TEAM BUILDING

A team is made up of a limited number of individuals who have the necessary competences (abilities, skills, and knowledge), who are dedicated to working together toward shared performance objectives and working relationships (Joshep,2012).

A variety of activities are included in team development that are aimed at enhancing team performance. In order to assure self-development, constructive communication, leadership abilities, and the capacity to collaborate closely as a team to solve problems, it seeks to bring out the best in a team (Fapohunda and  Tinuke. M,2013)

Teams must be able to accomplish more than individuals working alone if they are to live up to their promise and be more than the sum of their parts. Therefore, achieving team goals by the boss or other individuals working alone may be challenging or impossible. Synergy, which happens when people work together to produce fresh alternatives and solutions that are better than their individual efforts, is the key to a successful. (Fapohunda and  Tinuke. M,2013)

Team development stages

Teams go through development stages. In the middle of the 1960s, Bruce W. Tuckman created the framework that is most frequently used to describe the stages of development of a team. Despite the fact that many authors have added to and modified Tuckman's ideas, his descriptions of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing offer a helpful framework for analyzing your own team Judith,S(2023).

According to the Deired,S (2020) The 5 Stages of Team Development

The 5 Stages of Team Development. Deired,S (2020) 

Forming: Team members first meet at this location. The introductions should be facilitated by the team leaders, who should also highlight the qualifications of each team member. Additionally, team members are given the opportunity to organize their responsibilities and project specifics are provided.

Storming: At this point, team members openly exchange ideas and take advantage of the chance to differentiate themselves and win the respect of their colleagues. Team leaders assist teams in this stage by putting a plan in place to control intra-team rivalry, facilitate communication, and ensure tasks are completed on schedule.

Norming: Teams have mastered the art of collaboration at this point. Internal rivalry has been eliminated, and roles and objectives are crystal apparent. Each person works more productively as a result of learning how to communicate ideas and solicit input from others while pursuing a common objective.

Performing: The team members have a high degree of trust and cohesion. With minimal supervision from team leaders, teams are operating at their full efficiency. Although problems still arise, teams now have methods for fixing them without jeopardizing timelines and progress.

Adjourning: After finishing a project, teams reflect on what went well and what could be improved for subsequent endeavors. Team members then move on to new initiatives.

 

Video: 5 Stages of Team Building (Source: Potential,2018)

 

Importance of Team Building in an organization

 

According to the Indeed(2023) following are the importance of team building in an organization

 

Builds trust

Trust is an essential element of an effective team. For employees to collaborate, knowing and earning trust from each other is crucial. When an organization builds trust in the workplace, it allows employees to complete their tasks and make their own decision.

 

Fosters better communication

When employees work together, they strategize the best way to handle tasks and deliver excellent results. They can divide tasks to work in small groups, share ideas, and complete the work efficiently. With proper communication, employees understand their roles and what their colleagues are doing.

 

Improve Performance

Team building involves doing activities that help foster the importance of sharing tasks in the workplace. If an employee has less work to do, they can help other teams to complete their work. This enhances the realization of project objectives, which increases the overall productivity of an organization.

 

Encourages collaboration

One of the most significant benefits of team building is the improvement of interpersonal skills among employees. When people work together, they share their good and bad experiences. This brings them closer to each other and enhances trust. It also creates a friendly working environment where employees are free to request help or willingly assist others.

Attracts new talents

Candidates often look for roles based on more than earning a salary, including how an organization takes care of employees' welfare. Potential candidates may search for a friendly working environment that helps them achieve their career goals. Team building is an ideal strategy to attract and retain talented employees as it fosters cohesion, productivity, and a happy team.

 

Encourages innovativeness

When employees work together, they can generate great ideas. Organizations that encourage open forums where creative people sit and interact are likely to foster innovations.

 

Promotes health

Team building benefits employees by fostering physical and mental health. Team building often involves events outside the office that require teamwork among employees to solve problems.

 

Promotes company culture

Team building activities help a company improve its culture. When employees communicate and collaborate, it improves their performance, helps resolve conflicts, and enhances respect for each other. As an organization recognizes more talents, it motivates others to do better in their areas of work.

 

 

Conclusion:

Team building is essential to achieve cohesion and stability in the workspace. Incorporating team building in any business ensures employees have solid relationships and feel a sense of kinship and belonging.

References:

Deirdre,S.(2020) The 5 Stages of Team Development. Team Work. [Online] Available at:https://www.teamwork.com/blog/the-5-stages-of-team-development-what-you-need-to-know/(Accessed on April 2023)

Fapohunda and  Tinuke. M.(2013) Towards Effective Team Building in the Workplace. International Journal of Education and Research, Vol. 1 No. 4. [Online] Available at:   http://www.ijern.com/images/April-2013/23.pdf (Accessed on April 2023)

Indeed(2023) the importance of team building in an organization.Indeed [Online] Available at: https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/importance-of-team-building(Accessed on April 2023)

 

Jones, S. (2012) Team Building and the Stages of Team Development. ProQuest, Vol. 15, Iss. 1, : 52-57. [Online] Available at:https://www.proquest.com/openview/6c48a1d273c248a50838fa7e171d9d57/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=2029988 (Accessed on April 2023)

Judith,S(2023) Using the stages of the team development.MIT Human Resources. [Online] Available at:   https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/teams/articles/stages-development(Accessed on April 2023)

Potential(2018) 5 Stages of Team Building [online] Jan,8, 2018. Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtpY9zwuzFM  [Accessed 27April 2023]