How do you feel when you get to work every day? Excited? Or bored?
If you said you’re bored, you’re not alone. Workplace boredom is a common problem in organizations across the world today.
Why is workplace boredom so common? The answer lies in an organization’s work culture. Companies with a toxic work culture don’t motivate or excite employees.
This leads to tension between teams, burnout and a drop in productivity.
So how do you repair such a work culture and boost creativity? The answer lies in team-building and development.
Let’s understand the meaning of team building and its importance.
What Is Team-Building?
The meaning of team-building is the process of motivating a team to work together efficiently and deliver their best. It’s also about team members communicating openly and getting to know each other better.
As a result, your team members feel more comfortable and confident around each other.
How is team-building different from team development?
You now know what team building is. Now let’s look at what it isn’t.
The meaning of team-building is about collaboration. You also need team development to:
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Solve problems of mistrust
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Overcome past events
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Improve commitment and accountability
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Increase a desire for achieving great results
What is the meaning of team development? It is the process a team follows to understand its potential and work on to perform better. Team development not only encourages the team to make a difference today but also motivates them to keep moving forward.
This helps to know the essence of the meaning of team development.
After understanding what is team building, let’s see how team-building and development impact teamwork and the company culture as a whole.
1. Builds trust
What gets a group of people to work together perfectly as a team? It’s nothing but the trust your team members have in each other. Not all members understand the meaning of team-building, but their bond can be strong and instrumental in their success.
They know that they can fall back on each other when the need arises. Not to forget, they give space to each other to complete their tasks and make their own decisions.
2. Increases productivity
The meaning of team building underlines the importance of sharing the workload. So if one team member has a lower workload, they are willing to help others complete their work. This improves team productivity and completes a project faster.
3. Brings people together
What’s the best thing about teamwork? You know that you have someone you always trust by your side. This brings individuals closer during victories as well as failures. Employees are encouraged to perform better when they get a pat on the back for their achievements and efforts.
4. Improves company culture
When employees work together as a team, it improves productivity, performance and the bottom line. Teamwork also fosters creativity and innovation in the workplace.
That’s why every organization strives to make its employees understand the meaning and importance of team-building. With teams from the same or different departments working in harmony, employees willingly communicate and collaborate. A positive work culture improves efficiency and prevents conflicts.
How can you, as a leader or manager, get people to work as a team?
This starts right from the team formation. You have to start by explaining the meaning and importance of team-building to your team members. What team development activities you choose depend on what characteristics you want to inculcate in your team.
And how would you decide that? Well, the GRIN framework can make things easier for you. The GRIN framework discusses the key characteristics of an effective team. You can learn all about the GRIN Framework in the Managing Teamwork course at Harappa Education.
Explore topics such as Leaders vs Managers, How to Build Trust in a Team, Team Building Activities, Importance of Team Building & Contingency Planning from our Harappa Diaries section and build trust-rich relationships.