I get two very common categories of request from potential clients:
Category A: Peoples who are expressing a need to work on the fundamentals of team cohesion. They feel that their team culture is lacking in purpose and shared values. Team members lack trust, respect, accountability, and the motivation to improve.
Category B: People who believe they have a very good team but want to work on how to take things to the next level.
Although both categories seem to be on opposite ends on the team cohesion spectrum, their fundamental needs remain the same.
They need to:
- Take stock of where they are at as a team (Identifying their strengths, weakness, and blind spots)
- Agree on where they want to be (goals and objectives)
- Practice the actions and behaviors required to consistently achieve said goals and objectives.
So far so good. The potential clients are completely on board with the stated needs. But…once we dive into how we are going to meet these needs, many potential clients start to get worried!
Trend: “Let’s not rock the boat.” With hybrid work being so popular, teams tend to see each other in person less frequently than they used to. So, for the rare occasion they do finally all get together in one place, the people planning the “team building” activity are apprehensive about having the tough conversations and authentic exchanges that are the catalysts for learning, sustainable growth, and positive change. They don’t want their employees to get frustrated.
Trick: They convince themselves, and others in their organization, that if people simply take some time to have some fun together, everything will be OK.
Truth: You can’t put lipstick on a pig and hope that it will no longer be a pig. Employees are already aware that there are issues, conflicts, and other elements that are preventing the team from reaching its full potential. Ignoring the issues for the good of the group will not prevent frustration, it will fuel it.
Insights:
- Most people want to be happy in their job. They want to know that they are contributing to an overall goal. They want a high level of trust, respect, empathy, and collaboration. They want opportunities to improve. So, if you announce that you are doing a “team building” activity, and show up with a magician, a food truck and a few inflatable games… you will have let the team down! Call it “fun day” and make attendance optional. Don’t raise expectations by calling it team building!
- If you are serious about building a better team, consider the benefits of experiential learning. The purpose of an experiential learning session is to reinforce key messages and strategic objectives, while allowing team members the opportunity to practice the actions and behaviors required to achieve said objectives.
Yes, people will get frustrated, there will be doubt, lack of engagement, focus on excuses instead of execution, etc…because that is part of their reality on a daily basis.
Experiential learning brings reality up to the surface for it to be addressed in a safe and productive environment. You cannot improve on anything until you agree with what is holding you back.
Increased alignment, collaboration, accountability, and overall team cohesion will be a natural by-product of a properly developed and delivered experiential learning session. In other words, “team building” will take place organically.
Read the original article on LinkedIn here.