Does Team Building Actually Benefit Your Company?

Team building is the most important investment you can make for your people. It builds trust, mitigates conflict, encourages communication, and increases collaboration.

How does team building accomplish all of this? Team building:

• Develops trust among your employees. Mutual trust fostered by team-building activities can allow your employees to depend more on one another and be more productive and efficient as a result.
  

“Trust is critical in business because it can make or break a team, and business can no longer survive without teams.” —John Castro, the CEO of Merrill Corporation.

• Ease conflicts. Team building activities can play an important role in easing conflicts between coworkers by allowing employees to bond with one another and become more accustomed to each other’s’ personalities.
• Collaboration and the fostering of innovation and creativity. People tend to have a larger imagination when they are around people they are comfortable with. So, successful team building events not only bring people closer together but they also lead to more successful and creative workplace ideas.
  

“Businesses with effective communication are 50% more likely to have lower employee turnover”—ClearCompany.

• Develops problem-solving skills. Team building activities that require coworkers to work together to solve problems can improve the ability to think rationally and strategically. Teams that can determine when a problem arises and know what they can do about it, can then effectively take charge when a real crisis occurs.
• Can tap into your employees’ hidden talents. Team building activities are designed to motivate people to pool their talents together and perform at their best individually and as team players. These activities can bring out a side of your employee that you have never seen before and showcase a skillset that can be utilized in other areas within the company.

Team building has the potential to build a solid and successful culture within your company. Before you dive into planning the typical team bonding activities, here are the ground rules that apply when it comes to planning events for your employees.

Don’t force the corporate stuff

The most successful, memorable team building events are ones that don’t feel like a day at the office. Activities that overtly aim to draw in leadership lessons or practical takeaways are less powerful. 

Ditch the company picnic

It turns out that happiness and learning are tied very closely together. Trying new things with your staff can generate good vibes among employees, which in turn benefits the business itself. Choosing something unique and slightly outside of people’s comfort zones can encourage them to come together in new ways.

Keep that positive energy going at the office

Most team building falls flat because it’s a one-time activity – done and then forgotten. It’s key to find ways to keep the excitement going. The challenge is creating opportunities for people to connect and interact in meaningful ways, outside of regular meetings or presentations.

Team building challenges are effective tools for improving your team’s trust and accountability – they foster relationships, develop leadership skills and provide a major return on your investment. 

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Jim DePew
Vice President & Consultant
Mobile: (330) 631-9022
Office: (330) 915-2355 Ext: 103
Email: jdepew@bdewees.com