Building teams effectively

A workplace team is a group of people who have common goals, which everyone is clear about, which everyone accepts and which everyone has a determination to work towards to achieve.

Throughout all sectors of industry and commerce, team-building programs are always considered very positively.  It is a common practice for most organisations today to hold team-building events at either department level or company level at least once a year.

One of the main reasons for all this effort is that most managers today believe team-building events are able to bond organisation members together both horizontally (between subordinates) or vertically (between managers and subordinates).

Despite positive attitudes towards team-building, there is still a question: do people really understand the concept of team building? 

There are numerous team-building events that seem to achieve little. Sometimes outcomes leave much to be desired by management and employee alike.

In most workplaces, team building works best when:

1. There is a high level of interdependence among the team members.
2. The team leader has good people skills, is committed to developing a team approach and allocates time to team building activities.
3. Each member is capable and willing to contribute information, skills and experiences.
4. The team develops a climate in which people feel relaxed and are able to be direct and open in their communication.
5. Team members develop a mutual trust for each other.

This, of course, is the ideal situation, but common stages in the team building process are:

• Clarifying the team goals;
• Identifying those issues which frustrate the group from achieving goals.
• Addressing those issues and remove them so that the goals can be achieved.

People in every workplace talk about team building, working as a team, and my team, but many consultants would argue that few managers understand how to create the experience of team building or how to develop an effective team.

Many view teams as the best organisation design for involving all employees in creating business success and profitability.

Belonging to a team, in the broadest sense, is a result of feeling part of something larger than yourself. It has a lot to do with your understanding of the mission or objectives of your organisation.

In a team-oriented environment, you contribute to the overall success of the organisation. You work with fellow members of the organisation to produce certain results. Even though you have a specific job function and you belong to a specific department, you are unified with other organisation members to accomplish the overall objectives. The bigger picture drives your actions; your function exists to serve the bigger picture.

Traditional team improvement often begins by assessing what isn't working so these gaps can be repaired. The metaphor operating in this approach is "team as machine": if all the parts are in place and working, the mechanism runs smoothly and efficiently.

By contrast, there is also what is called an “appreciative” approach. The appreciative approach starts with a series of questions about what is working, in order to uncover the root causes of team success. The group then plans its future by expanding and sustaining the resources in this unique "positive core". The working metaphor here is the team as an evolving, expanding mystery with untapped possibilities. In theory, at least, an appreciative process dares to aim for unprecedented breakthroughs toward the team's highest potential.