Putting
together the "dream team" for your business can be as easy as
taking an "action" rather than "information approach". With a
plethora of training options open to employers it can often be
puzzling when trying to find the strategies that are going to
achieve results.
There is one basic rule to apply when considering your next team
building exercise. "Dream teams" are not built through information
or training alone. Seminars, competency training, reading books
and watching videos are all helpful strategies but as the age
old adage goes "action speaks louder than words". Being able to
perform tasks during training is not the same as applying them
on a day to day basis. Just as information does not automatically
change behaviours. For example, we read about the dangers of smoking
but many people still engage in this behaviour.
Environment is one of the key factors in influencing your team's
success. People base their behaviour on their beliefs about themselves
and their environment. Can they have a positive impact on their
environment? Does this environment support positive behaviour?
Team members should feel that they have the capability to contribute
in their environment. This means giving them the right equipment
and environment to be effective is essential. It also helps if
they feel safe to contribute their opinion and feedback in a supportive
environment. But how do you find this out? You simply have to
ask. Ask your team if they think there are factors in their environment
which could be improved to help them be more efficient, productive
or happy. Perhaps they many prefer music while they work, better
light or flexible hours. Many organisations have realised the
importance of employee satisfaction on the bottom line. Workplaces
now can include facilities such as childcare or the benefits of
ergonomically designed work stations.
Beliefs are the key motivators in peoples' behaviour. However,
changing your team members beliefs is not an easy or swift task.
Recruiting the right people through personality instruments and
team interviews can be one strategy but understanding their beliefs
can be important in identifying other strategies. Common beliefs
limiting team performance include:
Feedback
"I have some constructive feedback but expressing it
may cause a confrontation - best to keep it to myself"
Delegation
"The only way to get the job done properly is to do it myself"
Sales
"Real salespeople are dishonest, pushy and arrogant"
Changing beliefs such as these can be a daunting challenge. Team
leaders need to facilitate change by designing flexible experiences
for people in organisations to learn that "maybe there is a different
way to look at this". Experiential learning such as climbing trees
and playing games aren't just used because they are fun and help
build relationships but because they work. Multiple and varied
experiences must be used to inspire new ways of seeing and thinking
about things. Reframing opens the mind to new beliefs and behaviour.
Information and ideas are not enough they need to be engrained
in day to day activity. You need to look at training options and
ask what beliefs in this organisation may hamper or aid in achieving
the desired outcome? How can our work environment be changed to
support flexibility and greater productivity or what experiences
will help foster changes in belief and behaviours? Team building
is not an exact science but a cast of finding the best strategies
available to bring out the potential in your team.
