TEAM BUILDING
Many organisations conduct Team Building activities on an ad-hoc basis assuming one-off activities will achieve the desired result, however Team Building is not something that can be accomplished overnight. To be effective, a team must have a purpose and goals. On an organisational basis these goals may be group output oriented (eg production of a number of products) or may be organisational goals (eg Best Widgit manufacturing company in NZ). Consequently before beginning any team building process, an organisation must have in place the following:
- Company mission/goals
- Departmental objectives/goals
- Individual objective/goals
- Position descriptions
- Effective communication processes
- Effective Performance review process
- Effective Remuneration/Compensation process.
There is therefore a need to consider a holistic approach to Team Building. Considering Team Building activities on their own without the appropriate structure in place is like building a brick house without using steel support rods and mortar.
The important parts of the structure are the above 7 points that form the skeleton around which Team Building activities can be developed.
The setting of Company, Team and Individual objectives provides a basis for team members to unite and work together for the accomplishment of common goals. Effective communication provides an information link between individual team members as well as between teams, and the performance and remuneration review process acknowledges team and individual effort. Position descriptions provide the basis for each position and the tasks to be performed allowing individuals to clearly understand their role and position in the organisation, thus minimising any; cross-over of activity, ambiguity between individuals or groups and/or any fear or misunderstanding of others roles.
Needs Analysis
Once the above are in place it is appropriate to complete an analysis of how individuals and teams work together and whether in fact there are areas of concern. It is important to assess the reporting lines, how people interact and work together and with whom and any perceived problem areas. You will then have a blue print on which to base Team Building activities.
Process
As already mentioned, Team Building is an ongoing process. Every time;
- A new employee joins a team,
- There is a change to the composition of the team,
- There is a change to Individual, Team or Company objectives, and/or
- There is an organisation change (eg restructuring, downsizing, or takeover)
Teams will need to restrengthen their relationships and reinforce their cohesive properties.
This can be accomplished initially through;
Communication.
General company-wide and team specific meetings discussing the company and team performance, new product development/launch and other general information.
Feedback
Through normal communication channels and specific documentation -praising excellent team work publicly. Performance Performance criteria should be based on team as well as individual goals. The achievement of individual goals should support the achievement of team goals and subsequently company goals. Remuneration/Compensation policies and programmes should therefore reflect this performance process with bonus increases reflecting performance of the individual, team and company. Such a structure sets in place a team culture and focuses effort to the betterment of the team or organisation as a whole rather than just the individual. It also fosters a sense of ownership of the business (not necessarily in real terms but a perceived ownership)
Work Activities
Establish project teams for specific short and medium term projects with individuals from different parts of the organisation.
Changing the mix of the team for subsequent projects will allow individuals to eventually get to know employees from other locations. This will assist in fostering an understanding by employees that they do in fact all work for the same organisation and for the same overall objectives and goals.
General Activities
Rather than spending a large budget on large corporate type activities, much of the team building process can be achieved through smaller everyday type activities. BBQ's at work provide the opportunity to meet and network with others in a non-aggressive environment and does not need to be a great expense or effort. Keep it simple and do it 5-6 times a year.
Include community work as part of the next company conference where individuals participate together in physical labour (eg painting old folks homes, clearing streams, planting native trees, removing graffiti etc) This can assist in breaking down barriers between teams and between management and staff. (The management team must also participate!) It's one way of spending time with others in the organisation you do not know well whilst at the same time putting something back into the community. Obviously it will also help enhance the company's profile as a community minded organisation- what great free publicity!
The Enemy
In internal meetings and communication focus on the enemy (Major competitor) as a means of inspiring individual and team performance against that of you competitor and instilling a desire by employees to out perform the competition.
Team Working
Enhance team working by encouraging employees to seek support and ideas from others in the organisation. 'Team Working' can be included as one of the competencies individuals are rated against during the performance review process.
Conferences
Conference activities that help to build teams are ones that usually involve some form of problem solving activity that demands employees work together to solve problems. These can either be in a classroom (working in groups to solve real business problems) or outdoor physical activities such as river crossings, abseiling and or building shelters in the bush etc. One way of encouraging employees to work together is to run a conference at a lodge in the bush where they may all have to take turns at kitchen duties, dishwashing, cleaning etc. Again they can be put into different teams with friendly competition between teams.
Any team-building proposal should be specific to the organisation concerned rather than simply implementing a standard package. The proceeding pages are really only thoughts and ideas to get you started in thinking about the approach you may wish to take.
