Team building activities are all the rage nowadays. It seems like every company hosts one every year. But what is it exactly? Do you just play games and do some socializing? Is it a company-paid vacation?
People are seeing the value of a well-oiled organization and slowly, these activities are becoming yearly staples for companies that range in size from large scale businesses down to the micro level. But let’s stop for a while and ask the main squeeze: What exactly is Team Building? What do the activities hope to achieve?
There should be a target. A method to all the supposed chaos.
Let us be clear: Team Building is not a vacation. A lot of people see the activity as an excuse to slack off and imbibe alcoholic beverages.
These people are missing the point. Yes, it gives employees a chance to kick back and recharge. But it is so much more than that. Good team building activities are tailor fitted to target and achieve certain goals. You don’t just throw together, games, activities, food, and booze and hope for the best. You build a strategy, the games and activities should be varied according to the maturity of a team.
There are general targets though, like:
TRUST
Trust is defined as reliance upon the character, ability, strength, etc. of someone or something. It requires people to let go, something many find difficult, if not impossible. For a group of people who are virtually strangers, trust is a key factor in the success of an organization; something that must be developed for a group to function at its maximum potential.
Without trust, nothing in the team can ever be done. Without trust, a team is just a group of individuals forced to work together. For collaboration and innovation to shine through, there must first be trust.
MOTIVATION
Studies have shown that a happy employee is an effective employee.
Let us face it, we are all human and are prone to being burned out if we are worked too hard. Team building activities allow employees to kick back and see each other outside of the workplace. The informal setting and laid back atmosphere reduces stress levels and fosters stronger bonds between employees. In addition to this, a confident and motivated employee is both more effective and efficient.
TEAMWORK
Does this need more explanation?
Team building is named so because it builds teams.
A team is not just people who work together. A team is the result of a collaboration of dynamic individuals focused on achieving a goal. Teams just don’t pop out of the blue like mushrooms, they’re made and nurtured. People don’t just work together smoothly from the get go, there will be friction because of all the different personalities and temperaments present in the group. But with time and the proper training, all will go well.
People achieve great things when they work together, that has always held truth.
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