Enduring Truths of Teambuilding 6 guidelines for success in today’s world of virtual connectivity By Bill John
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here is no doubt that when you (The Helping Hands Project) on the same day in 18 different put your heart into something, you locations across eight countries. In this kind of scenario, a company tend to do it better. If the classic can also instill a sense of unity by promoting the various groups’ adage “home is where the heart is” rings accomplishments on an internal website or app. true, then working from home should be Decide when in-person sessions are imperative. Although we the key to business success. However, know that quarterly reports, financial breakdowns, brainstorming working offsite can create challenges and business strategy are elements that can be adequately covered for your business or organization through technological platforms, the best connections are still made face— particularly when it comes to to-face. With so much technology jockeying for our attention, making eye teambuilding, camaraderie and chemistry. contact is a dying art. Establishing and maintaining a strong workforce So how can you effectively conduct requires an occasional “all-hands-on-deck” function that gives your entire teambuilding sessions when team members work offsite, whether at team an opportunity to connect, bolstering good old-fashioned press-thehome or in offices at different locations? flesh personal connection and team vibe. Remote working is now a reality affecting nearly half of the Gauge the team “climate” beforehand. Beyond the strain country’s workforce. According to Gallup’s 2016 State of the that technology can place on team connectedness, there may American Workplace study, 43 percent of employees spend at be a longstanding hostility or indifference between team members. least some time working remotely. The same study found that I suggest taking an audit of the team “climate” to determine if there finance, insurance, real estate, transportation, are such feelings. This should be carried out manufacturing and retail have been the during the planning stages of your teambuilding industries most impacted by remote working. event, and will help guide both choice of activity The problem is that technological connectivity and event logistics. hoose teambuilding does not necessarily imply relational connectivity. Include informal conversation. A crucial that is a strong I am, for example, connected to more people than way to create bonds that go beyond “talking ever in my life, but I can’t say that I have more shop,” informal conversation should play an metaphor for the work important role in any teambuilding session. “friends.” The ability to connect with people is often lost under a superficial umbrella of technology, participants do and the This could include questions about hobbies which can result in both awkwardness and distance and interests that team members participate business they are in. among team members, employees and partners. in when not working — just make sure that In our line of work at Odyssey Teams, those the conversations and content aren’t always little things that we miss when over-relying on virtual business related. connections regularly manifest themselves. During our face-to-face Make your event inclusive. When team members work offsite, teambuilding programs, we regularly hear, “It’s so great putting a it’s easy to let personal achievements or special occasions slip face to a name!” and “I learned more about you in the last two hours through the cracks. Announcing and celebrating these highlights in than I have in the last year.” team meetings is a great way to build cohesion and to give remote However, when teambuilding events are well planned, workers a sense of community long after the session is over. collaboration can flourish — even when many team members Accommodate baby-boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials. Do participate virtually. Odyssey Teams has been in the business for each of these distinct generations need a customized teambuilding more than 25 years and along the way we have worked with industry plan? I don’t believe that they do! While your workforce population leaders such as Microsoft, Charles Schwab, Disney and LinkedIn. can be multigenerational and dispersed, there is a common theme of While trends come and go, we’ve found that several enduring truths wanting relevant and interactive corporate teambuilding activities to remain when creating a successful teambuilding program, including reinvigorate their “why” for working better together. those with remote participants. Now that remote working is a reality in the American workplace, companies and organizations cannot lose sight of how to best serve these Select an activity that “connects” to the workplace. People workers when it comes to planning and executing essential teambuilding give up a lot to attend face-to-face meetings, and what they do functions. By carefully considering connection and philanthropy, face should be more than just “fun.” Choose teambuilding that is a time and team climate, as well as engaging activities, inclusiveness and strong metaphor for the work they do and the business they are informal communication, you’ll be ensuring an optimum experience for in. Additionally, the activity can connect to the values of the host your scattered crew’s next teambuilding session. organization, a case in point being philanthropic teambuilding. These programs can be transformational for the recipients of As President and Founder of Chico, CA-based Odyssey Teams, what you build and/or donate, and simultaneously reflect the Inc., Bill John brings over 25 years of experience working with host organization’s values. When colleagues simply cannot be in senior executives from the world’s biggest organizations, John the same physical location, it is still possible to foster a sense of and Odyssey Teams received the Prevue Visionary Award collaboration. For example, one of my clients hosted a “Global Day for forward-thinking initiatives in the areas of environmental of Service” where participants built prosthetic hands for amputees sustainability, social innovation, community building and CSR.
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