Every organization, whether it has the best products, services, or top-notch employees, can benefit from team building. Recently, we blogged about the four behaviour styles as defined by the Everything DiSC® model. In those posts, we provided an overview of the strengths and development areas of each type of employee and how to improve team communication. The overarching point is that everyone on your team is different and brilliant in their own way. However, with differences can come conflict, and getting to know each other better will help minimize conflict and maximize outputs.

What is Team Building?

According to Dictionary.com, team building (teamwork) is the action or process of causing a group of people to work together effectively as a team, especially by means of activities and events designed to increase motivation and promote cooperation. Many work groups are moving toward a team-based approach to projects and everyday deliverables, and many people are part of many teams at any given time. Therefore, possessing the skills to work effectively in a team setting and understanding how to read other people’s work styles is more important today than ever.

Often, when we talk about team building and building trust, people automatically picture obstacle courses and colleagues performing the trust fall exercises. While there is certainly need for team building activities like ones mentioned, the type of team building we are referring to is more focused on learning, enhancing communication, and applying rigor to team dynamics and outcomes. At Satori, our sessions are always outcome focused and help with the following:

  • Working within a diverse team
  • Communication
  • Balancing workload and expectations
  • Moving from minutia to the big picture
  • Executing brilliantly

Spending time on the team rather than in the team allows participants to rise above the day-to-day and take a wide-angle lens to the current situation. Understanding how everyone contributes to the current situation, what the ideal situation would be, brainstorming on ways to bridge the gaps, and agreeing on the elements of change is a winning combination that brings team members closer and increases communication and results. In short, team building works when team members are part of the solution.

Bringing the Learning Back to the Workplace

While taking a day out of the office is often fun and seen as a perk, everyone is so busy these days that the time spent away from the office needs to connect back to the office. So how do you take the lessons learned from a team building event and incorporate them into daily life? The answer is simple team-building activities are designed to facilitate communication and build trust among co-workers. A good team-building session allows for a common language to be used back in the office which will allow for easier conversations, even if the topics are difficult.

Teams can and will perform at a higher level when they communicate clearly and trust that each others’ intentions are good, and they understand others’ strengths and areas of development.  Team building, done well, will knock down walls between colleagues, making them more comfortable with each other and more productive.

Another tremendous benefit of team building is fun! Whether a team is in a good spot or in conflict, investing in team building will pay dividends in the long run.

Contact Satori

Whether you think your team is in need of a serious behavioural shift, a subtle nudge, or you just want to have some fun, Satori Consulting Inc. offers a variety of team-building possibilities that can improve communication and trust among colleagues. Every team has the potential to do great things together, but there are plenty of barriers to success. An experienced facilitator can help you get past the issues and conflicts and work together towards a common goal. We offer virtual team building, on site workshops, and customized group activities to help your team reach your goals and have some fun along the way! Contact us today to get started and follow us on social media to stay informed on all things from leadership development to strategic planning, team building and more!