Team Building Article: 5 Key Ideas to Create a Culture of Team Building in Your Business

Guy Farmer

Team Building and Effective Communication

Unconventional Training

Guy Farmer

Unconventional Training

Many people ask me whether there is any easy way to build stronger teams in their business. I frequently suggest that people go beyond the occasional activity or retreat and create an overall culture of team building in their organization. Creating a culture of team building means establishing an environment where employees are encouraged to collaborate with each other. The ultimate goal is to build a workplace where people collaborate well and help each other succeed.

Our employees and organizations are more productive and experience better morale when we build highly functional teams but many of us don’t use this valuable tool on a regular basis. Successful team building requires conscious and ongoing commitment from leadership so that it can take root in the organization. Let’s look at five key ideas to help you create a workplace that values team building.

1. Team building starts at the top. In order to build strong teams we need buy-in and participation from the company leaders. While it’s possible for individual departments or work groups to do some activities on their own it’s always more effective when leaders are actively and continuously involved and showing their commitment to being part of the team. When leaders participate it sends a positive message of dedication and shared purpose. Our employees get the idea that we value team building.

2. Developing a culture of team building. Every business has a culture that it creates based its core values. We can design a culture of team building at any time if we choose to do so. We create this type of environment by giving people the opportunity to work together effectively and supporting them along the way. This may require shifting from a competitive or compartmentalized culture to one that encourages collaboration. As leaders, we can set a positive example by being role models and practicing the culture we claim we’re trying to create.

3. Team building takes commitment, time and practice. We can’t build cohesive teams if we only provide a one-hour training every few years and then do no follow-up. Team building is an ongoing process where people continually practice the skills related to collaborating and working together. Our goal is to create a workplace where team building becomes the standard way of doing things. Leaders play an important part because they decide and demonstrate through their actions whether team building is really a priority or a token gesture.

4. Set time aside to do activities. Identify a team building activity (look online for ideas) that makes sense to you and do it once a week. Clients often ask me how to find the time to do team building when they have so much other stuff on their plates. The answer is that you either dedicate the time or you don’t. You decide whether team building is a priority and how you will fit it into your work schedule. I recommend a weekly activity that stands on its own and doesn’t have to share space with other meetings. The idea is to give these activities importance and conduct them with no interruptions.

5. Celebrate your staff. We all get so busy that we forget that creating teams is really about celebrating our employees and developing their amazing talents and abilities. Team building isn’t a burden; it’s about helping people enjoy working together. When people are allowed to collaborate positively they tend to perform better and do it with fewer problems. Leaders can have a profound effect on the productivity and well-being of their employees when they focus on praising them and building effective teams.

Team building is about helping your employees come together so they can get more work done with less effort and more fun. There’s no secret to the process, it just takes a commitment from leadership and allocating the time to do it. The rewards are numerous because, when we build strong teams, our workplaces simply function better. Try the ideas we’ve talked about in this article and you’ll be on your way to enjoying the rewards that come from creating a culture of team building.

Team Building, Effective Communication, Leadership and Diversity Articles

Why continue doing the same old things when some basic shifts will get you much better results. I enjoy writing professional development articles that help people live happier lives at work.

5 Key Ideas to Create a Culture of Team Building in Your Business