Is Team Building the Secret to Success?
Let’s take a look at the two different scenarios. The first scenario is one which we hear all too often, you have a team that doesn’ really communicate, there’s been a high turnover of staff and morale needs a good boost. This is when team building comes in. Taking your team out of it’s normal environment, taking part in a seemingly non business related task will relax your people.
They will become less guarded, they will start to learn more about each other and quite importantly they will learn that within their teams it’s actually ok to ask for help or to utilise someone else’s strength for the good of the team. They start to work together and see the results for doing so.
The second scenario has a much more positive feel initially, you have a great team of people, they are working together and producing some great results, all seems good in your company. Unfortunately when people or teams are performing well, this is when they attract interest from other companies and they get offered alternative jobs with attractive packages.
Team building is an extremely useful tool for this kind of situation. By continually strengthening the bonds within your team, individuals will becoming increasingly satisfied at work, they will be more likely to think twice about leaving the team and the great atmosphere for the unknown.
So we’ve looked two different situations where team building really does help, now let’s look at the reasons not to host an event. We haven’t got time, “we can’t close the office down just for a day out” or “we haven’t got any money”. These are reasons that we hear a fair bit, they are real reasons but you have to see the bigger picture.
You don’t have to close the office down for the day, you can host an event in the evening after work, so you do have time. Ask yourself who is the most important employee you have in your team, who’s the key achiever, now ask yourself what you would do if they left?
How much business would you lose? How much would it cost to recruit and train a replacement for them? You will probably see that hosting a team building event to keep your team happy is far more cost effective than loosing them.
Team building doesn’t need to be expensive. Choosing the right event for your team is crucial and this is where you need to speak with an experienced events company. It’s possible to get some great cost effective events and if you tell the events company what budget you are working towards and what your objectives are, then they can usually adapt or create something to maximise your budget.
So is team building really the secret to success? Absolutely, a team that plays together stays together!
Expert Team Builder Shaun Parker looks at the importance of team building events and looks at why it may be your secret to success. http://www.accolade-corporate-events.com
Time For Indoor Team Building?
The size of the room you plan to host the event is crucial, you need to communicate the size and any restrictions to the team building company. Remember details such as the shape of it – is it square or is it L shaped? Are there any pillars in it that could either obscure teams view or act as a safety hazard? These are all important details for the successful hosting of indoor team building events.
Is your meeting room on the ground floor, does it have direct access into it for equipment? If it’s not on the ground floor, does it have lift access and if so can that lift fit the event equipment in it?
Is your team build likely to be noisy? If you are planning a drumming workshop have you actually checked with the venue that they allow it? Noisy events such as musical activities can often disturb other guests, it’s crucial that you obtain permission or your event may be made to finish abruptly on the day.
Setting up for an indoor team building event often means that the team building company will need a good deal of time alone in the room. Find out exactly how much time they need and then see if it’s feasible for you. Can they set up before your meeting starts? Could they set up during lunch? All these details need to be considered.
Is the team event a surprise? If it is, then can your delegates see into the room while it is being set up? If they can, then you will need to arrange for the doors or windows to be covered to ensure that the secrecy is maintained and the impact is not lost.
Have the team building company got all the equipment that they need to host your indoor team building event? Do you need to supply microphones, if so are they hand held or clip? Do they need a PA system? Do they need a projector or a screen? Make sure you establish exactly what the events company will and won’t be supplying or your event might not run as smoothly as you hope.
If you don’t know the answers to some of these questions, then speak to the events company. Any reputable company will be happy to speak to the venue on your behalf and find out the details for you. They’ll also let you know what they supply and what’s left for you to supply because at the end of the day they will want your indoor team building event to be a resounding success too!
Shaun Parker has been providing business with indoor team building for the last half decade. For more information visit http://www.accolade-corporate-events.com
The Importance Of Team Motivation
It is really quite simple, for a team to win or accomplish a task they have to be motivated to. However, team motivation is affected by many factors. According to experts, the clarity of purpose, the present challenges, the existing leadership, the camaraderie and the growth opportunities present in the team can affect its overall performance.
Clarity Of Purpose
One of the most important factors that can keep a team motivated is clarity of purpose. As long as the members of the team share a common goal or purpose, they will have the motivation to work together.
According to studies, team motivation is at its highest when all the members of the team fully understand their purpose and strongly believe in what they are doing. To achieve clarity of purpose and to give each team member a sense of ownership over the team’s goals, everyone should be involved in the decision making process.
Moreover, involving everyone in setting the directions of the team is very important. This makes sure that everyone knows where the team is heading and what specific roles are they going to play for the team to achieve its common goal.
Present Challenges Can Increase Team Motivation
Team motivation may be determined by the present challenges faced by the team. In most cases, teams work well and have the highest level of motivation during crisis and extreme challenge. According to studies, human beings have the natural capacity to fight and defend.
This capacity to fight and defend is greatly enhanced if done through team efforts. To keep up high team motivation level, you need some challenges to test the ingenuity, courage and stamina of you team members.
The human needs of the team members are very important. Everyone needs to feel that they belong and that they are an important factor in the team achieving its goals.
According to studies, highly functional teams do not just work together; they also play and have fun together. To improve the interpersonal relationships between team members you should practice:
* Openness
* Respect
* Honesty
A team is like a family. If you lie to or cheat members of the family, you are bound to get into trouble.
Good Leadership Is The Key To Motivation
Above anything else, leadership is very important to maintain high team motivation level. A team needs to have somebody who can keep things together and do the dirty works every now and then.
A good team leader is like the head of the family. He or she should take full responsibility of everyone in the team. When choosing a team leader, you should take into consideration the capacity of the person to inspire loyalty, trust, and respect from the other members of the team. A good leader should have a lot of experience in the task at hand so the team members have faith in their abilities.
Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Let Brue take you by the hand and introduce to a proven way to change your life forever. Visit: http://www.DailyAmbitions.com
Business Is All About Relationships
I live in a small metropolitan area with only about 110,000 people. And it seems even smaller than that.
I’ve been doing business in this community for over 20 years. I’ve worked in non-profits, sales, publishing, printing, construction and now Internet publishing.
Very little of my business is now local. But I DO run into people often from previous business relationships. Like me, many of these people are in different businesses–often different careers altogether.
It struck me how much my present business relationships have to do with my previous ones. I’ve found it easy to recreate rapport and establish trust with folks I’ve had good dealings with before. When I know someone and have confidence in their word, doing business with them becomes easier.
I just had lunch with someone whom I’ve known and worked with since 1983. All of our dealings have not been positive. In fact he was hurt financially by some poor business decisions I made in the early 90s. Even so, our friendship weathered that storm because of the depth of the relationship.
I’ve not always been successful, but I strive to have an excellent relationship with everyone. It doesn’t seem possible all the time, but it’s worth striving for nonetheless.
Marketing gurus recommend that we should be mindful of the lifetime value of a customer–to look not only at the profit from an initial sale. It’s good advice, but I would take it a step further Be mindful of the lifetime value of a RELATIONSHIP–not just a customer.
One of the key concepts we talked about at the recent World-Class Business Summit was the importance of relationships in business. I went so far as to say that business is really a network of communication against a background of relationships.
And it’s not just relationships with customers-it’s with suppliers, coworkers, stakeholders–even competitors.
As some of my recent encounters have pointed out, some relationships are completely reversed from what they used to be. Customers can now be employers. Competitors can now be customers. Coworkers may now be bosses.
Today, with the Internet, our business world becomes even smaller. We do business with people around the world, but it’s really still a pretty small community. As I talk with other entrepreneurs online, we seem to know many of the same people. In a few years, we may each be doing something a bit different. And the relationships we have and build today will serve us in the future in direct proportion to the quality and integrity we create.
It’s important that we cultivate and nurture our relationships. Being honest, playing win-win and treating people fairly isn’t just a moral thing to do–it’s good business–now, and in the future.
Karen Scharf is a member of SuccessNet.org, an on-line community dedicated to helping you become your personal and professional best. You can download the FREE eBook “How to Form Your Own Success Team” at http://www.successnet.org/teams.htm