Characteristics of Team Members

Each team member of any team has individual strengths and weaknesses. As a team leader, you must learn to use your team's attributes to get the job done as efficiently as possible.

As a team leader you also have your personal characteristic that need to be considered. You can best motivate your member to perform when assignments match personalities. See below some characteristics of a team member.

The traditional team player

Prefers a secure situation
Is drawn to close relationships
Changes slowly
Is predictable
Is patient
Is possessive
Looks for loyalty
Likes an easygoing relaxed atmosphere
View the team a important

The analytical team player

Likes established operating procedures
Does like sudden change
I accurate at all costs
Has very high standard for self and others.
Is a slow decision maker
Tend to hold back opinions unless certain they are right

The dominating team player

Likes prestige and position
Likes direct answer from others
Is easily bored
Does not like to be controlled by others
Does like challenge and changes
Is very assertive and decisive
Is a good risk-taker
Play game to win

The charismatic team player

Likes freedom from detail and control
Likes intuition well
Is friendly
Uses verbal skills well
Is confident and comfortable with self-promotion
Is enthusiastic

With the list above you will be able to evaluate your all of your members and their individual style. How well is your team members performing?

Can you improve your team member performance by altering job duties? I do hope you've enjoyed this article and lean something from it. Wish you all the best and look out for some more valuable information.

By : Ana_Carter

Building Team Trust, There Are No Mysteries

I love a good mystery, don't you? Some of my favorite Sunday afternoons as a kid were spent watching Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan use their super sleuth skills to solve the most complex of crimes and, ultimately, save the world from complete annihilation.

However great contemplating classic capers have been for me, having a mysterious leader has never been as entertaining. In fact, it can quickly become a horror show.

Have you ever worked for a person whose reaction to situations would sway from one extreme to another depending on who was around, which way the wind was blowing, or if they had gotten a prime parking spot that morning?

Well, you are not alone because I have had the displeasure of working with (and for) "Bi-polar Bob" and "Wacky Wanda" as well.

Working with questions, inconsistency, and conundrums erode the trust needed to keep morale high, move the team forward, and weather the trials that many of our teams are facing.

When examining relationships, there should be no mystery - at home, work, or play. If you are the last person to know about bad situations or feel like you're the last resort, there is probably a reason.

The question to ask is, "Am I building Covenants or breaking them?" A covenant is a relationship of trust. It signifies that, no matter what, you act in accordance with your beliefs and that your teammate can count on that consistency.

There are no questions and there is no guessing on how you will sail because you are sure and steady. This starts with your own reflections on what you believe, where you stand, and is manifested in how you behave.

To build everyday covenants (and keep the mysteries at a minimum), I continually strive to stay consistent by taking the time to periodically reflect on three things: statements of purpose, statements of intent, and congruency between the two.

Although you may not be able to change others around you, you can change your behaviors and reactions to those around you.

What Are My Statements of Purpose?

Statements of purpose manifest from the core of my being. Above all, they are what I value and what "I Believe." For me, I believe in honesty, integrity, family, love, laughter, and the innate goodness of the human spirit.

I also believe that each person has been given a purpose on this big, blue, wet ball and with that purpose, a responsibility to ease the burden of others, not to make it heavier. Those values are the rudder by which I live my life.

Take a moment to reflect on yours. What are your statements of purpose? What do you believe? Where do you stand? If it's a mystery to you, then it will surely be a mystery to others!

What Are My Statements of Intent?

Statements of intent are different from things that you "can do" (there are a lot of things that each of us can do). Statements of intent are things that you WILL DO! My statements of intent include that I WILL:

Treat others with dignity and respect

Put the needs of the ones I love before my own

Take myself lightly and find the humor in life

Be honest with myself and others

When I've taken the time to reflect and intentionally write them down, they become my personal "manifesto" on how I will deal with people, situations, and also they become a roadmap of how I will live my life.

What are the things that you WILL do? There is great power in knowing what your statements of intent are, writing them down and speaking them out loud. Do yourself that favor!

Are The Two Congruent?

The last thing I reflect on is if my beliefs and actions are congruent with each other. If they are, then there will be NO mystery to anyone on how I will (or would) respond in a situation. If there is, something is amiss.

Either I don't really believe what I've stated as my purpose or the intent doesn't match the belief. I like to equate it to when people say they "want" something.

If you want something, that means you are taking steps towards your goal. If you aren't taking those steps, then you really don't want it. It's just a nicety.

The same goes with purpose and intent. If you say you believe something but don't actively live it, you don't really believe it.

The two must be congruent or you'll be swayed, mysteries will continue and covenants will be broken.

It's not that I don't like surprises, I do. I like the spontaneity that keeps relationships fresh, vibrant and how it can propel a team to new possibilities.

But, I know I am not alone when I state that I don't like the mystery of how you'll react if I come to you with less than favorable news.

There are no mysteries within the covenants that are built with others; there is only openness, loyalty, and trust.

That's what is being built every day in relationships - as long as you are living your values and openly sharing them with those within your circle. Step Up and Invest Yourself Today!

By : Charles_Lutz

10 Reasons to Employ Team Building

Team building has been around for most of the 20th Century and so the processes and techniques used for it have developed a great deal.

Many businesses and organizations do see the advantages proved by this phenomenon, but some people fail to see the benefit.

In this article we'll look at the reasons that are commonly cited as being why team building is helpful to groups.

1. Team building arguably helps improve communication; this is done by putting people in challenging situations whereby the only way to solve their dilemma is by communicating. If nothing else it could improve the communication skills between specific individuals - if not improving the skills long term with people who are not in the given group.

2. These kind of team building exercises help in generating a more pleasant mood or atmosphere around the workplace - by taking them out of their comfort zone and challenging them to succeed.

3. Motivation is another very important aspect of team building - by bringing new challenges to people, you motivate them and make them understand that they can indeed achieve more than they currently do - important when people are trying to push boundaries and make lots of money.

4. It may seem obvious, but these exercises help to get people to get to know each other. Again, by placing people slightly outside their comfort zones, sometimes other aspects of a person's personality comes to light - one that helps them connect to people. The ordinary office environment can sometimes stifle new friendships.

5. It arguably helps get people 'on the same page' - so that over a team building exercise, certain company or organization goals can be set out for everyone.

6. Team building arguably helps the team develop self regulation strategies - by putting them in situations that demand it - in order that they achieve the goals as set out.

7. These exercises can help those participating to learn more about themselves - both strengths and weaknesses. It is only by bringing on new challenges and being outside their comfort zones that these things can be seen - sometimes.

8. This leads to being able to identify strengths of different team members and therefore deciding how best they can be used in order to maximize efficiency within an organization or company.

9. Ultimately, these team building exercises can help improve team productivity - an important consideration as western states are priced out of many industries by developing nations.

10. The whole idea of collaboration is enforced with these activities - making every team member - hopefully - work better together to produce better results.

By : Gino_Hitshopi

Why Corporate Training Can Be Beneficial For Your Business and Your Employees

Corporate training is a useful tool for a business, as it says on the tin, it is a method of training your workers.

More training means a more skilled workforce, people who are capable of a multitude of tasks, and a more effective team.

All of these are easy ways to increase your productivity as a business, and so are more than worth investing some money into to make sure that they are achieved.

Employees will often be drawn to a business with a clear corporate training scheme like a bee to honey, simply because of the benefits for them.

They like the fact they will acquire new skills and actually grow within their position, hopefully leading on to promotions in the future.

For this reason, it is a good idea to look into corporate training as a regular (at least annual) activity that will be undertaken by all staff.

This will not only attract workers to you, so you get the pick of the best candidates, but also make sure that the team you do have working for you are all excellent at their job.

Training staff will boost morale, and it is as simple as that, people like attention being paid to them and will love the prospect of being able to go and get ideas on how to increase the efficiency of their work and so on.

Training is often a team building task, because everyone will take part, and so you also gain better working relationships between your staff members too.

This can be particularly true when you get a higher up manager to conduct the training, as people will feel more able to relate to them.

This is also a cost effective method of training, so it can work out best to send out the higher members of staff for external training, and then employee internal training given by these people to the rest of the work force.

It is important that people on every level go through training. This means they all feel more equal, and there is also no such thing as too skilled.

Everyone can benefit with some help sometimes, and corporate training providers will make sure your business is kept aware of all of the latest working methods.

It is important, in order for a real benefit to come from training that you have it provided by a professional speaker.

This can, as mentioned, be someone from within the company, but they need to have the right characteristics.

Confidence and an ability to motivate are key to any talk that hopes to leave people with a lasting benefit and ideas.

A follow up scheme for the training, to check it is being put into practice, will also help you to see the long term effects and make sure that everybody is employing what they have been taught correctly.

By : Tom_V_Powell

The Positive Effects That a Business Speaker Can Have on Your Employees

Hiring a business speaker into your company can be a beneficial method of training, and a welcome break from the everyday toil and routine of the workplace.

Any hired business speaker should be a specialist in the area in which your company deals, in order to make the most out of them.

Try and hire someone with experience and who will be easy to relate to for the audience. This will give your employees someone to look up to and mean that the messages put across are more likely to go in.

The positive effects of the speaker coming in can be numerous. Number one is a morale boost for your employees, which will result in positive effects on their work.

By having team building sessions which are less formal than the office, such as conferences with a speaker, your team will be allowed to bond and learn as one.

This will come across in the pride people will take in their work and the new skills they may exhibit, having learnt from your speaker.

This leads us on to point two: skill improvement. Business speakers are there for one reason; to help you learn new techniques and methods that could help your company.

Their own hands on experiences will mean that you can hear about the methods in action and work out ways to implement them into your own company.

The higher skilled your speaker, the better and it is always an added bonus to try and hire a motivational speaker who specialises, as these purposefully bring out the best in people and will help them work harder and enjoy their job more.

Motivational speaking, and any speech making at all, is a skill within itself and the more experienced the person you hire is in this area, the deeper an impact they will have.

Many business speakers come with inbuilt motivational speaking backgrounds, or know how to do this, so finding someone is not a majorly difficult task; but it is always best to check.

A business speaker will have knowledge of more complex aspects of business and so be able to explain these in more layman terms.

Employees always benefit by feeling involved in the company, so by having a business speaker come in and explain concepts, the staff will be able to see the direction the company is taking, and how it will get there and achieve its goals.

By having a clear understanding of what they are working towards, people can visualise success and this is a proven technique to getting good results.

By : Tom_V_Powell

5 Stumbling Blocks to Effective Team Leadership

Many things contribute to team success and some things get in the way. Team leadership is an important element in team success, so what are 5 common stumbling blocks when it comes to effective team leadership?

Stumbling block 1: The leader is closed minded

One of the great strengths of teams is their ability to generate a whole host of alternatives and ideas. Used effectively these can contribute to great results and even take team performance to a higher level. On the other hand if the team leader is closed minded and not open to new ideas then these ideas will never translate into results.

Stumbling block 2: Not using appropriate leadership style

Leadership styles can essentially be grouped into 5 main categories. Telling, telling and selling, consultation, participation and empowerment. The style that you adopt will depend on the situation, the expertise of those in the team and the context to name just a few. For example, in times of urgency you might need to go for a very directive, telling style. The key is to be able to adapt and use an appropriate leadership style when leading a team.

Stumbling block 3: Self interest before team results

Team members expect the team leader to be loyal to the team. If the leader becomes more interested in themselves, they start making choices from a self interest rather than a team results perspective.

Stumbling block 4: Lack of consistency

We have all probably worked for people who seem to lack any sort of consistency when it comes to dealing and interacting with others. For the team member this is a real challenge and can ultimately lead to disengagement. As the team leader try and aim to be as consistent as you possible.

Stumbling block 5: Having your favourites

Like anyone else you will have a better connection with some people in the team than others. At the same time you need to be alert to this connection leading to you having personal favourites which can alienate others. Be alert to the fact that you might be showing favouritism.

Bottom Line - Team leadership is a vital component in team success. So what stumbling blocks are getting in the way of your success as a team leader?

By : Duncan_Brodie

Outdoor Activities - Fun Events Galore

If you are planning a unique stag or hen night - or perhaps a teambuilding event to bring staff closer together - a selection of outdoor activities such as white water rafting and archery can be the ideal solution.

Not only do these events offer great, simple fun, they will also get people working together in ways they may not have done in the past.

There is a huge selection of events on offer in the UK and elsewhere. Whether you want to get the adrenalin pumping or are looking to take part in a more sedate activity, there will be something for you.

For example, quad bike trekking is one of the most thrilling outdoor activities available. Riding a quad bike at speeds of up to 40 mph, through some of the roughest terrain in Scotland, is a truly breathtaking experience.

Weaving between the trees, splashing through rivers and racing across the open country on a quad bike is something that is unforgettable. If quad bike trekking appeals, you may want to try off road driving or blindfold driving.

Relying totally on your co-driver when blindfold driving, you will be in control of the vehicle - but they will have to navigate for you.

Paintball is a wonderful opportunity to improve team working, as it requires communication, strategic thinking and effective leadership. Alternatively, you can rush in all guns blazing - but you should expect to be tagged.

More relaxing events are also available. For example, mini highland games involve taking part in a range of traditional Scottish sports.

This includes tossing the caber, tossing the hammer, the weight over bar and the tug of war. Archery is another excellent activity, whether it forms part of a corporate event or a day out with friends.

If target practice appeals to you, clay pigeon shooting and the more technologically advanced laser clay shooting are also available.

So, whether you want to take part in a selection of relaxing outdoor activities or a range of events that will get the heart racing and the adrenalin pumping, you will be able to choose from a variety of games in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Enjoying these sorts of outdoor activities is an unforgettable way to celebrate a friend's upcoming nuptials. However, they can also make a fun and effective teambuilding event. And this can help any business work more efficiently.

By : Gordon_Parkes

The Importance of Building a Team

In many working environments there are many problems that are brought about by the employees, partners and in some other cases the clients not working as a team or not cooperating. In order to solve this problem it is advisable to organize an event.

Team building is a process that will develop the cooperation between the employees, partners as well as the clients of an organization.

This will in turn constitute a team that is effective in which all the members will now share a common goal. Apart from this it will also make all the members have respect for each other as well as become motivated to use their strengths to achieve their goals.

In team building each and every member has his/her own role to play so as to make the company a successful one. Most organizations are now starting to know the importance of this because of the rise of things such as morale defeating activities.

Other companies see the need to form different committees for various purposes and this means individuals can be members in several different teams within the organization.

For a specific team to be effective there should be adequate time for the members to get acquainted as well as exchange their ideas which gives the team members a sense of ownership as well as loyalty.

Team building events include activities where individuals can collaborate in different tasks, brainstorming, become creative, and give feedback as well as for trust purposes.

Majority of team building activities mainly focus on the most common issues that affect most companies that include conflict resolution, problem solving, effective communication, develop leadership, interpersonal and negotiation skills as well as organizational development.

Team buildings can also be organized for celebrating the company's achievements over a specific period or in some cases company anniversaries.

Other companies also hold team building events during the most common holidays to motivate their employees.

The activities that are most common in most events include ropes courses, having a field day of team games, scavenger hunts, meals as well as other sporting events. The planning of team building events can be a stressful thing to do but it comes with lots of benefits.

When choosing the event to host your team building event it is important to do it at an off-site location. And also be flexible by having back-up plans which make you prepared for any surprise that may arise.

It is also necessary to involve all the concerned parties when planning the event and here you are supposed to take into account that people are different and hence include activities that will be appropriate to each of them.

The activities that have been chosen are supposed to follow-up ones in order to promote collaboration. When choosing the appropriate activities that will be in the event it is necessary to do broad research on various books as well as internet sites.

There are also companies that specifically deal with team building that you can contract. Other things to consider when planning a team building include the number of people attending as well as the age group.

By Lily Morgan

Ideal Motivational Speaker For Your Team Building Event

It is important to find the perfect motivational speaker that will be appropriate for your specific team building cause. This is because different motivational speakers have specialized in different topics.

This means that before you start looking for a motivational speaker for your event, you must first know the cause or theme of the event to get the most appropriate motivational speaker. Motivation is known to be the foundation to the success of any task. This can either be both at work as well as in an individual's personal life.

Apart from delivering speeches to inspire people, motivational speakers also drive people to successful lives by helping them develop effective ideas that will help them experience personal growth and development.

Motivational speakers offer the services at different prices and it is necessary to research on several of them before settling on the one that will be at your event. Motivational speakers give keynote addresses at team building events mostly at the start of the event but some are also known to do so at the end of the event depending on the message of the day.

Most of the motivational speakers specify their topics and a majority of them choose topics that are related to their own personal experiences they have had in life as well as their responses to the challenges they have faced.

Motivational speakers can also be classified in two categories. The first category is for the self-motivator who motivates themselves to achieve themselves and these motivational speakers have backgrounds in sports or have overcome a big obstacle in their lives.

The other category is the leadership-motivator who motivates others to achieve certain tasks and these motivational speakers are known to have backgrounds in business, sports especially as coaches or managers as well as the military.

Self-motivators are ideal when you want to get the audience to re-examine or re-assess their personal situations both at work as well as their personal lives in order to achieve their goals and at the same time push to greater levels of responsibility as well as fulfillment.

Leadership motivators are ideal if you want the audience to learn things such as team-work, trust, communication, leadership as well as group dynamics.

When looking for the ideal motivational speaker for your event you are also supposed to understand the audience's needs as well as the goals or aspirations the audience has.

Another thing to put in mind is that you should make clear the message that is going to be given to your audience.

It is important to provide the motivational speaker you have chosen with some information and this is best done by preparing a document that includes any relevant history, the reason for the event, their purpose, the specific aims of the event, the theme, the challenges they might face as well as the aspirations and future plans of the company.

This information is meant to give them an idea of the things they can address as well as the sensitive issues. The other important thing to do is to get a background of some motivational speakers to find some of the events they have given speeches and their results.

Other motivational speakers have books where you can read some of their work and also you can get those who have been awarded for their work.

By Lily Morgan

Company Team Building - How to Choose the Right Team Building Event For Your Company

So the boss comes to you and says, "We need a company team building event for the annual meeting coming up. Can you find a few options for us?" Sounds easy right? Until you look up "team building event" on Google and get 116,000,000 results.

You'll find everything from scavenger hunts to cooking classes to race car driving to fighter pilots to classroom programs. And of course, everyone is counting on you to find a program that doesn't stink. No pressure.

There are a few basics about team building that you have to understand to find options that are appropriate to your group. Keep in mind that most of the people who TEACH corporate team building programs don't know aren't privy to some of the information that I'll share with you below. However, if you keep this information in mind when you select a company team event, you'll have a winner every time.

First, you have to determine what result you are expecting from the event. There are two main genres of team building, and it's real easy to get the two confused, but understanding this key principle is the main key to choosing the correct program. The most common type of team building program is the "Shared Experience" type of program.

The main result from this type of team event is a fun experience where camaraderie is built between participants. The second type of program is a "Behavior Change" type of program. These are what some people call traditional team building programs and tend to be training events where information and skill development is the focus.

Very few team building organizations are experts at both types of programs, but a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that companies that specialize in behavior change programs tend to also be pretty good at shared experience programs.

However, companies that specialize in shared experience programs tend to not crossover as well to deliver effective training programs. Again, this is a general rule of thumb, but can help in determining if the team building company that you are hiring will do a stellar job.

Shared Experience Team Building Programs

Shared experience team events are most appropriate as a way to add entertainment or fun to another type of scheduled event. For instance, if your group is having a convention or annual meeting, and you are looking for a way add some enthusiasm and fun to the event, then a Shared Experience type of Team Building program will do nicely.

These also work well as a reward to your team for accomplishing a goal or as an icebreaker for new teams. A lot of companies use these types of events for interns or to welcome new members to an established group.

In reality, just about any type of fun activity can provide a shared experience, however, the bigger you group is the more challenging it can be to get a consistent result. For instance, if you have eight people on a team, you can easily create two foursomes and play golf together or go bowling.

However, if you have a group of 20 people play golf together, it will become more of a small group shared experience versus a team building event, so it takes an experienced facilitator to deliver an event that keeps everyone involved and having fun throughout the event.

If you have 100 people or 1000 people in your group, the complexity of the shared experience is increased exponentially. In this case, you'll want to do your research very thoroughly, because one misjudgment or moment of inexperience on the part of the team builders could make your whole event an embarrassment.

Behavior Change Programs

Behavior change team building programs are quite a bit different. These events, sometimes referred to as classroom programs, work best in situations where the goals are more results oriented such as if specific challenges have developed within the team or if the group is looking for ways to improve efficiency or productivity.

For instance, if a group has just gone through a merger and the two cultures are being melded together, or if a new goal has been set that is going to require changes to be made within the organization, or any other situation where we want our team to do thing differently than they have in the past.

Behavior change team building programs require a more experienced facilitator, because the ultimate goal of the event is to actually build teamwork, communicate more effectively, or work more efficiently together.

Those kinds of behaviors aren't going to manifest themselves by getting your group to compete against each other in a contest or by playing games together.

Instead, you'll want a team building company that specializes in assessing the root causes of the challenges within the organization and who can provide information, training, and exercises to get the participants want to work better with each other.

One of the big myths about behavior change programs or classroom style team building programs is that they aren't as much fun as the shared experience event. The reality is that folks who attend a really good classroom program will usually feel more of a sense of accomplishment and feel like the time that they spent was well worth it.

The key is making sure that the company that you hire to deliver your program is interactive and fun in their deliver of the program and that the content is appropriate for the results that you are looking for. If both of those things are true, then you'll get rave reviews from your team after the program.

The Big Mistake that will Guarantee that your Event Bombs

Understanding the two different genres of team building, here is the thing that you want to be the most careful about... If you have a group who is experiencing team challenges, and you conduct a Shared Experience event to try to fix it, you are likely to make it worse.

For instance, if you sects within your group who are antagonistic about other sects within your group, and you force them to team up with each other to compete with other groups, guess what? It's likely to backfire.

However, if you want to experience the camaraderie of a shared experience program and still get the team building skills developed in a classroom program, I have good news. You can do both.

Do a behavior change program in the morning, and then use a shared experience program in the afternoon as a laboratory to use the new skills in a controlled environment. Then you get the best of both worlds!

Doug Staneart is the President and CEO of The Leader's Institute Team Building Organization. He invented philanthropic team building when he created the world-famous Build-A-Bike(R) team event and has trained over 120,000 people in team building programs over the last two decades.


By Douglas Staneart

Re-Energize the Company With Relevant Team Building Events

There are several essential facts about Dallas team building events that every business officer, supervisor and leader must realize before starting any organization development initiative.

Fail to observe these essentials and you are inviting trouble and an assortment of problems once your Dallas corporate events are underway.

It is imperative that you evaluate and consider all these facts about organization development and group dynamics so that you will have a hassle-free and trouble-free business activity.

What are these facts and how do these essentials affect the conduct and success of the organizational development activities? You may be surprised at the simplicity of these major principles.

This article shall discuss the critical issues about group dynamics and organization development and why these issues are so are important in developing a strong and cohesive business working group.

This is what is most critical. The facilitator of the business activity must be able to reduce his or her assessment of the business group down to its individual members. Individuals have the general tendency to keep personal issues and information from their peers.

In fact, even within the family, the level of intimacy is not absolutely personal as there are instances where a member of the family tends to be selective of the information and sentiments he or she is willing to share with the other members of the family.

This attitude is even more pronounced when it comes to the workplace. Most of us are inclined to be more reserved with colleagues. In fact, we even exert extra effort so that we are able to maintain the barriers between us and our colleagues.

As far as we are concerned, the relationship that exists between us and our colleagues are strictly on the "professional" level. We abhor any attempts by others to pry on our personal lives and in the same token; we choose not to involve ourselves with anything we perceive as personal.

This is the main reason why most of us don't feel any strong attachment with anyone in the organization and that the bond that ties all of you as one is purely motivated by your appreciation of your responsibility and role in the organization.

This means, that a supervisor will be oriented to have ascendancy over his or her staff. The staff, on the other hand, has to tendency to become subservient to their supervisor.

In conducting the relevant group dynamics and organizational development activities, the group shall be able to dismantle this invisible barrier and develop a better perspective of each of the member of the organization.

You will no longer see Philip as the guy who is always late in submitting weekly reports. You will now see Philip from a different perspective and hopefully appreciate and understand the person better.

This process, once properly implemented, shall foster trust and faith among each of the members of the group. The individual will also develop a more positive attitude not only towards his or her peers but also towards the organization as a whole.

Once all of these issues are clarified, each member will better appreciate the other members of the group and will also gain the trust of his or her colleague. The group dynamics shall help achieve two critical variables of a full functioning working group - trust and respect among the members.

Chuck R Stewart recently researched Dallas corporate events for his company's retreat this summer. He also arranged Dallas team building events for his staff.

By Chuck R Stewart

Do Modern Day Problems Impact on Your Team's Performance?

These days we all have so much to live up to. We try to be perfect parents, perfect partners, have the perfect social life! Something has got to give or stress starts to creep in.

Do you take the time to listen to your staff member's problems or issues?

Do you show them that you understand, show you care? You may think that it is not your place to care, that they should leave personal issues at home and not let it affect their work. However, it is not always that easy for people to compartmentalise their lives in this way and personal problems often interfere with work performance.

Their negative behaviour and moods can impact on the rest of the team. They either bring everyone else down with them creating an awful atmosphere, or they alienate themselves, making them feel even more depressed. As a manager, you have a duty to yourself, your boss and your team to deal with these issues in a compassionate manner.

Take the time to help your employee with their personal problems.

Coach them to look for solutions and they will feel closer to you. In turn, they will perform better because you showed them you care. People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care. This is an important employee retention and employee motivation discipline.

Continually offer them positive feedback whenever possible.

From this point on you will notice that employees will go out of their way to do a great job, because you took the time to include them, empower them, to thank them and to show them that you care.

Yvonne Bleakley is the manager's mentor, director of http://www.coachuk.ltd.uk and creator of The Silent Motivator System, the proven step-by-step programme to maximise staff and gain true respect and commitment.

Download your free e-book "How to Maximise your Staff and Gain Respect" at http://www.silentmotivator.com

By Yvonne Bleakley

Team Building in a Tough Economy - How to Build Your Team While You Build Your Brand

Sales are down, budgets are being cut, layoffs are looming. In tough economic times, building a strong team environment may not be the first thing on most managers' minds. But according to some experts in a recent Harvard Business study, it's in times like these that team-building exercises are needed most. Whether employees are nervous about the prospect of being laid off or the team is learning how to operate with fewer employees, group activities designed to encourage collaborative problem solving can be especially productive.

Once you've realized the importance of team building in a slow economy, consider these options for creating a strong team environment in your workplace:

Community Service

Volunteering with coworkers not only builds a strong sense of community, but also strengthens relationships between colleagues. Whether you volunteer at a soup kitchen, help build houses in a forgotten neighborhood or even just participate in a blood drive, community service projects create shared experiences that bring teams closer together. Consider including logoed products to commemorate your volunteer experience, such as logoed hammers for home projects or custom aprons for soup kitchen activities.

Field Trips

With luxury corporate retreats getting such a bad rap, many companies are opting for smaller, low-key field trips to build a stronger team. Getting out of the typical office environment and going to a park, zoo, museum or other relaxing location can help employees get to know each other better and create a better working environment. If you want to incorporate subtle team-building activities into your company field trip, try a getting-to-know-you ball toss with custom stress balls or a scavenger hunt with a logoed flashlight or other fun little prizes for teams.

Take a Class

Whether it's work-related or simply a shared hobby, taking a class with coworkers brings colleagues together and provides a shared learning experience. If your team needs to be CPR-certified, take the class together. If you discover many of your coworkers enjoy pottery painting as much as you do, suggest attending a class once a week. Whatever class you take, be sure to honor the accomplishment with a personalized certificate frame or other simple award.

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By Laura Daniels

There Are More C's to Team Building

Yes there are. I have put C's to team building simply as a way to remind me of all the aspects that go into team building. There are many different areas that need attention from time to time if not daily. But that does not mean it takes an incredible amount of time. It is more about checking on tasks and giving bits of attention to the team. They need to know the leader is involved. So more C's?

Commitment- There needs to be a commitment to the goals of the team. This comes down to wanting the team to succeed. However this should be defined so each member knows what that means. Getting each task done every day is success. Learning new things is success. Being a part of the team is success. But where does the team need to go? Where is each destination? How does it tie into the company's vision?

Content- I view this as what makes a team a team? It consists of a training manual that is updated often. Policy and procedures manual along with everyday instruction. Content also consists of the things that are not written down. It is always an expectation for people to be professional. Even this needs to be explained and have the team understand the leader's definition of this.

Challenges- There will be challenges. This is simply going to happen no matter how good a team is doing. If they did not happen it would probably get a little boring. The most important thing about teams is not that they get challenges but more about how they react to this. The mindset needs to be to get challenge taken care of whether it is correcting something or reaching a goal.

Changes- There is nothing wrong with change. Yes it takes adjustment and sometimes is not easy but the more a person fights change the harder it becomes. Teams need to know that there will be changes. But I suggest that things are not changed for the sake of changing. I have seen this happen almost as if taking ownership of a team, but teams need to see the benefit or it can have ill affects.

Caring- Teams must be cared about. This is the easiest thing for a team to see if it is true or not. If they think they are not cared about there is no reason for the team to care.

Been in business management for over 22 years. Coaching others to the success of their goals and dreams.

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Official guide for http://selfgrowth.com for team building

By Liz Cosline

Four Steps to Successful Team Building

For any pharmaceutical firm, building successful teams within the company is essential to achieving long term goals and improving the overall collective performance of the employees. However, before you can expect any team to develop successfully, it must be led by a manager who is well trained in, and understands the dynamics of building a successful team.

Hiring a pharmaceutical consultant is one way to train your managers on how to motivate and encourage employees to work together to meet objectives and reach goals. Being clear on the four stages of team building is a fundamental step in any successful team building endeavour.

Forming

During the forming stage the team is usually coming together for the first time. This can be a stressful stage as the members of the team are often nervous, uncertain of expectations and unfamiliar with the manager in charge of the team.

It is the manager's job at this time to reassure and relax the group, and bring them together with a positive, honest and motivating attitude. During this stage the rules and roles of team members are established and the goals and objectives defined.

Storming

This second stage of team building is quite aptly named as this is the stage that may create some stormy waters that the team will have to navigate. Perhaps roles and rules that were defined in the forming stage were interpreted quite differently by team members, resulting in unexpected conflicts and disagreements. The manger will have to readdress the issues and make sure that all team members are on the same page.

Norming

This third stage of team building is often referred to as the calm after the storm. Issues and misunderstandings have been cleared up and hopefully everyone is ready to work together and move forward. Individuals within the team are now better acquainted with one another and feel more confident within the group. As a result of this confidence, team members are more accepting of the input and ideas of other members and conflicts are handled within the previously established ground rules.

Performing

In a well built team, the performing stage begins the real process of meeting goals and making progress. Team members have taken ownership of combined objectives and are ready to provide their individual values to the team's efforts. Sharing of ideas and experiences, and open communications move the team along during this stage. Members begin to grow and develop within the process and take pride in accomplishments of the team as a whole.

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Pharmaceutical consultants - http://www.smartconsultinggroup.com/

By Nigel Smart