10:03
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There are many ways to define a successful team, but what are some of
the primary components of good teams and how can these be reinforced in
team building
workshops. A top four list of focus areas should include
Communications- everyone is encouraged to share, Listening to others-
closely related to the first idea, being good problem solvers, and
cooperation.
It has been said that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when it comes to team effort. A successful team building
workshop will help illustrate the importance of group sharing. When
there is an atmosphere of encouragement, where all voices are brought
into the discussion, an amazing thing happens. New ideas to old problems
and unique solutions come forth. There needs to be an assumption that
all ideas and opinions are valued and from these come team success.
Useful team building activities will place the participants into small teams where the dynamics of this type of communications can “play out”.
Secondly, teams need to exercise good listening skills.
In other words, are we “Really listening” to what others say? It’s one
thing to have an opportunity to share. The question is, “is anyone
listening?” We are all guilty at times of practicing selective listening
and filtering out what we don’t want to hear or what we deem
unimportant. When that happens, the messages that the team may need the
most are effectively silenced. Team building activities that point out
this flaw in listening can really enhance the overall communicative
power of the group. Sue Patton Thoele speaks on this topic, “Deep
listening is miraculous for both the listener and the speaker. When
someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested
listening, our spirits expand.” I might add that the whole team effort expands as well.
Powerful team building programs will immerse the participants in
situations which allow them to overcome problems and come up with
solutions as a team. In a sense, the team activity should mirror real
life situations. In every life some rain will fall. For every team,
problems will crop up, often erupt. Successful race car driver Sebastien
Bourdais said that “It’s a team… they give you everything you need to
be successful, if there is a problem, they work and work and work until
it is solved”. How teams deal with the problems spells the difference
between the better teams and the failing teams. The better teams employ
good communications and listening skills
and work together to solve the problems. This some time will require a
dogged determination and perseverance to “try new solutions”.
Undeterred when these do not always succeed, new ideas are encouraged
and some are tried. Eventually, the successful teams solve the dilemma
and move on to new challenges.
Finally, you will find that great team building sessions will create
the conditions where small groups can work together and see first-hand
how cooperation brings their efforts to a successful conclusion. Perhaps
there are vast differences in skill sets and temperaments among the
team members. Instead of being a divisive feature, these differences can
be seen and used as integral parts of the overall effort. Cooperation
assumes that we all need to play a role. The Bible speaks of the
diversity of roles in this manner, “The eye cannot say to the hand that
‘I have no need of you’ “. No, there is an important job for each team
member to do and when they all cooperate in doing their part good things
usually will happen.
So in summary, when a company or manager is seeking a team building
program that will have valuable content, it should focus on some or all
of these areas. There should be exercises to promote better
communications and also listening skills.
The group should learn how to persevere in group problem solving
situations, and finally, a spirit of cooperation should be fostered. In
the final analysis, the program should cause the team to work on the
areas that will help them be a great “Team”.
Author's: Bill Resh
