Questions on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Team Building
Companies can thrive when employees routinely engage in cooperation, teamwork and positive communication. These attributes don't always develop naturally, however. Businesses can use team-building activities or events to help employees get to know one another, share a pleasant experience or learn new skills and behaviors. Team building has its advantages and disadvantages, and it's possible that your company has questions about whether team building would be an effective strategy in your workplace.
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Advantages
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Team building has multiple advantages. Events can help focus staff members on a single purpose, such as preparing for a busy retail season or working to beat a competitor. Taking time away from the regular workday for group education sessions can help workers learn more about the company's inner workings, such as decision-making processes or developing strategies, through discussions and lectures. Certain types of team-building exercises can help employees learn more about themselves as professionals and individuals, including work style, perceptions, strengths and weaknesses. Assigning problems and challenges in team building can help employees learn new problem-solving and collaborative techniques. Finally, team building can help build camaraderie and pride.
Disadvantages
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Unfortunately, team building has its disadvantages. With all staff members in attendance, it can be challenging for employers or managers to assess any individual's participation in activities. Encouraging stronger workplace teamwork and collaboration can invite free riders to slack off, allowing more motivated employees to complete their responsibilities. Team building can also be costly, especially if companies contract with an outside agency specializing in team-building activities as opposed to hosting something internally, such as a picnic and volleyball game. Also, excessive casual interaction between employees, and between employees and managers, could lead to a breakdown in the formality and discipline required in the workplace to effectively accomplish tasks.
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Types
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One of the advantages to team building is that it can be formatted to fit your company's work culture and needs. This leaves employers with the question of what type of team-building event to host. Activities can include outdoor adventures, such as sailing races; recreational activities, such as a chili cook-off; problem solving, such as assigning teams to construct an igloo using cardboard boxes; or educational, such as inviting a respected guest lecturer to guide employees through skill-building exercises. Matching the team-building activity to employee preferences is an effective way to make the event successful. Lawyers at your highly formal law firm may balk at the notion of tug-of-war and tricycle races; on the other hand, they might delight in the rowdy, good-natured competition. Ask your employees for feedback when planning events.
Accountability
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Since one of team building's disadvantages includes accountability, employers may have questions about how to accurately assess employee participation and effort in team-building exercises. One way is to ask teams to evaluate each member's participation. For example, company teams building igloos from cardboard boxes may evaluate teammates for creativity, technical ability, cooperation and effort level. Another way is to let employees know ahead of time that you'll be asking for external evaluations. For example, you can ask the sailboat captain of each employee team's vessel to provide feedback about teammate effort after completing sailboat races.
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References
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