Those who don't fully understand the importance of team building often ask the question, sometimes in a derogatory way, "Does team building actually achieve anything?" The answer is quite simple: "Yes!"

Before explaining the value of team building, let me first explain why this view is sometimes taken. Sadly, it is the result of those who organise team away days thinking that they have to develop team bonding, and not realizing that they should be developing team building.

There's a huge difference. Team bonding is all very well, of course, it's good that team members can bond together and get along well as a team of people, but just about any group of people can do that - it doesn't necessarily make a team though. Sadly, any significant improvements gained in team effectiveness as a result of team bonding will probably be coincidental, and not as a result of the experience.

Team building is altogether a different matter. If taken in the context of a team away day, then proper planning, execution and management of the event is critical to the success of the desired team building outcome.

The team activity or activities that the team undertake on a team away day should always be the kind of exercise that needs and involves similar team working approaches that are practised and employed in the workplace.

Of course, the approach used need not appear similar, and certainly should not be so. They should be entertaining and fun and appear to be quite removed from the day to day work activities that team members undertake. However, the underlying basic approach should have a common resonance with the workplace that can mould the team into something more than just a bunch of people having fun on a day away.

One common mistake in team away days and the activities that the team take on is an over-emphasis on the activity itself, rather than on the general direction that the team building exercise is supposed to be taking. The activities are only a means to an end and not the end itself. They are designed to strengthen a team by exploring the strengths and weaknesses of individual members and allocating the appropriate tasks to the appropriate members.

When the success of an activity is seen as the goal, and failure to achieve the desired result of the activity is seen a failure, the team is rarely if ever strengthened in any meaningful way. However, when the activity is seen as a simple and fun way to express the team's ability to work harmoniously together, mirroring their ability to do so in the workplace, then an altogether different and much better outcome is achieved.

Another mistake that can happen in team building activities is employing a too generic approach to the activity at hand. In other words, the activity fails to impart value to the team because it fails to provide any kind of realistic setting that team members can relate to.

This mistake is easy to rectify and only requires that those organizing the event keep their eye on the ball, so to speak. When this is done properly, then yes, team building does actually achieve something!

Written by Caron J Rose

Source: http://www.callcentercafe.com/2009/01/12/does-team-building-actually-achieve-anything/