Although we often think of fun, games, assessments and group simulations when we hear the phrase ‘team building,’ there is no quick, one-time magic fix for improving team cohesiveness – it takes work. What’s your plan for building and enhancing the working relationships of your team members? If you’re just developing a plan, or want to enhance your existing strategies think about incorporating the following points.
It All Starts with the Leader
Yes, team building will eventually involve the entire team, but initially we need to start with the leader. This is a very important step and one that is often overlooked by management. When a team attempts to engage participants without ensuring the leader is ready, the group is bound to experience confusion and misaligned messages. Before rolling out the team building activities, skill building and revised performance metrics with the expectation that behavioral changes will take place and performance improvements will be realized the leader should be ready for the team to act differently, and therefore ready to alter his or her leadership style, Usually when there is a disconnect between the leader and the process, depending on how the leader reacts, the team members will become skeptical, suspicious and leery of the probability of success. So the first step should always be to make sure the leader is ready.
And what should the leader be ready for? The leader needs to set the tone for open and honest conversations. There needs to be a sense of trust among the team members that the leader will not take advantage of situations where members may be vulnerable – i.e., when sharing information or trying out new behaviors and skills. The leader also needs to be comfortable with a style that encourages and motivates open, collaborative, creative and diverse work and communication styles. The leader can’t ask for creativity and then belittle a team member for trying something new. Or worse, reprimand team members for failing to reach a goal as a result of trying something new. How quick do you think those team members will volunteer the next time the leader asks for an ‘out-of-the-box’ idea?
The leader is critical to the success of the team moving from Point A to Point B and beyond. It’s the leader who will demonstrate commitment to creating the corporate culture that aligns with and supports the success of the team. Executive coaching or working with a mentor are two successful methods for ensuring the leader is comfortable with who he/she is and is ready to take the team from a silo environment to one that is collaborative, respectful, professional and highly productive.
The Next Step
Once the leader is on board with loosening any "command and control" reins in favor of a shared and participatory style, these additional components to team building strategies can be incorporated:
Vision – the leader needs to be able to excite the team members about where the organization is headed. Each team member needs to understand the desired outcomes the team is responsible for and how each member’s contributions are valued.
Commitment – requires an atmosphere of trust where open discussions about expectations, fears and doubts can be shared and members can take the time to understand what they are committing to. A process designed to be inclusive allows for team members to express their excitement, as well as their concerns while they all work through the process together.
Trust – team members need confidence in their leader and the vision of where the organization is going.
Inclusion – I find the best way to engage individual team members in the process is to facilitate individual and small and large group discussions that invite members to speak openly and honestly about the realities of the workplace and to create a safe place to share ideas for improvements. The two-way communication that occurs in these exchanges must be respectful, non-judgmental, and part of a larger process for team discussion, prioritization and goal setting. Often this facilitation is best guided by an unbiased third party or an external resource.
Goal Setting – building off of the work completed by inviting all members of the team to participate, the leader is now positioned to catalyze consensus – not issue orders – about goals, actions, metrics, etc. This is a point where effective teams can often have lively discussions and begin sharing very divergent viewpoints.
Allowing these conversations to take place allows the team to resolve unanswered issues and gain knowledge and information. Ultimately consensus of the team – being able to agree to acceptance, not necessarily agree with a particular approach – is reached as team members feel they have been heard and their thoughts have been considered.
So What’s Next?
The workplace of the future needs great leaders and strong teams to be successful with technology advancements, flexible work arrangements, workforce diversity, and the fast-paced nature of global competition. In order to ensure success, workplace culture must also be aligned to support an environment that encourages the sharing and brainstorming of ideas and creativity. If you didn’t have a chance to read the January Fast Company article by Jon Kolko on the importance of culture, please do. I believe you’ll get some new ideas from it.
In addition to having a culture that supports the organization’s focus on teams, leaders must be skilled at leading work and dismiss the old concept of directing work. Organizational structures still hanging on to "silo" mentalities must be demolished and an emphasis on holistic approaches and the power of synergy and collaboration must be embraced. HR must be strategic with workforce planning and committed to hiring the skills needed to accomplish not only today’s goals, but more importantly tomorrow’s. As Jim Collins advises, moving from good to great is an evolution, not a program – it’s a long-term commitment, not a fad.
Team building is certainly an aspect of meeting and retreat planning. However, supporting those once-in-a-while encounters should be a foundation of long term nurturing and organization development strategies that ensure meaningful on-going success.
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