambuilding initiatives and the legitimacy of the outcomes. Let's start by asking, why we keep repeating an exercise that involves employees that those same employees hate? And to top it off, why do we subject them to it if there are doubts about its efficacy in the first place?
When I've made this argument in the past, and been met with typical corporate mentality, I hear, "They (meaning the employees) should appreciate it because we are spending a lot of money on them to do this." But if one side thinks it's good and the other doesn't, then it doesn't matter whom it's for or why. It's worthless, not to mention far too parental an attitude to apply to adults in a professional work environment.
So again I would ask, why would we allocate time and money to something that is supposed to help employees feel better when in fact it can often make them feel worse? Certainly, the goal of building teams isn't to alienate anyone. That would defeat the whole purpose. Granted, it is never the intent to deliberately introduce teambuilding exercises that are divisive, but the assumption that teambuilding is a good idea without giving thought to how certain things will affect certain people, actually isn't that good of an idea at all.
So here are some quick tips to make sure you get positive results from teambuilding activities...
DO:
1. Pick the right venue so it makes sense for the people and the business.
2. Expect it to build culture and generate positive energy for the company.
3. Use it as an opportunity for employees to meet those whom they don't already know.
4. Know what you want to accomplish from a business perspective beforehand.
5. Be sensitive to how people feel.
6. Use activities that have different roles in order to make space for everyone.
7. Send out agendas beforehand and encourage employees to come forward and express concerns.
DON'T:
1. Over analyze your objectives or try to make things too serious.
2. Try to make teambuilding into something it's not by expecting unrealistic outcomes.
3. Throw teambuilding into the mix to solve inter-relational problems or conflict at work.
4. Expect it to teach people how to work better together in the real world, in real time.
5. Force anyone to do something he/she doesn't want to do.
6. Make people feel self-conscious or guilty about opting out.
7. Don't ignore feedback about the events.
In other words, don't expect a game of paint ball or a cooking class to solve relationship problems back at work. But if done right, do expect teambuilding to be fun for employees and in turn generate positive feelings about the company for which they work.
Team Building Worth the Money or a Waste of Time? - To learn more about this author, visit Donna Flagg's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
 Easy Team Building Tactics - Making The Most Of More Of Your People
|
| |
Unexpected recognition for a job well done is very, very validating for your people. It's how you do it that counts...
|
|
Getting Rid of Waste
|
| |
Follows on from "Waste Not!" and shows the practical things you can do to reduce the time and money doing things you should not be doing!
|
|
Managing Your Time Effectively Time to Stop
|
| |
Time is of the essence. And in business, time is money. We all agree to these cliches, but what do we seem to have the least of? And what can we do about it....
|
|
How Control-Freak-Itis Can Derail Your Success
|
| |
Imagine what it would be like if you could run a profitable six, seven or eight figure business and enjoy as much freedom as you desire? For many, the moment you decide to grow your business you simultaneously think...
|
|
Why Most People Fail to Make Money Online
|
| |
Internet is, in my opinion, the best tool ever invented. I just love it. It has made starting companies a lot easier. However, most Internet companies fail to make any money. Why is that?
Is starting an online bu...
|
 |
Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors |
|
Dianne Crampton
Dianne Crampton is an Executive Leadership Coach and Team Building Consultant and creator of the TIGERS team development model. For the past twenty years she has helped leaders and teams achieve goals with high levels of collaboration and teamwork.
Crampton is a published author. Her contribution to Working Together: Diversity As Opportunity was endorsed by Stephen Covey. She has written for trade magazines. Merrill Lynch nominated her business for Inc. Magazine’s regional small business and entrepreneurial awards. Her work with Native Americans was recognized at a United Nations sponsored conference in 1994.
The TIGERS model passed two rigorous validation studies in 1992 and 1994. The TIGERS Survey is able to measure and track team development over time.
Dianne is also the creator and distributor of the TIGERS Team Wheel game. This game helps groups identify behaviors that build collaborative groups and behaviors that cause conflict, morale problems, production failures, and misunderstandings.
For more information, or to subscribe to TigerTracks, a free monthly leadership and team newsletter go to http://www.corevalues.com - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
|
Dr. John Oda
John Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
|
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
|
|
|
Donna Flagg
(Visit Donna's Website)
Donna Flagg spent 15 years in sales,
management and training before becoming a
consultant specializing in organizational
development and its relationship to
business results. Her management career
began in sales at CHANEL, and before
branching out on her own to launch
Krysalis, she spearheaded a new training
function within the Investment Banking
Division at Goldman Sachs.
After earning a BA from Rutgers University
and gaining experience on the front lines
of Corporate America, Donna went on to
attend New York University’s Graduate
School of Education where she obtained a
Masters Degree in Organizational
Development and Human Resource Management,
and a post graduate degree in Business
Education. She has also been a visiting
instructor and speaker at New York
University through Delta Pi Epsilon. In
addition, she speaks at various
conferences including those conducted by
The Business Leadership Network and The
Conference Board.
Donna is currently a blogger on
ExpertBusinessSource.com and frequently
quoted in the press for her workplace
expertise. She has also been a guest on
The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, Life’s
Work with Lisa Belkin and The Joan Hamburg
Show.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
