The Importance of Team Building Activities in the Workplace
One of the most important managerial responsibilities is to help fuse the individual skills of their staff into a cohesive, efficient and productive unit.
Why focus on teamwork within the workplace?
We have all heard the expression “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and we only need to look at the sporting world to see many examples of teams exceeding expectations through the individuals working together as a team. The same analogy applies in the workplace. One of the most important managerial responsibilities is to help fuse the individual skills of their staff into a cohesive, efficient and productive unit.
The purpose of team building in the workplace
Team building is a systematic process that aims to improve work relationships and team functioning, such as problem-solving, decision making and conflict resolution which enable the group members to overcome any barrier. Team building activities are problem-solving tasks that are designed to help group members develop their capacity to work effectively together. These activities help team members see each other in a different light and increases inclusivity within the team.
Bridge multigenerational teams
In many companies, employees from four different generations, Millennials, Generations X, Y, and Z, are working together. Each generation has its own working styles, perspectives, and work ethics. A simple example is a difference in the preferred communication methods. While Millennials send text messages and tweets, older generations still like to call or email. Then, there is the issue of prevailing negative generational stereotypes.
Team building activities break down pre-existing barriers and bring the participants closer. When employees from different generations come together to think creatively, they recognise and appreciate what they and others have to offer. Employees experience a sense of synergy based on mutual trust that binds them beyond a one-day team-building activity.
During the team building activities, employees share their ideas and feedback. They ask questions to understand others’ perspectives and give explanations to clarify their own point of view. They realise their own potential biases that make them blind to the strengths of the other generations. As they become more objective to achieve the team building activity’s outcome, they tailor their communication styles to match that of their teammate.
The top ten benefits of team building in the workplace
- Communication
- Motivation
- Morale
- Teamwork
- Bonding
- Trust
- Confidence
- Results
- Establish Leadership
- Responsibility
Team values
A team needs to be united, with everybody within the team understanding what their company stands for, represents and is trying to achieve. This is usually shared through a company having either a mission statement, a set of values or indeed both. Whether the goal is to create a particular environment or increase commercial awareness, unity is key.
Equally, many countries also have a recognised ‘code’ for which the country stands for. These are designed to provide a moral base for residents of that country and anybody who enters that country, either as a visitor or to permanently reside.
Are you ready to promote team building activities in the workplace?
If you have any questions about team management skills, feel free to get in touch with us today. We understand that every workplace is unique, so we can create a customised plan to help you boost your team management skills.