TEAM BUILDING

       TEAM BUILDING

Helping organizations develop teams through team building events and coaching is very challenging and satisfying. The tasks are not limited to facilitating a team building event. I need to educate many of my clients so they too can see the true meaning and value of team building.
Let me tell you how you can use team building to help newly formed teams meet new challenges. The seven-step team building process below can be used to enhance team success.
Team building is an essential first step in creating successful team. A group of talented people do not always produce excellent work. Interdependency and collaboration, for example, require a variety of people with a wide range of skills to work together as well-functioning and cohesive team.
Yes, no team is ever homogenous. Individuals who are selected to work together as a team bring with them their values and agendas. Sometimes, they bring to the team the norms and behaviors of the previous teams and institutions they came from. The collection of different expectations, work approaches, and behaviors may become counter productive when not given attention. I have meet many executives who said that their teams have no problems. Later, i found that their people kept them clueless about team conflicts. Every team must be effective from its creation. This is a daunting challenge I know, but you must take the challenge.
Developing a cohesive team begins with team building. The team building session for new teams must provide an opportunity for team members to agree on:

• the team charter
• the team mission, goals, and vision for success
• Team member roles and responsibilities and other key stakeholders roles
• Work approach and agreement for mutual accountability
• A learning a resource plan
• A stakeholder-communication and relationship-building plan.

Engaging in team building soon after the team’s formation helps the team address all of the dimensions of team effectiveness.
THE TEAM BUILDING PROCESS
The seven-step team building process for new teams is as follows:
Step 1 – Gain the commitment.
Step 2 – Clarify the team charter.
Step 3 – Collect information from team members.
Step 4 – Design and conduct a three-day team building session.
Step 5 – Implement the results.
Step 6 – Evaluate the impact of team building.
Step 7- Continue developing your world class team.
I know, only a handful of managers take team building seriously. For many of those in the IT industry, team building is a day where you forget about work; team building is a day when your team competes with another team. This does not mean that managers of other industries have better understanding of team building. Some company executives do not even consider having a team building at all. Believe me, I had clients which never had a team building event for the first 36 years of their corporate lives.
I know of many team building facilitators who think it is cool to give their clients a catalogue of low and high course games. They are as clueless as the people who expect them to help.
If you are a business unit manager who want to educate,engage, and empower your team, I encourage you to read more.
If you are a team building training provider, consider the following steps so you can help your customers the best way possible.
   by   Killion James.