Team Building Rubbish
Team Building Rubbish
Sure, these activities can be fun and help people to get to know each other, but they won't build a productive and stress-resilient business team.
So, what will?
Think about this for moment...'what do your team want and need to keep them happy, committed and ambitious?
What are their goals?
What makes them happy?
What are their values?
What motivates them long term? short term?
What de-motivates them?
Do you know?....I mean, do you REALLY know? Probably not!
Chances are, you have either assumed you know (and are most likely to be wrong), or haven't taken the time to find out because everyone is 'too busy'.
So, you just did what you THOUGHT was going to 'bring the team closer together'.
Your doctor wouldn't prescribe medication without first doing a diagnosis.
Your Dentist wouldn't extract a tooth without first assessing the heath of your teeth.
...and you shouldn't invest in team building activities until you first assess what the individual team members really want.
For example:
A single mother of two children may not want to spend half a day go-carting, but would rather have flexi-time hours so she can pick up her children from school.
A 22 year old male may rather have an open bar for him and some friends for a night as a reward for reaching his sales targets, or be given a late start one day.
A 42 year old married father of 3 may prefer a family holiday or long weekend away or reduced working hours.
...but you will never know if you don't ask.
World famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow, found that people had a process of motivation that once our basic needs for food, shelter and security were met, we naturally sourced higher levels of need, such as love & belonging, self esteem, and ultimately, self actualization (reaching our greater potential) [1]
In a recent interview I conducted with employee engagement expert, James Adonis, from www.jamesadonis.com , James explained that:
"...different people have different needs. Gen. X and Gen. Y have different motivations, different values and different goals to the Baby Boomers, or next wave Boomers, and hence you need specific ways to motivate and work with them."
(to hear the full interview with James, visit: http://www.bouncebackfast.com/PP/shi.html )
Stop wasting time and money in team building activities that don't actually 'build the team'.
FIVE Tips to building a resilient and loyal team:
1. ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT
Don't assume you know what people want - make the time and have the courage to ask them directly.
Sit privately with each team member and ask them:'What can the company do to help them maximize their productivity and motivation?' 'What can the company do to help them maximize their work enjoyment? 'What can the company do to help them maximize their work-life balance'
Document their answers then act on them right away.
2. INSIDE / OUTSIDE
Imagine you are standing inside a house looking out of a window. What is your view of the outside world? Now imagine you are standing outside of the house looking into the house from that same window. What is your view of the 'inside world'?
In the same sense, ask for people's feedback from their perspective (inside) on how to improve team work and motivation. Then ask them to stand in your shoes (management) and ask them how to apply that from an (outside) management perspective.
Give staff the benefit of double perspective so they can play a more active role in turning their needs into a culture reality
3. SELF S.W.O.T.
Sit with each staff member and perform a self assessment (in the same sense that a business would perform a S.W.O.T.- assessing their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).
Have each staff member contemplate the personal and professional areas they are competent in, and those they need to work on. Provide (or outsource) coaching programs to help staff members bridge these gaps.
Job satisfaction is more than getting the company to bend - great satisfaction is found in personal growth and achievement.
4. CONSISTENT CULTURE
Be true to your promises.Make the changes you say you will. Put the suggestions into action immediately. Have a measurement system that benchmarks the success of the action plan. Review every 1,2 or 3 months. Check in with each team member to discuss if the changes are giving them what they want.
5. GET EXTERNAL HELP
You may not have the time or expertise to do all this yourself. Get external help from people who do this professionally and get it done right.
REFERENCES:
[1] page 359, 'Psychology, an Introduction', J. Summers, R. Borkland, M. Walker, Australia, 1989, John Wiley & Sons.
Team Building Rubbish - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Licenblat's Website.
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Taking your staff out to play mini golf, go-carting, to see a movie, or doing some obscure & embarrassing in-house training games is NOT going to create lasting team work, or a resilient work culture.
Sure, these activities can be fun and help people to get to know each other, but they won't build a productive and stress-resilient business team.
So, what will?
Think about this for moment...'what do your team want and need to keep them happy, committed and ambitious?
What are their goals?
What makes them happy?
What are their values?
What motivates them long term? short term?
What de-motivates them?
Do you know?....I mean, do you REALLY know? Probably not!
Chances are, you have either assumed you know (and are most likely to be wrong), or haven't taken the time to find out because everyone is 'too busy'.
So, you just did what you THOUGHT was going to 'bring the team closer together'.
Your doctor wouldn't prescribe medication without first doing a diagnosis.
Your Dentist wouldn't extract a tooth without first assessing the heath of your teeth.
...and you shouldn't invest in team building activities until you first assess what the individual team members really want.
For example:
A single mother of two children may not want to spend half a day go-carting, but would rather have flexi-time hours so she can pick up her children from school.
A 22 year old male may rather have an open bar for him and some friends for a night as a reward for reaching his sales targets, or be given a late start one day.
A 42 year old married father of 3 may prefer a family holiday or long weekend away or reduced working hours.
...but you will never know if you don't ask.
World famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow, found that people had a process of motivation that once our basic needs for food, shelter and security were met, we naturally sourced higher levels of need, such as love & belonging, self esteem, and ultimately, self actualization (reaching our greater potential) [1]
In a recent interview I conducted with employee engagement expert, James Adonis, from www.jamesadonis.com , James explained that:
"...different people have different needs. Gen. X and Gen. Y have different motivations, different values and different goals to the Baby Boomers, or next wave Boomers, and hence you need specific ways to motivate and work with them."
(to hear the full interview with James, visit: http://www.bouncebackfast.com/PP/shi.html )
Stop wasting time and money in team building activities that don't actually 'build the team'.
FIVE Tips to building a resilient and loyal team:
1. ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT
Don't assume you know what people want - make the time and have the courage to ask them directly.
Sit privately with each team member and ask them:'What can the company do to help them maximize their productivity and motivation?' 'What can the company do to help them maximize their work enjoyment? 'What can the company do to help them maximize their work-life balance'
Document their answers then act on them right away.
2. INSIDE / OUTSIDE
Imagine you are standing inside a house looking out of a window. What is your view of the outside world? Now imagine you are standing outside of the house looking into the house from that same window. What is your view of the 'inside world'?
In the same sense, ask for people's feedback from their perspective (inside) on how to improve team work and motivation. Then ask them to stand in your shoes (management) and ask them how to apply that from an (outside) management perspective.
Give staff the benefit of double perspective so they can play a more active role in turning their needs into a culture reality
3. SELF S.W.O.T.
Sit with each staff member and perform a self assessment (in the same sense that a business would perform a S.W.O.T.- assessing their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats).
Have each staff member contemplate the personal and professional areas they are competent in, and those they need to work on. Provide (or outsource) coaching programs to help staff members bridge these gaps.
Job satisfaction is more than getting the company to bend - great satisfaction is found in personal growth and achievement.
4. CONSISTENT CULTURE
Be true to your promises.Make the changes you say you will. Put the suggestions into action immediately. Have a measurement system that benchmarks the success of the action plan. Review every 1,2 or 3 months. Check in with each team member to discuss if the changes are giving them what they want.
5. GET EXTERNAL HELP
You may not have the time or expertise to do all this yourself. Get external help from people who do this professionally and get it done right.
REFERENCES:
[1] page 359, 'Psychology, an Introduction', J. Summers, R. Borkland, M. Walker, Australia, 1989, John Wiley & Sons.
Team Building Rubbish - To learn more about this author, visit Michael Licenblat's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Michel NerayMichel Neray has over 25 years of experience as an award-winning copywriter, an Internet pioneer, a tradeshow pitchman and a senior sales and marketing executive. An online pioneer, he was one of the first marketing professionals to embrace the Internet by building websites as early as 1993. In 1994, Michel co-authored a book entitled "The Great Crossover: Personal Confidence in the Age of the Microchip", which made it to Jack Canfield's Achiever's Recommended Reading List. Michel founded Portfolios.com in 1995, the world's first online source directory for creative professionals and one of the first websites based on community generated content. Since creating The Essential Message in 2003, Michel has helped thousands of independent professionals and entrepreneurs as well as growing corporations find a better way to differentiate, position and brand themselves. In 2005, his chapter "Everything Starts With A Conversation" was selected as the lead for the book, "Sales Gurus Speak Out" and re-published in 2008 for 'Awakening The Workplace Volume 3'. He is also a co-author of "In the Company of Leaders" (2008) with 40 top North American leadership experts. - Visit Michel Neray's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) Jay Kubassek is a Canadian born entrepreneur, internet marketing genius, professional speaker, international real estate developer/investor, executive film producer, extreme sport enthusiast and a passionate supporter of several charities worldwide. In 2007, Jay's vision and dedication to help other entrepreneurs and business owners duplicate his marketing success led to the creation of his fourth company CarbonCopyPRO, an internet marketing firm already worth over 15 million dollars that has over 20 employees and contract workers with clients is 12 different countries. Jay resides in NYC with his girlfriend Jamie, three year old son Milo and dog Cooper. As executive producer he recently premiered his first film in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. As an adventurist he is racing the 2008 Baja 1000 off-road race and is a member of the 2008 U.S. National Elephant Polo Team, The New York Blue who will be representing the US in the 2008 World Championships in Nepal. Visit Jay's Blog: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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