Teambuilding Tips

There is no doubt that when you manage a team, there comes a time where you have to address a member, or members, who are not working well within the group. One thing I have learned about staff is that very few actually want to disrupt others or be the odd one out. They often are not even aware that their actions or behaviours are negatively affecting others or the team itself.

It is important to understand the underlying reason for the team player’s poor teamwork, which may include a lack of ability, low motivation or conflict with other team members. A good question to ask is, “Is this a once-off problem or does it have a lasting impact?”

Here are some tips to use when approaching this delicate situation. Remember that your actions should always be based on the premise that the team is more important or valuable than any individual.

Tip 1: Assess the issue and consequences

Make sure we aren’t making a mountain out of a molehill! Assess the degree of err and then take the appropriate action, if minor a quick chat and re-direction is called for. When dealing with any form of irritation, focus on the irritation and not the person. Try to relate to the impact this may have on the team. If a major issue, then a more formal meeting should be called.

Tip 2: Confront the team member

There are serious consequences if you don’t confront inappropriate actions or behaviours. One, they will most probably continue and escalate, and second, others in the team will become confused by what is right and wrong and what is allowed and not allowed.

One should organise a one-to-one meeting where you, the manager can listen and discuss the issue with the team member. Always start with a positive comment, then state what it is that you observed or are concerned about. Explain the impact that this observation has and how you feel about it. Allow the team member to air his/her feedback and listen to the reasons or commitments to change. If the person is defensive you will need to possibly escalate the situation to getting evidence, however, try to keep the process as informal as possible.

Always ensure the meeting ends with a positive reaffirmation as to the value the person has to the business and the impact their commitment to their persona change will make.

Tip 3: Do regular check-ups

It is vital for a manager or leader to check in with their team members often, especially if they have made commitments to change. People like to know their commitments are acknowledged and noticed.

Tip 4: Regular training

During your weekly team pep talks, chat about hypothetical situations within the team, and the “what ifs” and allow the team to talk openly about these. This will enable them to better understand what behaviours define your team culture and which do not.

Take your team beyond poor teamwork problems with HiSide Training’s range of team interventions and development programs. Get in contact with us to see how we can build and improve your teams!

Building a strong brand image is key to standing out among the competitors in any industry. A brand is made up of everything that represents a company or organisation in the world, ranging from its logo and slogan to its colours, name and its PEOPLE.

The right brand identity can transform a company’s image and make it memorable to current and potential customers or clients. It can also have an impact on the company’s profits and returns in the long run.

Consumers are extremely loyal to their favourite brands. They fall in love with the brand’s products and trust in its service. Don’t let your people let the Brand down!

Here are a few ways to ensure your people represent the Brand better:

1. Engage your people

You may know your Brand and how you want your customers to remain loyal to it. But are your staff as loyal to the brand? Hold facilitated sessions where the staff can discuss their understanding of the brand and brainstorm ways to better promote the brand. This way they will begin to feel that they are part of the brand’s development.

2. Connect the Brand to your Culture

Your Brand is a statement of intent. Behind your brand is a series of promises about quality, service and values. There is nothing worse than seeing a brand that does the opposite it says it does. For example, when Avis says “we try harder”, and the very first person you meet from that company gives you the cold shoulder, says “Sorry I’m busy,” and “I’ll get back to you.”

It is very important to allow your team to understand better what is expected of them, by facilitating an exercise that identifies the work ethic that is non-negotiable and that supports your Brand. This becomes your culture, and this will link to your values and value statement. If not, then get a better facilitator.

3. Acknowledge support of your Brand

Be alert to the times when you see your staff or team going out of their way to represent the brand positively. Acknowledge regularly as this will strengthen both the understanding as to the correct work ethic as well as the right behaviours in your organisation.

At the HiSide Group, our HiSide Training team make it happen.

Building great teams takes a lot of time and effort from HR, management and the employees. Choosing the right team is essential for the success of projects and for the business itself.

However, teams sometimes unconsciously sabotage their success in small but important ways. In his 2012 book, Choose Not To Fail, US businessman Peter Jerkewitz outlines the common pitfalls that plague teams and stops them from doing their best work.

Some of these pitfalls include the following:

Focus on the Wrong Problem

Clear direction and leadership are needed to avoid wasting time and effort in trying to solve the wrong tasks. While they might do the perfect job, if these efforts do not align with the company’s goals, it will all be in vain.

This situation then creates more work for the team who will now have to go back to the drawing board to fix the original problem, thereby resulting in more wasted time and more pressure placed on the team.

Our Movie Making Teambuild is perfect for teams to understand a process from beginning to end and not waste time on pointless tasks.

Delivering too Much or too Little

It becomes a problem when teams fail to deliver, miss deadlines or do not complete assigned tasks. However, over-delivering can also be a problem.

If your team is assigned to create a new product or campaign, the goal is not to have as many ideas as possible but rather to have one or two strong ideas. It will result in less time wasted on fleshing out weak ideas and more time spent on a great idea.

Our Ubuntu Teambuild will help teams focus on what is important and how best to deliver exactly that.

Dismissing Personal Issues

A team is not made up of robots. Different personalities and beliefs will clash every now and again. Hurt feelings and closed minds can result in a decrease in productivity.

The above should not be underestimated. Put systems in place to deal with such instances before it affects other aspects in the workplace.

Take some time and get your team to complete a Team Climate Survey and let us help you understand your team.

Successful teams do what other teams are not prepared to do! Are you ready?

Take your team beyond with Beyond Teambuilding’s exciting events, activities and challenges that push boundaries and guarantee loads of fun.

DO NOT Forget Teambuilding Safety!

There are three unwritten rules when it comes to teambuilding (okay, maybe more, but here are the non-negotiables). Teambuilding events need to be the right choice for your team to improve results, productivity etcetera, be well-executed, and be SAFE.

In this blog, we focus on the latter – safety.

Just because teambuilding happens outside the workplace in a new environment does not mean that the staff should let go of their inhibitions and forget their basic health and safety training at the expense of the highly-anticipated fun and exciting part.

Preparation is KEY

Teams may be less cautious on the teambuilding day and underestimate their safety or push themselves too hard, hurting themselves or others. But it doesn’t have to spell disaster. The easiest way for everyone involved is to follow a few simple guidelines:

1. Choose a suitable event that won’t hurt or damage your team members
2. Prepare the team for the team activities coming ahead
3. Set the playground rules by getting everyone involved
4. Keep it fun – but understand teams may need to take some risks
5. Put safety first – always!

Some team members may fear the unknown more than others and may need extra re-assurance before the event begins. It is why teambuilding facilitators should advise teams in advance of possible dangers and work on health and safety preparations to bring everyone on the same page.

Our Beyond Teambuilding trainers are going to make your experience safer and comfortable ahead of the teambuilding event, and ensure every team member understands its task and is ready to take part in the event, physically and mentally.

A well-facilitated and engaging team building event will add great value and return on investment (ROI).

The team building experience, formal or informal, is not recreational and includes process facilitation, debriefing, and reflective questioning.

Successful teams do what other teams are not prepared to do! Are you ready?

Take your team beyond with Beyond Teambuilding’s exciting events, activities and challenges that push boundaries and guarantee loads of fun.

We all have memories of school/university group projects. These memories are usually not so great. While we all wanted to pass that aspect of academia, most of us dreaded it.

First, there was always that one person who never did any work yet wanted the credit at the end. Then there may have been a scuffle or two about who would take the lead and eventually the others would fall in line. The end product was usually haphazardly put together, or one person ended up doing all the work.

That is not how efficient teams work, and it will certainly not cut it in the workplace. Here are some quotes that might inspire your colleagues to work together towards your common purpose.

1. “Individual commitment to a group effort–that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilisation work.” – Vince Lombardi
2. “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organisational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie
3. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
4. “Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.” – Patrick Lencioni
5. “I invite everyone to choose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition.” – Jean-Francois Cope
6. “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford
7. “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” – Henry Ford
8. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson
9. “Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” – Mattie Stepanek
10. “The best teamwork comes from those who are working independently toward one goal in unison.” – James Cash Penney

Successful teams do what other teams are not prepared to do! Are you ready?

Take your team beyond with Beyond Teambuilding’s exciting events, activities and challenges that push boundaries and guarantee loads of fun.