The words “team building” or “team development” are bandied about in business and industry – but what do they actually mean?

We know that when teams are functioning at their capacity in a productive manner, there is no stopping success.  We also know the opposite to be true.  A team with issues, conflicts or uncertainties, will plod along with success as a far off concept.

Whether in athletics, business, education, government, or a family trying to plan a birthday party, things are done smoother and with greater success when people work together towards a common goal.  The more effective they are at working as a team, the more fruitful the task they set out to accomplish and additionally, as an added bonus, the greater each team members’ sense of satisfaction.  Working in a team is the way to go, provided that team members can communicate freely and share confidence in each other’s abilities and good judgment.  Team building is a way to boost confidence in colleagues and ensure that free communication flows.

Coming together as a group may come naturally for some people, but positive intentions are not enough to turn a group into a team – and a successful, high-performing team at that.  Leaders know that exceptional teams are built not born. Teams need building and team building is one of the best investments an organization can make.  Team building is about creating connections and bringing out the cooperative intellect within the team.

Team building is a lot more than a frivolous experience; team building is not just a socializing event, team building isn’t just a way to get out of the office for the afternoon.  Many people think of team building as fun and games, risk taking adventures, or merely play time.  Well, there’s more to team building than just that.

Team building is a comprehensive theory encompassing different types of activities with a clear purpose.  True team building has both intention and determination.

Team Building is:  an intervention that…

Solves – Task/Problems

Clarifies – Rules

Solves – Interpersonal Challenges

Enhances – Social Relations

All of which affect team functioning

So, then what is an “intervention”?

Here are four core categories of team building interventions:

1. Team Building through Personality Assessment

In personality-based team building, individuals fill out a psychometric test – MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), for example – where they can learn more about their own personalities and those of their teammates as well.  The results of the self-assessment are shared with the team and used as a tool for communication and understanding. Personality-based team building is an effective development tool which helps team members gain better self-understanding, become aware of the differences between each other and adjust their behavior to match their teammates’.  Different individuals have different motivational needs and different reactions to work situations, stress or change. This can lead people to misinterpret each other’s intentions and actions.  Understanding and accepting individual differences will greatly enhance conflict resolution, collaboration and team effectiveness.

2. Activity-based team building

Activity-based team building is used to provide teams with challenging tasks that usually take place in the outdoors (e.g. ropes course, rafting, mountain climbing, orienteering, caving, survival events or boot camp).  These kind of activities addresses specific development needs of teams such as problem solving, risk-taking, trust-building and paradigm breaking.  The idea is not just to have fun together, bond well and learn new skills, but to actually understand how these teamwork lessons can be applied to a work situation.  The experience of success in an outdoor challenge can be a great booster for the team’s morale and productivity in the workplace.

3. Skills-based team building

While activity-based team building is an indirect way of teaching specific skills, skills-based team building means direct learning.  In skills-based team building, team members participate in workshops where they learn and practice a specific skill set, such as dealing with conflict, reaching group consensus or giving and receiving constructive feedback.  This type of team building focuses on skills that can be applied immediately to the work environment. Human resource managers may likewise use this team building approach to develop the leadership potential of members.

4. Team building through problem-solving

This type of team building activity usually takes place in a retreat setting and is led by an outside facilitator.  In problem-solving-based team building, team members come together to identify and solve a key challenge the group is currently facing.  Problem-solving-based team building is a brainstorming experience that brings to light the team’s barriers to success.  Once the symptoms have been elicited, the team goes on to examine possible causes, until they reach the root cause of the problem.  At this stage, team members are able to develop a concrete action plan to solve the challenge.

This team building approach has great benefits in term of stress relief and positive emotions towards the work environment.  Problem-solving-based team building is an outlet for frustrations and a step forward to action.  The team building helps the group move beyond inertia, stay motivated and take control over its own destiny.

Team building is a comprehensive theory encompassing different types of activities with a clear purpose.  True team building is certainly fun but also has both intention and determination – Team Building has Purpose!

Written by PowHERhouse Team Building Editor, Christina Stewart of Praxis Performance Group.