Why is it important to have good team building skills?
Team building is particularly effective in the workplace as it helps create a cohesive team. The main purpose of it is to create bonds between peers and teach them valuable skills while working together as a team to achieve a common goal. So why is it important you ask? Well, put simply, team building is what makes everyone understand each other better, and thus, work successfully together.
How to improve team building skills
There will always be tensions and disagreements when bringing people together, however it is essential to set some rules ahead of team building activities, in order to improve teamwork:
Assign clear roles - it is generally very useful to assign clear roles to team members ahead of the activity, so that each of them understands their responsibility within the group and what's expected of them
Define one main goal - team activities generally work towards achieving one common goal, be sure to make it clear to everyone what they’re trying to accomplish, this will leave no room for confusion.
Develop team mentality - as the manager, you should help everyone keep a positive mindset and encourage members throughout the activity, but most importantly, encourage them to share thoughts and ideas that will help the team advance as a whole
Encourage continuous communication - this ties in with the previous point; encouraging members to communicate constantly about their plan of action will help avoid ambiguities but also, it will definitely help members listen better when their peers are expressing ideas.
Manage the time - this last point is just as important as others mentioned before, team-building is the perfect activity to teach some proper time-management skills. Make it clear to the team that they’re working to achieve a goal within a time allocated, and remind them of the time they still have available to help them keep on track with everything that still needs to be done. Of course, the whole point of this is not to stress members, however find the right balance to keep them motivated throughout.
Essential skills for teamwork
The skills of focus will probably differ from one company to another, or from one management style to the other, however we’ve listed below a few we think are critical to any work environment:
Collaboration - this means bringing all talents and skills together in order to achieve a goal, which is perfectly applicable to the work environment and very beneficial to all members of a team.
Problem solving/Decision making - these two skills go hand in hand; the more members are put in situations where they have to solve problems, the more efficient they will become at making quick decisions, and more importantly, making the right decisions.
Communication - communication is essential when working with peers, it strengthens the bonds of the team and helps in achieving common goals in the most efficient way possible
Leadership - team building helps unveil team members who are willing to step forward and serve as a mediator in the team. Often, peers who demonstrate great leadership skills grow into positions with higher responsibilities at work.
Empathy - empathy helps showing respect and support to colleagues which is very much important in the workplace. Colleagues should develop the ability to listen to each other and understand one another, especially if a member is going through a rough phase.
Team building activities for problem solving skills
Here are a few team building activities that will help you and your team work on problem solving skills:
Puzzle games
Toxic Waste
The Contract
Escape room themes
Team building activities for communication skills
Here are a few team building activities that will help you and your team work on communication skills:
Blindfolded activities
Blindfolded obstacle course
Limited Senses
Colourblind
Team building activities for leadership skills
Here are a few team building activities that will help you and your team work on leadership skills:
Treasure hunts
Obstacle courses
Marble Run
Tower of Power
Do not hesitate to contact us on 01869 810823 or email mail@adayinthecountry.co.uk to help you arrange team building activities tailored to your needs and group size!
