Monday, October 18, 2010

Teambuilding - Foundation for Good Business Practices

It is a well-founded belief that good team morale is good for business. Whether you run a small business or are the manager of a team, team-building activities will help to encourage a harmonious and productive working environment. These activities will emphasise the importance of communication, cooperation and the value of having shared goals and commitments.

Ranging from a simple meal together to a full-scale survival challenge, there are many ways to get your team or staff together for an enjoyable experience that will teach them the vital elements of a sucessful team.

These elements include self awareness, team awareness, how to improve unity and cohesion within the team. Activities such as sports days, sailing lessons, paint ball, cooking lessons, trivia nights and creative pursuits can help to teach these important values.

It doesn't really matter what activity is chosen, it is more about what your staff will learn by spending time and achieving something together. Activities with a competitive edge can work in three ways. They help to:

* Establish stronger unity within a group
* Isolate weaknesses
* Capitalise on strengths

The emphasis for the team building activities should be on fun. Ideally you want people to look forward to the event and feel good about the event. A positive, enjoyable experience will have a deeper impact than a boring, sterile seminar. Activities should help to generate feelings of togetherness, shared goals, shared commitment and good spirited cooperation.

Building a strong team equals good business practice. Team building teaches your staff the importance of delegation and hierarchies. When everyone understands and accepts their place within a group or team, they are more likely to feel secure in their job and better able to recognise their value.

Team building works by emphasizing the value of each and every member of the team, no matter what their position is and this will improve individual and team confidence. It is also good for business because it will help to recognise each team member's strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Strengths can be taken advantage of and utilized within the group situation. When an individual knows his or her own strength, this can have significant improvements on self-esteem and confidence.

By identifying opportunities for improvement, the vulnerable links in the team chain can be addressed and improved. Improving the weaknesses will improve team success. Identifying weakness can also be an affirming and positive step.

It can relieve an individual of feeling the pressure to disguise a lack of skill and it can give them an opportunity to improve. These improvements benefit self-esteem and confidence.

Team building aids the self-awareness of a group. It identifies group dynamics and works to use them in a positive light. Team building activities can educate your staff about methods to overcome friction. When the team's group dynamics are better understood, the social and political issues within the workplace can be minimised.

The strength of your team will become the strength of your business. Strength and confidence generates better results in all areas of business. Team performance will improve because the team members will draw strength from the group to perform at their best.

By : Tim_I_Millett

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