It's no surprise that pop culture has often parodied corporate team building – done poorly. Team building gone bad is the perfect fodder for sitcoms.
Truth be told, building team relationships is the most important investment managers can make to increase trust and reduce conflict among teams. Successful companies know building staff relationships is an ongoing process inside and outside the office. A properly planned and executed team building experience is not only fun, but reinforces the leadership’s commitment to staff.
Effective team building also results in more engaged employees and a stronger corporate culture.
When colleagues get to know each other beyond their job-roles, it builds a bond and gives them a chance to enjoy each other on a personal level.
In order to maximize the team experience, there are a few points to keep in mind:
1. Don't Force the Corporate Stuff
The best team building activities offer something different, something new. You don't want your team event to be just another company requirement in which employees must participate under strict rules and guidelines. The activities should be organic so team members enjoy relating to each other in new ways, and feel open to express ideas freely, however wild they may be.
2. It’snot the Company Picnic
The company picnic is usually not so much a team building event as it is a celebration of staff and their families. Some people may find them boring if they include only co-workers. Building team relationships requires stimulating staff in creative ways as they work toward problem solving and emotional risk taking. Nobody should solve any puzzle, or win any game at first try. And nobody goes it alone.
3. Bring the Positive Energy to the Office
Everything achieved during a team building exercise can come undone if it is not connected to the workplace. While an activity may have a direct effect, the effect doesn’t last unless the managers and team bring something back — an object, poster, a prop — to reinforce the experience. Anything tangible helps retrieve the memory of how well the team worked and celebrated together away from the office. Now they realize they can work well anywhere, together.