Team building

Article published on 17 August 2015

The year is well past it's mid point and on many faces in offices around Johannesburg, in fact, the country the fatigue is evident. That spring in the step that the year was started with has worn off for many.

This is the time that companies need to look at the staff and remember their individual value and that staff members need a reminder that they wouldn't have gotten this far into the year, nor will they see it through the last few months without the help and support of their colleagues. Yes, there are Christmas parties and year end functions to look forward to but they are still far ahead, and essentially they are just to say thank you for all the effort put in by all concerned that helped bring the company to where it presently is.

What is needed is a little reminder that everyone is in the proverbial boat together and they will have to all row equally hard to keep floating. There a few things that a well planned team building exercise won't do for a team. Team building activities are designed to draw on the strengths of individuals, at once or one at a time. Eacg task is designed to make use of different skills with the intention of allowing each member to experience the wonder of being required for their positive strengths.

Team building activities vary from the practical and highly physical, which will rely on the guys and girls with the strength or the physically adept to carry the team through, while on another task there will be alittle more brain power and lateral thinking required, meaning that those who might not be physically inclined will also have a chance to complete their task and help keep the team afloat.

While team building is a lot of fun and includes activities that will make you laugh, and in certain instance even cry, a well structured team building outing will allow for people to voice opinions and to inspire each other through discussions and motivational speaking. We do discuss motivational speaking elsewhere on this sitebut it bears repeating that a motivational speaker is someone who has the experience required to offer guidance and inspire passion, especially when the going gets tough.

So even though the thought of a meal and a drink with colleagues, and maybe a bit of dancing afterwards, is appealing having fun together is great but having fun while achieving a goal is more substantial and will open doors within an organisation that many did not know existed.

These are just two photos of activities that could form part of a well planned team building, something for the more technically minded and also for softer skills. Allowing each one to make a contribution towards the success of the team.