We’re all pretty clued up these days when it comes to the importance of building teams that work together to drive a business forward. No one is questioning the benefits, but there is a great deal of confusion around what it actually means to develop a team that operates at its full potential.
There are some common misconceptions that are still holding leaders back, and it could be the case that the information that you believe to be correct is stopping you from making progress.
Let’s take a look at why everything you think you know about team building may well be very wrong.
You don’t have to fork out a fortune on events
Sure, there are many, many companies out there who will organise an elaborate and carefully executed event for your employees. From outdoor pursuits to cocktail making classes, there’s an option for pretty much everyone. And often, these solutions are very good. They’re planned and managed by seasoned professionals, and plenty of businesses have used such options with great results.
Of course though, the price tag can be extremely high. Before writing off your team building goals as an expense you can’t afford though, take the time to look at the bigger picture and what you actually want to achieve. A different approach could save you a huge chunk of cash, and could lead to much better results. Real team building often happens in the office – not off-site.
It’s not about making everyone like each other
Too many leaders think that team building is all about promoting friendships in the workplace. When you employ a diverse workforce, not everyone is going to feel compelled to share their weekends together, or meet for dinner and drinks on an evening. But that’s not what you should be aiming for.
It’s about encouraging people to develop the skills required to work together towards a common goal. It’s about creating focus on the benefits of working alongside each other. These things should always be the aim of any exercises and techniques that are put into practice.
Leaders don’t hold all the responsibility
Yes, you and your senior leadership team must lead by example and demonstrate the benefits of working together. But if your efforts are all about encouraging managers to take all of the responsibility and have everyone else fall into whatever they’re told, you’re going to miss the mark.
The best work is achieved when individual team members take responsibility themselves. Do they have the skills to have the necessary conversations? Can they step up when the manager is out of the office? If not, what can you do to help them to get to this stage?
Hopefully, reading through this guide has challenged what you think you know about team building and has given you plenty of inspiration surrounding where you might be missing the mark, and where you can make improvements.
If you want to improve the way your staff work together and you want some help from someone who has been there before and developed proven solutions that can be tailored for any business, get in touch. We’d love to discuss how we could help you to overcome your challenges and move forward.