“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” —Helen Keller
Team building, when done effectively, can maximize profitability as well as create better relationships among employees. In the long run, team building can save a company time and money by having a team achieve more goals with less direction. Here are five blunders that can impede the team building process:
• Weak communication channels. In order to reach company goals, a team must work and communicate with each other. If a team rarely has a team meeting or solely communicates through email, messages can become lost, along with the company goals. Conducting a well-run weekly or monthly meeting with a trained facilitator can build strong communication skills with employees and get more things done.
• Not having clear goals. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Employees should know the company’s goals for the week, month and even the year.
• Not delegating tasks. When leaders try to do all the work themselves, it hinders the team building process. Sharing the work also means sharing the recognition and building confidence within the team.
• Publicly punishing a team member. It is necessary to discipline employees but it can create a negative environment if done publicly. Public punishments can create feelings of distrust among employees and managers. Remember, if you work in a cubical environment, what you may consider private really is public. From our work with many, many companies, we have found that disciplining an employee is best done behind closed doors.
• Showing favoritism. Showing favoritism in the office can cause other workers to become discouraged and unmotivated. Favoritism can be allowing some people to leave early, while other people are required to stay, or giving some people bonuses and not others for doing the same amount and quality of work.