The Role Of A Teambuilding Workshop In The Success Of Companies

By Brenda Ellis


The modern business environment is more competitive than ever. In order to survive, companies need to add value. They need to be creative and they need to set the pace. This requires highly motivated and skilled teams. Effective teams have been known to turn the fortunes of companies around, for either the better or the worse. This is why so many companies depend upon a teambuilding workshop to help their teams to develop and to remain at the cutting edge.

Team building exercises are often misinterpreted as free time away from the office. Effective team building exercises have very specific goals that address the needs of the team in question. It may aim to improve communication, to resolve conflict, to instil leadership skills or simply to allow team members to become more familiar with each other as individuals. These, and many other objectives, are best achieved away from the work environment.

Because team building has become so popular, a huge industry that caters for this specific need now exists. There are numerous companies and event managers that focus upon the planning and management of these exercises. They arrange everything, from the venue to the entertainment and the program. Many venues have also realized the potential of this market and have invested in equipment specifically meant for team building exercises.

Sadly, the team building industry has become a hunting ground for many unqualified and inexperienced practitioners. These individuals and companies think that team building is nothing more than an exciting outing for the employees of their clients. They do not understand how teams work, they have no experience in the evaluation of team dynamics and they certainly cannot help teams to perform better. Clients have to be careful, therefore.

Because team building exercises are organized for such a large variety of reasons, it is also important to employ a contractor that is qualified and experienced in helping teams to achieve the goals relevant to a specific intervention. Many team building professionals specialize in very specific areas, such as communication or conflict management. Getting the right organizer and leader can make all the difference.

Clients should insist that team building organizers present them with a detailed proposal regarding the exercise. In this proposal, they should not only concentrate on logistical matters such as transport, the venue, catering and the budget, but also on how the objectives of the exercise will be achieved. Where possible, the client should be allowed to exercise certain options regarding the program.

A proper team building exercise should contain elements of evaluation. Not only should the members of the team give feedback to their colleagues, but the contractor should also provide a detailed report. This report should be viewed as confidential and should be honest about the ways in which individual team members contributed towards or thwarted the efforts to strengthen the team as a whole.

Team building is important because it empowers teams to work more efficiently and productively. There is a great danger, however, that these exercises will be seen as nothing more than motivational breaks or rewards, rather than serious development exercises. The use of professional and experienced contractors is therefore essential.




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