Harnessing the power of team building

While team building alone won’t magically create effective teams, it is a useful tool that can be used to improve team dynamics and therefore productivity. Meetings speaks to the experts to find out more.

Alan Hosking, a leadership development expert and publisher of HR Future magazine, says, “With command-andcontrol leadership fast falling into disuse, collaboration is the name of the game, and collaboration is just another word for teamwork.”

This change is driven by evidence that consistently highlights the benefits that a well-functioning team can deliver – in a nutshell, “greater productivity and profitability of the team”.

Alan explains that, by working together to achieve a goal in an informal and fun environment, teams can learn more about each other’s strong points as well as weaknesses. These insights can improve future collaborations. Team building also helps to nurture and strengthen relationships, which enhances “the team’s creativity, communication and trust, resulting in greater agility.”

Lastly, an often-overlooked benefit Alan draws attention to is that team building can provide an opportunity to spot new leaders (those who show initiative and courage) and expose hidden talents.

CURRENT TRENDS

Gerry Skerritt, founding director of Dream Team Catalyst, says there have been exciting developments globally in the team development arena. However, he believes South Africa has many activity originators and thought leaders, keeping the industry on par with global innovations and best practice.

For the last 12 months, he’s found most companies are interested in activities that will help teams reconnect after so much time spent apart due to lockdowns and remote work. In these instances, he recommends activities like the Big Picture, where “teams create a giant artwork through intense, structured and focused action, using a ‘one team, one goal’ approach”, or Orchestrate, where teams learn to play real orchestral instruments in two hours, after which they perform two iconic pieces of classical music.

Two other trends Gerry has identified are using team-building activities as an opportunity for corporate social investment or for experiences that will give employees the skills and knowledge they need in an increasingly technology-centric workplace. “We made a massive investment in gamifying our activities through sophisticated technology and gameplay that engages people while ensuring that knowledge and skills are developed and retained. AI, robotics, drones and other envelope-pushing technologies are almost a standard feature in many of our current offerings,” says Gerry.

ON-SITE VS VIRTUAL TEAM BUILDING

During lockdown, many companies developed virtual team-building activities. Beach and Bush Adventures was among them, and director Sean Uys reveals that they have been surprised by how similar the outcomes and results have been compared to the in-person ones: “After running hundreds of virtual team-building events, we can honestly say that it is really effective and even has some distinct advantages.” He shares the following advantages when hosting virtual team building: • It can be easily run 24/7 for any team anywhere in the world. • It cuts out many big costs, such as venue hire and travel. • It reduces the time out of office cost. • It’s unaffected by bad weather. • By using Zoom, the entire team can still see each other, and it’s possible to elicit positive interactions. He adds, “One thing worth mentioning is that the style of facilitation is very different. Facilitators need to be highly skilled, unself-conscious and outgoing individuals in order to effectively run Zoom- and Teams-based activities. This is because these events require a higher level of interaction and awareness by the lead facilitator.”

“Finally, the most frequent question that we hear these days is: ‘What do you have that’s new?’ Clients are less likely to accept old concepts, or rehashed or poorly copied ones,” he concludes. As a result, the company regularly adds new products to its portfolio, including 16 new programmes this year and an anticipated 20 next year.

FIRST, KNOW YOUR GOAL

As the trends above illustrate, team building can deliver many different outcomes, so you need to be clear on your desired outcome before choosing an activity, says Sean Uys, director of Beach and Bush Adventures. He elaborates, “If you have just gone through a merger, we would suggest you focus on collaborative activities. For a sales team, we would recommend low-impact competitive activities that will appeal to all and allow teams to let off steam.”

You will also need to carefully consider the personalities and preferences of the people involved when choosing your activities. This is to avoid situations where some team members may feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or simply cannot participate, which will defeat the objective of a team build.

Whatever you decide to do, it should be compulsory for the whole team to attend. “Teams need to be inclusive. Often, senior management don’t attend or ‘sit out’. What this creates is an us versus them mentality, which is precisely what you should be looking to avoid,” says Sean.

Photo credit: Dream Team Catalyst

ALAN HOSKING’S 5 TIPS FOR TEAM-BUILDING SUCCESS

1. GET AWAY FROM THE OFFICE

If you want to have everybody focused on the team-building exercises and not being called out of the room to answer the phone, you need to arrange a venue away from the office. Choose one that is relaxing, yet stimulating, where people will feel free to think new thoughts and try new things. That’s when the magic happens…

2. CREATE A FUN ENVIRONMENT

Many people make the mistake of thinking that having fun is unproductive and unfocused. That’s not true. Fun can often result in people becoming a lot more focused because they are really enjoying what they’re doing. A fun environment also reduces stress and tension, setting people free to be themselves and make mistakes without fear of criticism. This enhances the learning experience.

3. CHOOSE THE ACTIVITIES WISELY

There must be a reason and purpose behind the various team-building exercises that are undertaken, otherwise it is a waste of time and money. Do your homework to identify what teambuilding activities will be of most benefit to your team’s particular needs and goals.

4. ALLOW TIME FOR REFLECTION

AND FEEDBACK

Learning takes place on two occasions: during the actual activities and then during the reflection and feedback session. When the team engages with one another about what happened, why it happened (or didn’t happen), and why the winners prevailed, some real value emerges.

5. HAVE A GREAT FACILITATOR

The facilitator can make or break the reflection and feedback session and add some real value by highlighting insights for the team. It’s therefore important to select a facilitator who has the expertise and experience to identify the important lessons and impart them upon the team members.