Teamwork is one of the biggest prerequisites for workplace efficiency. A team is a well-oiled machine that can tackle complex tasks, increase productivity and maximize the corporate output. Occasionally, functioning teams can form naturally. Inmost instances, however, a bit of assistance will be required to get people working together and communicating effortlessly.
The Benefits of Team Work
Before moving on to the most efficient team building methodologies, it’s crucial to take a look at why collaboration happens to be so important.
A new study suggests that collaboration between different professionals drives workspace performance. Researchers found out that companies promoting teamwork are five times more likely to be high performers than companies that don’t.
Teamwork capitalizes on the strengths of all the group members. Hence, complex challenges can be addressed in a quick and efficient way.
Through teamwork, professionals can generate more ideas, find creative solutions for common problems, clarify issues through thorough discussion and maintain a focus on the goal ahead for a longer period.
Research also suggests that just like being in a happy relationship, teamwork at the office creates a sense of satisfaction and belonging. Employees are more engaged and more satisfied with their professional input. This leads to enhanced employee retention and reduced turnover rates.
These are just some of the reasons why you should consider an investment in building effective teams. Training sessions rank among the most effective tools to utilize for the purpose and here’s why.
Training Sessions as a Powerful Team Building Tool
Training sessions can be utilized to teach staff an array of important skills. These include soft skills and communication – two of the essentials for building a successful team that is well merged and highly productive.
It’s very important to figure out exactly what your training sessions are going to focus on. If team building is your primary goal, you may want to opt for training sessions that put emphasis on:
- Communication and problem solving: it’s normal for ideas to clash when multiple people are involved in a certain task. Great teams, however, are known for their impeccable communication. A good training should focus on expressing ideas and seeking solutions together. Here’s an example of a team building activity that puts emphasis on communication – give each team an egg and materials to use for the purpose of packing the egg. The aim is to keep the egg whole when it’s thrown to the ground. Some of the supplies that the groups could be provided with include tape, cardboard, plastic straws, cotton, paper, bubble wrap and toothpicks.
- Trust: putting trust in other group members and knowing that they have your back is as important as effective communication. Trust, however, isn’t easy to build, especially if coworkers don’t know each other well. Some exercises that could encourage trust building include guiding a blindfolded coworker through an obstacle course and zen counting – a great exercise that teaches team members to address discomfort and awkwardness in the best possible way.
- Strategic thinking skills: many teams have the authority to come up with strategies and plans for the execution of professional tasks. Strategic thinking can be incorporated in the company culture via the right training sessions. A common scenario used in this instance is telling workers they’re the group responsible for saving a part of humanity in the event of an apocalypse. They will have to figure out which individuals to put in a shelter that has limited space (for example – a priest, a doctor, a young and fertile couple, etc.) and provide reasons why.
A Few Additional Tips and Suggestions
Running a team building training session can be challenging if you’ve never done one before. The key to a successful workshop is personalization. You have to know your employees and their most pressing problems. The training should provide an adequate solution for such issues.
To structure a good workshop, think about the people who will be attending, the desired learning outcome, the optimal length of the session and the number of exercises you can squeeze in during the respective period.
It’s best to keep training sessions short and focused. If you need to tackle multiple issues, you should better schedule several workshops in the future, each one dedicated to a specific skill or a topic.
Do the preliminary planning and try to make the exercise session fun for everyone involved. Focus on creativity and give workers a chance to have their input in the process. Getting some feedback from them in the end of the training session will also provide invaluable information to shape up future workshops.
With time, you will get better at organizing training sessions that form strong corporate teams. Remember that it’s ok to make a mistake, as long as you learn from it. Workshop planning can be a valuable learning activity for you, just like it’s going to be beneficial for the employees involved.
Author’s bio
Jennifer Ramirez is an advanced writer and an expert in human resources and corporate training. She has beed doing research in this area during 3 years already and soon she wants to get Ph.D. in Human Resources Management. Jennifer is a very talented person and besides writing and studying, sometimes she sings with her band.
