A Team Building Program That Doesn’t End in Failure
Why is it that team building fails so often? Because companies and organizations have no idea what really brings people together and helps them collaborate well. This state of affairs is no surprise since hardly anyone is taught how to build teams outside the authoritarian sports model where one person in charge yells at people to force them to do things.
The standard approach to building teams in our workplaces is to order people to complete a task or project in a group without giving them any tools or support. We then get mad when they can’t figure out how to unite and work well together. A lack of cohesive, functioning teams creates all kinds of problems such as:
- Conflict.
- Stress.
- Hurt feelings.
- Substandard work.
- Not meeting goals.
- Lower productivity.
- Decreased profits.
- Unsatisfied clients and customers.
- General chaos and disorganization.
- Staff feeling powerless.
- Poor morale and motivation.
- Ineffective communication.
- An unhappy workplace.
Most team building fails due to a lack of a coherent methodology or strategy. We put all our energy into one-day, superficial activities like scavenger hunts or obstacle courses instead of doing deeper things that shift people’s thoughts and behaviors.
If you’d like to build far more cohesive teams that get a lot done with less effort, try doing things like:
- Creating a program that teaches you and your staff new skills.
- Setting aside the time to practice team building.
- Making team building an integral part of your work week.
- Concentrating on the thoughts and behaviors that build effective teams.
- Helping people connect on a deeper level.
- Encouraging empathy and kindness.
- Eliminating power differentials.
- Moving past ego.
- Rewarding positive team building behaviors.
- Thinking long-term instead of short-term.
Imagine what your workplace would function like if you did all these things. You’d enjoy greatly increased productivity and profits in a more pleasant work environment.
I had a client share that her staff was hesitant to try team building when she proposed the idea to them. They said that it was a waste of time and wouldn’t change anything. She told them that she had something different in mind, an ongoing program that would teach them practical skills to make their lives easier and get rid of a lot of the problems they had endured in the past. They all agreed to give it a try and, a year later, she let me know that everyone was much happier and their old teamwork problems had disappeared. The bottom line was also looking great.
Team building fails because, historically, it’s consisted of frivolous, one-dimensional, perfunctory, short-term activities that don’t do anything to improve teamwork. The good news is that we now have the knowledge to create next-level team building programs that teach people valuable skills they can use to transform their teams.
There’s no mystery to creating and implementing an effective team building program in your workplace. All it takes is a desire to make it happen and a commitment to keeping it going. You choose when you begin. Cheers, Guy.