Team Building Exercise
“Teams are vital elements in any given organization” (Quick, 1992, p. 5). This is because they enhance performance while at the same time bringing together people who have different ideas on the same platform. Essentially, this forms the fundamental approaches which are characterized by innovation and creativity. Teams exist in many forms of organizations. Thus, being in a position of understanding the basis of operation with regard to these teams, one is able to optimize the potentials which teams have.
Value of team building
Team building is an important instrument that assists organizations in building teams that are able to accomplish objectives and tasks which are defined by organizations. This is based on the fact that a team is as diverse as executives of an international business group. In essence, people who have experienced team building talk about how it benefited their team, “they recognize the value of team building” (Payne, 2001, p. 5). However, the demanding schedules, concern about achieving tangible results, and other factors make teams and their leaders reluctant to engage in team building. In the current competitive age, managers and organizational leaders have been sensitized on the need to engage in activities that will ensure a good investment in time invested.
There are several factors that should be considered when considering or preparing whether or not to do team-building exercises. These factors serve the purpose of ensuring that the team building activities yield purposeful results. Some of these factors include the following. Team building exercises are activities that need to be defined within certain limits that ensure that team performance is within the prescribed time limits. This is contrary to the view that team building activities consume a lot of time, which can be invested in other activities. When deciding on these activities, one should note the fact that teams need to have a clear sense of purpose and direction to achieve certain goals. These goals are important because they define the roles, objectives, and expected results of every team.
The second factor is based on the principle of ensuring that teams focus on strengthening and enhancing team performance. The team-building exercise should benefit the team by creating and promoting teamwork in the workplace. The third factor is that team building activities are effective when they are overseen by external trainers. In this case, managers are team leaders who become active participants, which ensures that everyone on the team makes gains which are within the objectives of the team building activity.
Fourthly, there must be a commitment to team building. Commitment is central when it comes to the success of the team. Team leaders and the members must commit themselves to the activities which are taking place within the team activities. This ensures that the objectives which are realized are also sustained even after the activity is over.
Team building activities
There are many team building activities that can be put into practice. The nature of the team-building exercise should be based on the objectives which the organization wishes to achieve. The activities which are associated with team building normally consist of varieties of tasks that enhance group work. Some of the activities which a team may opt to operate include outdoor games. These games involve tasks that are normally designed to improve group or team performance by ensuring that the team addresses specific needs. In these activities, the teams are able to solve problems using specific interpersonal skills. Some of these skills include communication, negotiation, leadership, and the ability to motivate each other. In most cases, the outdoor activities are preferred since they bring out the unique abilities that the members have and how these abilities can be put into use.
Resolving Conflict in the Workplace
One of the most common factors which influence working in the workplace is conflicts. Conflicts arise from several factors. These include differences among colleagues who are working on a similar project, lack of sufficient resources within a given department, undermining or patronage among superior colleagues, and lack of clear leadership structures. These are among the many factors which bring about conflicts within the workplace. It is worth mentioning the fact that these factors, in most cases, interfere with productivity in the workplace. Thus, managers and leaders within organizations have the task of ensuring that these conflicts are brought to a minimal level. There are several activities which one can consider in order to solve these problems. The most common approaches which are applied in this case are the outdoor activities. These are activities whereby colleagues from a similar organization are grouped into teams that are tasked with solving an outdoor problem. The key aspects of this activity might be to cross a raging river or competing against fellow teams. In this case, certain aspects of the interpersonal skills are brought to the fore.
Conclusion
The outcomes of the team-building effort, require the commitment to share responsibility for the initiatives. It is not an easy change, but the team believes that the benefits are worth the effort, then the commitment that results dramatically improve the execution and greater ability to influence the desired results.
References
Payne, V. ( 2001). The Team-Building Workshop:A Trainer’s Guide. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.
Quick, T. (1992). Successful Team Building. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn.