Team‑Building Is Really Important
Team building sits within the broader field of organisational psychology. At its best, it uses planned activities that are fun, engaging and purposeful to help groups communicate more effectively and work together with more trust and clarity.
Well‑designed team‑building can highlight strengths, reveal hidden leadership, and give people a chance to experience themselves and their colleagues differently from the usual day‑to‑day routines.
Why team building matters for individuals
Team‑building events can be used to identify strong points in an individual’s personality and working style – leadership, facilitation, creativity, problem‑solving, listening and more. This benefits the individual by:
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Increasing self‑awareness around strengths and preferences.
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Creating opportunities for greater job satisfaction as strengths are recognised and used.
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Opening up pathways for progression, responsibility and development.
When people experience a clear link between their actions, positive feedback and meaningful results, you get a circle of reward: positive action leads to positive response, which motivates further positive action. That is usually far more efficient than trying to drive performance purely through pressure or monitoring.
Job satisfaction is an important part of employment. Feeling worthwhile, valued, part of a team and having a sense of achievement in the working environment are essential elements of happiness for many people. These feelings can motivate a workforce, keep them engaged, and ensure they are at their most productive; in turn, that attitude and energy can motivate colleagues around them.
Working on the premise that happy staff are productive staff, many companies find that team‑building events can have a positive effect on the productivity of individuals, teams and the organisation as a whole.
Why team building matters for the team
Team building also benefits the team as a whole. When people who rarely work together are encouraged to communicate and collaborate, they may discover that they enjoy the interaction and continue to network and bond back in the office.
Colleagues who have not been getting along may have to put differences aside in order to overcome an obstacle; their dislike can soften as they work together for a common goal. Shared achievement can reframe relationships.
Most workplaces contain informal allegiances between certain groups, and divisions are often clear. Team building helps break down these barriers by creating structured interaction between established groups and creating opportunities for new networks and friendships to develop.
10 reasons team building is worth doing
Team‑building can support a wide range of outcomes, including:
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Improving communication.
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Making the workplace more enjoyable.
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Motivating a team.
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Helping people get to know each other.
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Getting everyone onto the same page, including around goals.
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Teaching teams self‑regulation strategies.
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Helping participants learn more about themselves (strengths and development areas).
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Identifying and utilising the strengths of team members.
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Improving team productivity.
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Practising effective collaboration with team members.
In short, team building encourages the improvement of interpersonal skills such as communication, negotiation, leadership and motivation.
Types of team‑building exercises
Different exercises support different outcomes. A balanced programme usually includes more than one type.
Communication exercises
Problem‑solving activities geared towards improving communication skills, for example tasks where success depends on clear instructions, active listening and feedback.
Problem‑solving / decision‑making exercises
Activities where groups work together to solve difficult problems or make complex decisions, noticing how they share information, evaluate options and reach agreement.
Planning / adaptability exercises
Tasks that focus on planning and adaptability to change. These help teams practise staying organised and flexible when dealing with complex, shifting demands.
Trust exercises
Activities designed to build trust between team members, in ways that can be scaled to match the comfort level of participants. These can range from simple, low‑risk interactions to more challenging tasks that require reliance on others.
Note on source
This article is adapted from a piece originally published in TemperVox Ltd’s Knowledge Centre. If you’d like to explore how voice, communication and team‑building can be integrated into bespoke training for your organisation, get in touch to discuss tailored workshops.