“I hate team building!” That’s a comment I often hear and one of the foremost challenges in corporate team building. Other challenges in corporate team building relate to the activities themselves. But before you consider the activities you have to get past the I hate team building factor.
Most people hate team building because they’ve been forced into uncomfortable activities or have simply been bored to death. Team building should be well facilitated by a dedicated professional. Yet it also should be co-created by everyone who takes part in the activity.
You can get participant buy-in if you work with people and invite them into the process step by step. Here’s an example of team building you don’t have to hate.
Challenges In Corporate Team Building
High Performing Team Tuneup
A challenge every working group faces is striving to maintain optimal communication and performance. Even with teams that have reached a high level of performance, it’s hard to always run optimally. Quite often, the very factors that contribute to success, strong leadership, passion, creative ideas and intense work ethic, can lead to conflict. When strong personalities work together there will be issues. A well facilitated activity that invites collaboration around something that’s not a work project can go along way toward re-energizing and tuning up a high performing team.
Handling Growth
A growing company is great – it means the organization is thriving. But as small to mid-size companies grow, workers often miss the good ole’ days when everyone knew everyone and the water cooler crowd was like a close-knit family. It’s time for team bonding – getting your larger group together to establish the informal relationships that lead to increased morale and better sharing of information.
Vision and Passion
You can talk about your corporate vision until you’re blue in the face and still be unsuccessful in your attempts to get your workforce to own and understand that vision. You can’t force passion either. This is one of the challenges in corporate team building we see most often. A program that enables your team to co-create their shared story is a great way to help everyone feel ownership. When this happens the level of passion rises. More people feel like they’ve helped create the message or product they’re selling. Storytelling programs, Lego Serious Play and Team Building Through Song® are great ways to increase vision and passion.