Let us turn your everyday corporate picnic Sydney into an extraordinary one. One of the staples of the business and association education courses has been team building, and deservingly so. The need for effective teams in every enterprise is a constant, even while the challenges of constructing effective teams appears to be rising.
Of those thoughts, one of the most strategic information gathering procedure a teambuilding workshop leader can engage in is to survey the whole group, with the guarantee of privacy. Participants MUST know that their replies can’t be traced back to them. Even a very simple survey that asks “What are the greatest strengths and difficulties of the team?” will give incredible insight to the seminar leader, insights that the workplace team head may not yet be aware of.
It Starts Well Ahead of the Meeting Day
One key factor in an effective team building day is the addition of a process that starts well before the event. This consists of interviews of key leadership by the seminar presenter, surveys of potential attendees to generate their perspective, and a review of the past team development efforts and their lasting effect on the business or group in question.Of those ideas, the most strategic data gathering process a team-building seminar leader can engage in is to survey the full team, with the assurance of anonymity. Participants MUST know that their replies cannot be traced back to them. Even a simply survey that asks “What are the greatest strengths and challenges of the team?” will give incredible insight to the seminar leader, insights that the workplace team leader may not yet be privy to.
The Team Meeting
One of the most critical factors for the day itself, is to appreciate a little bit about how individuals learn and transform, and to make space both for the presentation of content and the time to think through how the ideas can be applied in the actual team context back at the office. When time isn’t really provided to application strategies, the seminar ends, the lessons are forgotten about and absolutely nothing really changes.
In terms of the subject material being taught, it is quite helpful if there is a properly rounded explanation of team that is spelled out in such a way that the business now has a common understanding of “team” or “teamwork.” There are several different methods of explaining these things, some more useful than others in establishing a shared vision, however the important issue is that there is a common concept, a shared ideal in the brains of all team members when it comes to these foundational terms. Over and above this important starting point, there are many different directions the material can be shaped, based on the needs of the specific group, but important subjects include team communication, team trust, team motivation and team evaluation.
It takes a strategic effort to make sure the solid team principles actually show up in the team immediately after the seminar or retreat is over. First of all, make sure there is a chance for team members to explore the ideas, even question them in some measure, along with their thoughts of how this theory can show up in the team. This makes sure that team members will depart with some shared observations, greatly boosting the chance that there will be real change back home.The other important element in assisting application are team physical activities that support the theory portion of the event. A large number of active, often outdoor, team building events center on activities that teach generic team concepts, but do not anchor them inside the team context. An event that is shaped by pre event study, and which contains solid team theory, is able to use the active team building exercises to lock in the theory that has already been applied to the groups team context.
Some businesses and speakers seem to focus on the activity, others on the theory. Very few seem to cover each side of the challenge with high effectiveness. One option is to retain a different organization for each portion of the retreat making it part of their contracts that they collaborate and coordinate their content material. Some team training companies actually look for other companies to enhance their work, and offer their packaged services to the business market.
One other frequently lacking component in team training courses is a focus on developing a value and enthusiasm for team. It is one thing to comprehend team principles, it’s quite another thing to believe in teamwork, to have a passion for creating and strengthening teams. Productive team building workshops have content which will produce this kind of passion, combined with a facilitator who is genuinely pumped up about the subject and the amazing possibilities of teamwork.
Event Follow Up
Following a well planned, enjoyable and content packed team building seminar, it is very important to have a follow up and concept support plan. There are various delivery options for this part of the team development, including webinars, brief follow up appointments from team teachers, personal training opportunities for team members, or a follow up event about three to six months following the primary event. When this kind of follow up is a part of the plan from the beginning, contracts can be negotiated with the trainers which make the after-event follow up very affordable; in fact, most team building speakers are themselves enthusiastic about team and definitely will work with you to ensure your team members obtain the most lasting results possible.
Not all corporate team building seminars are created equal. Any training that includes a pre event survey, a combination of theory and application, and a well thought out post event follow up method will give a far greater Return on your investment than a team building retreat held at even the most amazing locale.