Teams almost always achieve far more than an individual can. In the book “The Wisdom of Groups” Katezenbach and Smith outline many advantages [7]:
- Many heads are better than one - groups almost always make better decisions than individuals and in the same amount of time.
- More efficient and productive.
- Provide faster more responsive customer service.
- Engender better communication.
- Create a sense of belonging and commitment.
- Empowerment and sense of ownership.
- Share information more freely.
- More personal pride in the quality of the product or service.
- Greater innovation.
- Camaraderie and support.
- Variety and challenge.
That’s if they are working as a team and not a group. (Email or phone if you would like a definition of the difference between the two). Getting your staff to work as a team can be a challenge. It does involve addressing a number of issues:
- overcoming previous conflicts
- hearing and moving on from grievances
- respect for diversity
- understanding different learning and working styles
- building trust
- open and honest communication
- creating camaraderie and a real desire to succeed.
Did you know that geese save 70% of their energy by flying in formation?
Your people may not be geese but the same kinds of benefits accrue!
How we help create a winning team
At Workplace Wellbeing we hold to a couple of principles for building teams:
- change needs to occur at the mind and in the heart
- people need to be heard
- people learn better when they are having fun
- provide for a wide variety of learning styles.
We use a mix of techniques:
- Improvisation and Games. Because we play games the same way we live and work [8].
“You can learn more about a person in an hour of play then in a lifetime of conversation” - Plato.
Besides it’s engaging and fun.
- Creative Activities. To move beyond the head and get encourage ‘unconscious’ change. To keep sessions lively and engaging.
- Facilitated Conversations. To help your teams get to the core of their challenges by encouraging disclosure and open, honest conversations.
- Knowledge. Imparting knowledge about group dynamics so that individuals understand what is going on, and have the wisdom to make better decisions.
Our team-building sessions are jam-packed, dynamic, interactive and full of practical guidance. But don’t take our word for it. Have a look at our testimonials page and see how much our clients appreciated our sessions with them.
[7] Katzenbach, J.R. and D.K. Smith, The Wisdom of Teams. 1993: Harvard Business School.
[8] Izzy, G., Playing Along: 37 Group Learning Activities Borrowed From Improvisational Theater. 1997, Michigan: Whole Person Associates.
