Why Doesn’t Team Building Stick?
You hold teambuilding sessions but after a couple of days and the dysfunction is back. So, what is missing?
Problem 1: The Group is Not a Team!
A group of people is not a team. Research tells us that a true team is a collection of individuals who:
· Share a commitment to a common, elevating goal
· Are interdependent - they truly cannot achieve the goal unless they actively pool their skills, perspectives, and resources (also recognizing that each person brings unique skills as well as limitations, and that is OK!)
· Are mutually accountable - each feels responsible for their commitments and they hold others equally accountable their commitments (and provide support if they stumble)
· Share results/rewards (Psychological or financial) -they view success as a reflection of their
collective efforts
Problem 2: You Focus on Too Much on Mechanics and Forget to Create Connections
Teambuilding sessions usually focus too much on the communication skills. It fails to help participants actually connect with a common goal or with each other. So, they never rally around a common identify/trust as a team that will energize them to move forward as a team.
What Can You Do? Build Connections, Connections and More Connections!
· Intentionally design your next team building session to make people connect in new ways
· Allow them to discover what they have in common
· Allow participants to identify a common goal together
· Give them several activities where they experience the thrill of winning as a TEAM based on the new perspectives they have of each other.
This approach will make a much more powerful and meaningful experience that excites them to look for more wins as a team long after the training ends.
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