Regardless of how long the program is, I have always defined team building in three ways:
1. It is a tool to help accelerate team formation.
2. It is strategic in nature.
3. It is focused on skill development and behavioral change.
If you want to create a team building program that will have a positive impact on your team, it is important to pay attention to the pitfalls you may encounter.
Here are 4 common reasons why team building fails.
1. It is irrelevant.
– there are no clear objectives
– the facilitator never spoke to the “decision maker” prior to the event
2. It is ambiguous.
– there are no clear “tools” to take back to the workplace to help team members be more effective
3. There is a lack of commitment
– the program isn’t linked to broader professional development efforts
– there is no follow-up scheduled as part of the program
4. Inexperience
– the facilitator has no real business experience and never spent time in the boardroom
– the facilitator has limited knowledge about business or your industry
If you see symptoms such as these within your team building programs, it is likely you won’t see a change in how your team collaborates.
So, what are the keys to making team building effective?
Stay tuned for this Thursday’s blog post and I will share with you the 4 P’s of Strategic Team Building.