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Stronger Together: Team Building Ideas

December 13, 2018 adminmj

Team Work!  You’ve probably read it all before, with sayings like ‘teams get more done working together than people working alone’ and ‘there is no I in team.’

All of this is true and ongoing research tells us that a key ingredient in effective team work is collaboration.  People working on problems together to solve issues that threaten their ability to achieve goals.  Nothing new here.

Simply, highly performing teams are stronger together.

A team is a group of people, working together collaboratively, to achieve common goals in an environment of ongoing communication and trust, with a focus on getting the job done and supporting each other in the process.

Team + Communication + Collaboration = Stronger Together

Teamwork means people working together.  One person cannot do it all alone, no matter how gifted they are.  Entrepreneurs soon learn that whilst they may have a great idea, product or service, to get anywhere (and grow) it takes a team of people working together to help them get to where they want to go.

Calling on different skill sets to help a business grow and thrive, together, communication and collaborating to effectively solve problems makes teams work and become highly performing over time.

Swimming in their own lane

Countless organisations have silos in their ranks.  Departments or functions swimming in their own lane to win their own race in their own time.  They have blinkers on.  Their narrow approach lacks insight and understanding that if all departments and functions swim in the same race, in the same pool, encouraging and helping each other along the way (including assisting those who can’t swim well or at all) they (as a big swim team) will win the race, over and over again.

Simple?  No it’s not.  A lack of communication, increased competitiveness, personal agendas and egos often spoil it for everybody and the pool starts to have different lanes, with different swimmers, some losers and some winners.  The pool is divided.

The difference between highly performing and low performing teams

Low performing teams are those where people work alone, communication is poor, people don’t get tasks done on time and the relationships between team members are poor.  Often there is gossiping and blaming of each other and alliances and factions form that divide the troops.

High performing teams do the opposite. With a clear vision and ongoing communication, the team works together to achieve goals, encouraging and supporting each along the way.  The team members WANT to work together and enjoy doing so, and conflict is addressed sooner rather than later, keeping relationships within the team robust and strong.

Making money in spite of themselves.

Some organisations make money in spite of themselves.  We see it so often.  A company makes and sells a good product which is in demand, but is led by ego driven bosses at various levels, who don’t place their people at the top of their priority and appear to be in it mostly for themselves.

Good people leave for better and more lucrative horizons, the product still walks out the door.

The company makes money in spite of itself.

Here’s the thing.  Imagine how much more effective and collaborative it could be if everybody pulled together, leaders served their people (to help them flourish in their roles) and a culture of achievement (of goals) and support (of each other) is the outcome?

Team Building Activities

Team building is a specific strategy to help teams become more engaged in their work by joining together effectively with others in the team.  They highlight principles of how best to get the most out of teamwork and illustrate ways in which team members can be more collaborative over time.

5 team building activities

Depending on the outcomes, team building activities are strategically used to achieve greater performance in one of many ways.

  1. The Yak Game – designed to build communication and solve problems
  2. The Knot Game – looks at how teams communicate and work together to solve challenges
  3. The Marshmallow Tower Game – communication and working together are key outcomes
  4. The Witches of Glum – a key active listening story that tests your ability to listen well
  5. The Right Family – learning how to listen properly and respond swiftly.

Highly performing teams make all the difference to an Organisation, but they are strategically led and created over time.  Let us help you create highly performing teams in your Organisation.

Pure Magic International Business Solutions is an award-winning company, passionate about helping clients achieve strategic business outcomes by providing innovative leadership, management and people development strategies and techniques at all levels and by using a range of easy to implement OD and HR strategies. 

To find out more, head to www.puremagicbusiness.com.au

Or you can chat with us about any concerns or ideas you have about team building. Book a free discussion at https://my.timetrade.com/book/QGY21

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