Team Building in the Workplace
Team building is very important if you wish to extract the best out of your workforce. Employees are
urged to work smarter and not just harder, in an effort to deliver the desired results. Though it
definitely contributes in its own way, individual brilliance does not singlehandedly decide the
fate of an entire project. Almost always, it is the joint efforts (or the lack thereof) of the whole
team that eventually decide the success or failure of a project. In such cases, team building in
the workplace becomes absolutely essential for a number of reasons.
Why is Team Building Important
Team building in an office helps to foster better and open communication between the
employees themselves, as well as between the employees and the higher management. It
goes a long way in improving professional relations, understanding and co-operation, and this
is very much reflected in the quality of work being done. Team building in the workplace
significantly contributes towards employee motivation and building trust among the employees,
thereby ensuring better productivity.
Now that you are aware of the importance of team building for high performance, let us take a
look at some simple team building exercises in the workplace:
Simple Team Building Exercises in the Workplace
These are some common team building exercises for communication, success and improved
team performance. You should find the team building activity that suits your needs best and there are plenty to choose from.
- Conduct Employee Feedback Activities: Employee surveys and feedback activities
are a great way of breaking the ice and encouraging the employees to speak freely. It
makes the employees feel wanted and gives them an assurance of the fact that their
opinions are valued.
- Promote Informal Addressing: Step out of the traditional formal way of employee-boss
interaction and speak freely. This gives the employees a reassurance that you
are one among them and not a corporate Hitler. This will work to your advantage as it
will encourage open workplace communication, sharing of ideas, and will help to
maintain healthy work relations.
- Organize a Day Trip: Reward your employees for the good work that they have done
in the past by organizing a day trip. Encourage employees to bring along their
spouses and children. It can be a welcome break from the daily work-related
pressures and can help fellow employees and their bosses to interact, bond, and get
to know each other better. This can, in many ways, translate into better returns at the
workplace.
- Celebrate Each Other’s Success: Learn to appreciate and acknowledge each
other’s efforts. Also, celebrate the success of a job well done or a project delivered
well ahead of the deadline. This helps in wiping out any negativity and keeps the
team united.
- Initiate Group Discussion Sessions: If you have a major project-related decision to
make, which you are not very sure about, try asking your employees for their views
on the subject. Have a group discussion on the matter and seek their suggestions
and opinions. In any case, it will be you yourself who has the last word, but this
particular gesture will promote teamwork, boost employee confidence and, once again,
make them feel valued and wanted.