Today we have a guest editorial as Steve is out of the office.

I would hazard a guess that the majority of us are on some sort of team where we work. Usually, it is beneficial for people who are on the same team to work well together. This is where team building comes in to play. My definition of team building is: helping a team of people work better together. In theory, it would be easier if we all just acted like robots and did our job, but that is not reality. We need to work together, if we want to accomplish what is being expected of us at our jobs. So how do you go about melding together a diverse group of people? It can be difficult since most of the time differences in personality (introverted verse extraverted), ways of communicating (or not communicating) all factor in on a team’s ability to work together.

I believe getting to know your teammates more on a personal level can be instrumental in working better as a team. When you know people on a deeper, more personal level, the more you might be willing to bend, to forgive, to work with someone and meet them half way. When they are just the jerk that won’t help you out or do what they are supposed to be doing, it is easy to hold a grudge and act likewise.

There are certainly some obstacles to overcome in this endeavor. With extraverts and some introverts, they don’t need any help talking about themselves. Other people just don’t talk much at all. If you ask them a question, you will probably get a one word or short answer back. Also, how do you get people to care and really listen to each other? Someone could be sharing some personal information, but if the listener(s) don’t really care, they aren’t listening anyway. If people aren’t listening to personal information how well will they listen to job related info?

There are a number of team building exercises\events that are out there. I am sure you have participated in a few. I know I have. Some of them are fun, but I think that something as simple as going out to lunch once a month on the company dime can go a long way. You do have to be a little careful at these events. You need to be mindful of those introverted people that need someone to ask them questions and care about listening to the answers. You also may need to tone down those extraverts that just want to talk about themselves without letting anyone else share. Finally, you may need to do away with the constant joking. People won’t share personal info if they think they will have someone make a joke at their expense. If and when you can get past these pitfalls, your team can begin to build bonds that will serve them well while working as a team.

In the end, if you can encourage a group of people to listen to each other and care about team members on a more personal level, I think you will be well on your way to forming a team that works well together.

What experiences have you had with team building? What worked well and what didn’t?