Go Team!  How Team Building Activities Benefit Your Organization

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Basketball great Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”  Your organization is most likely filled with intelligent, talented employees “winning” their fair share of “games.”  But what if those same talented employees worked together as a team?  Perhaps your organization would start “winning championships.” 

Team building has long been a part of many corporate cultures.  Perhaps you have participated in, or even led, training or other activities aimed at creating a bonding experience among co-workers.  Major goals of team building programs are to foster trust and create a cohesive working environment while instilling a clear sense of organizational goals and values. 

According to Suzanne Willis Zoglio, Ph.D., author of Teams at Work: 7 Keys to Success, “The benefits of fostering teamwork include increased productivity, improved customer service, and employee empowerment.”  She suggests that before instituting a program, leaders must first understand the seven elements of high-performance teams:

1.     Commitment: A clear sense of team direction begins with a commitment to the values and purpose of an organization.  In addition, team members and leaders must be committed to reaching determined goals.

2.     Contribution: Three factors influence the amount of individual contribution of team members – inclusion, confidence, and empowerment.  Team leaders encourage an atmosphere of inclusion by soliciting ideas and input.  In addition, they instill confidence by highlighting the talent, experience, and accomplishments of all team members.  Empowerment also goes a long way.  Team members who feel respected and trusted will then feel empowered and, in turn, will invest more energy into the team.  

3.     Communication: Friendly, positive, and open communication is vital to creating an environment in which a team can thrive.  Members must be able to provide honest feedback to each other, accept constructive criticism, and address issues in a calm, respectful manner. 

4.     Cooperation: The F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behavior aids in understanding the essence of cooperation.  F.A.C.T.S. stands for

o       Follow-through (individual actions affect the whole team),

o       Accuracy (pride shines through in a job well-done),

o       Creativity (innovation flourishes in a cohesive environment),

o       Timeliness (respect for each other’s time is crucial to team bonding), and

o       Spirit (generosity, along with valuing, trusting, and respecting each member, are vital team elements).

5.     Conflict Management: Rather than looking at conflict as negative, effective teams manage it.  This, in turn, increases trust and creativity.

6.     Change Management: In turbulent times, teams must know how to respond effectively to change, and also when to initiate needed change.

7.     Connections: Team members will go above and beyond the call of duty for each other once strong connections are formed within the group.

Once these seven elements are understood, successful team building can take place.  Retreats featuring group activities are a popular form of team building in many corporations.  For example, Revlon, Inc., sends their exempt employees to off-site team building retreats.  There, the teaching of Revlon’s corporate values and ideologies is interspersed with fun and creative games aimed at building team spirit across many departments.  One highlight of a past retreat was group harmonica lessons.  Each day of the retreat, the employees would practice playing their harmonica with their fellow teammates, helping each other while concentrating on how the sounds blended together.  At the conclusion of the retreat, the 40 attendees played a song together that, although it certainly wouldn’t garner any gold records, didn’t sound half bad.  The diverse group learned how to “make beautiful music together” in the best sense of the phrase, and the program accomplished its goal.  Employees who attended the Revlon program felt a deeper connection with the organization, a renewed sense of enthusiasm, and camaraderie with fellow employees from other departments. 

If harmonica playing isn’t your cup of tea, there are many other options available.  Internet sites, such as the UK-based Business Balls, offer free techniques, games, theories, and ideas for organizations to incorporate into their own team building programs.  Alan Chapman, Business Balls’ president, is also a speaker, coach, and advisor.  Chapman suggests that employers first ask their team members what would be a successful team building venture.  “Team building doesn't have to involve games and exercises – it might be better achieved by arranging other things which appear to be unconnected to work. Perhaps lunchtime yoga or relaxation sessions might be of interest? Maybe go bowling or horseback riding? Ask the people. Focus on fun, positive experiences and self-fulfillment,” explained Chapman.

Community involvement is a great way for organizations to build team spirit while contributing to their community.  In the SHRM White Paper, “Making Work Fun: How HR Can (and Should) Take the Lead,” Jennifer Dworkin Vigran, SPHR, explains, “Whether it’s the annual charitable giving campaign, painting classrooms in a local school or volunteering for a local community festival or parade, your employees are ready and anxious to help.  Dunk tanks, auctions, cook-offs, carnivals, and car washes are all fun ways to raise money for good causes, but they also involve employees in different departments working together toward a common goal.”

Ultimately, team building can have a long-term positive effect on your organization.  “A team whose members are aligned with its purpose, feel a challenge in their task, have a strong sense of camaraderie, feel responsibility for the outcome, and experience growth as a team and in their personal lives, will tend to sustain motivation over the long haul,” said Peter Grazier, Founder and President of Teambuilding, Inc.

Michael Jordan finished his amazing career with 32,292 points, 5,633 assists, and 6,672 rebounds.  His 30.12 career average goes down as the best in NBA history.  Yet none of his success would have been possible if he wasn’t a part of a team.  Like Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, team building can help turn your employees and your organization into champions.

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