Team Building: 3 Ways to Get More Bang for Your Buck
Team building enhances team cohesiveness to improve business results. A facilitator guides participants through predictable phases of team development, exercises, and discussions. These are debriefed and mined for insights, tools, and strategies to improve team interaction and performance.
If team members lack some of the skills to make the teams work, engage an external or internal facilitator to jumpstart the process and provide the teams with tools to stay on track.
Role of Team Building Facilitators
The role of facilitators is to:
- help teams gel
- improve the effectiveness of meetings
- provide energizers
- facilitate brainstorming sessions, problem-solving and decision-making sessions
If there are a number of initiatives that require team facilitators, consider investing in facilitation training for team leaders.
Team Building vs Team Recreation
Sometimes companies confuse team recreation with team building. It has come to the point that all experiences shared by teams, from going out for drinks after work to bungee jumping, are being marketed as “team building”.There is a place for team socials and recreational corporate events but they should never be confused with or used as a substitute for team building.
Team building is not just an experience shared by a team. It is a facilitated process with clearly defined outcomes. Effective team building requires planning, organization, execution, debriefing, and follow-up.
Benefits of Team Building
Team building enhances team effectiveness to:
- Foster innovation
- Break down silos
- Improve cross-functional teamwork
- Re-shape corporate culture
- Manage Change and Uncertainty
- Produce results in tight timeframes
- Thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Inspire teams that are tired or discouraged
- Spot and respond to emerging marketplace trends
- Ensure smooth hand-offs during times of transition
- Identify and design strategies to tap into growing market niches
- Equip teams with tools and strategies to thrive in a fast-paced environment
Team Building: 3 Strategies for Generating Business Results
1. Launch Revenue-Generating Projects with Team Building
Instead of using recreational activities as a substitute for team building or putting team building on the back-burner, unleash its full potential. Corporate teams can benefit from working together to design and execute revenue-generating projects that contribute directly to the bottom line. Engage your team in designing initiatives to generate revenue, reinforce your branding, or build client loyalty. This approach is fun and it delivers immediate R.O.I.
Guerrilla marketing events, pop-up events, product launches, marketing campaigns, commercials, viral videos, print ads, and flash sales are fun to design and participants can pick up new skills while generating revenue and attracting new clients.
2. Foster Innovation Through Cross-functional SWAT Teams
When organizations face intense pressure in the marketplace, it is not the time for business as usual. Invariably the challenges your company is facing cannot be resolved by any single department operating in isolation. It is critical to move beyond your traditional silos and assemble a number of SWAT teams to address critical business issues.
- Each team should focus on one core issue and report to a specific member of the senior management team.
There should be representation from the various departments that have an impact on resolving each specific issue. Representation should not be restricted to members of the leadership team. Instead, frontline employees with director customer, supplier and business partner contacts can add tremendous value to the team.
- Assign each team the responsibility for analyzing a specific business issue, brainstorming, exploring alternatives and generating a number of action plans for executive consideration.
- Teams meet weekly bi-weekly with tasks and action items assigned in between meetings.
3. Enhance Project Team Effectiveness
Project teams can get bogged down if team members possess a vast storehouse of technical knowledge but little expertise in conducting effective meetings, problem-solving, brainstorming solutions, and conflict management. An opportunity to add value through team building is to engage internal or external facilitators to work with the various project teams that have been deployed throughout your organization.
About my new E-book
These are excerpts from my new e-book:- Team Building, Innovation, and R.O.I.: An Executive’s Guide to Boosting the Bottom Line
Sign up for our monthly team building updates, customized by region, to receive immediate notification when the e-book is released.
- Canada: http://eepurl.com/XEt5z
- USA: http://eepurl.com/M16Vr
- Dubai: http://eepurl.com/MMqw9
- Oman: http://eepurl.com/MR4Bj
- Asia: http://eepurl.com/MMwdL
- Europe: http://eepurl.com/ciuY4H
Anne Thornley-Brown, MBA is the President of Executive Oasis International, Toronto-based consulting firm specializing in the design and facilitation of executive retreats, team building, and meetings.
""
Articles from Anne 🐝 Thornley-Brown, MBA
View blogNetiquette = net (as in internet) + etiquette · Netiquette is a collection of unwritten rules of eng ...
Clients from hell....we've all had them. · Just like sexual harassment and problem bosses, we're all ...
"Avoid loud and aggressive persons, for they are vexatious to the spirit. " · Desiderata · Most peo ...
Related professionals
You may be interested in these jobs
-
Financial Security Advisor, Insurance
Found in: Talent CA C2 - 1 week ago
0000050824 RBC Life Insurance Company Québec, Canada Full timeJob Description · What is the opportunity? We are looking for self-motivated, highly driven and entrepreneurial individuals to join our Field Sales team at RBC Insurance. As an accredited Life & Wealth Advisor (HLLQP/LLQP) you provide integrated life insurance planning and advi ...
-
Respiratory Therapist
Found in: Talent CA C2 - 1 week ago
Island Health Courtenay, Canada Regular FTQUALIFICATIONS: Education, Training And Experience · Graduation from a recognized program in Respiratory Therapy. Eligible for registered membership with the British Columbia Society of Respiratory Therapists (BCSRT). · Skills And Abilities · Take the next step and apply so we ca ...
-
Outbound Sales Representative
Found in: Talent CA C2 - 2 days ago
The Mobile Shop Camrose, Canada Full timeThe Mobile Shop Careers - Outbound Sales Representative · What is The Mobile Shop? · Technology is a part of our everyday lives. We at The Mobile Shop connect thousands of Canadians every year with the newest and most innovative phones and plans that the market has to offer. Ou ...
Comments
Anne 🐝 Thornley-Brown, MBA
6 years ago #5
Thank you. There is value in going off-site. For example, teams can avoid distractions and really focus. Off-site does not always have to mean an expensive resort. Go to a branch office, exchange locations with a supplier, use the facilities at a local library, college, or university campus. When appropriate, it's great to have the fun factor but it's not always appropriate: - Team Building: What is the Role of Fun in Corporate Team Building? https://corporateteambuilding.wordpress.com/2015/08/10/fun-in-team-building
Anne 🐝 Thornley-Brown, MBA
6 years ago #4
Yes I am being kind. You should see the section on paintball. (I probably should run that as an excerpt but the last time I addressed that topic I was nearly tarred, feathered and run out of town.) From previous conversations, you know how I feel about the axe throwing and mud obstacle courses. This true. I go into a lot more detail about this in another section of the e-book. "And the other reality is that not everybody plays fair at those "recreational events" because of age or infirmities or whatever. There are people who are just not able to play volleyball or kickball and "coaching" the real team is not really active participation."
Jerry Fletcher
6 years ago #3
Lisa Vanderburg
6 years ago #2
Anne 🐝 Thornley-Brown, MBA
6 years ago #1