It Doesn’t Have to be Sexy: Team Building is an Office Affair

A few years ago, after just sitting down on a plane, I watched in amusement as five early morning passengers came aboard: even at before 7 in the morning, and from 10 rows back, it was easy to notice the rowdy 7, each in a  spanking-new still bearing packing folds yellow team jacket. The chest of each coat was  embroidered… something like “Performance Conference 2009—Our People: Our Pride!”  It was clear their destination was enviable, given the jackets were windbreakers, and it was -12°C outside.  They were euphoric.

At the time, the stress of frazzled economic times were affecting the globe and the perks of the jackets, the trip – the investment seemed out of place and further, I wondered, what, if anything concrete, will result from it on their return?  The group was obviously enjoying high alignment and team-spirit – and they clearly were in anticipation of the off-site event… no wonder!  These massive undertakings are usually meticulously designed team experiences, with perks that usually seem afforded to a select few.  Today, after several years of curtailed extravagance in organizations, “sexy” team-building events still seem far from everyday, but they are still invested in – or seem like good ideas.  While we can’t all be organizations that create casual, fun, party-like team environments (say, like Zappo’s or Google), are these ‘wow’ events necessary to create team performance, alignment, rewards and spirit?

Intended to develop and improve communication, alignment and results, off-site events can be effective – but organizations are cautious to invest given that they can fail to result in any lasting return in team spirit and health.  Hey, I’m the last one to not appreciate a super relaxed or effective team-building session: but a Are they needed at all?

Do Teams Need Off-Site Events?

Healthy, collaborative and joyful teams work together well both in times of crisis and calm. Members feel welcome in the workplace and are energized by learning from challenges together, reacting to changes swiftly and effectively. Conversely, unhealthy, out-of-balance teams fail to deliver regardless of the availability of luxuries, resources, time, or innovations. When dissatisfied or distrustful, unhealthy “toxic” teams or team members build barriers between each other and hoard information, resources, and support. They poorly address or ignore discomforts and react badly to change.

Off-site events, given the time away from the job, the cost of facilities, travel, meals, speakers, facilitators, etc., team events are increasingly recognized as luxuries that organizations can’t afford especially when they can fail to deliver on expectations:

“Though well intended, a team I know was “treated” to an off-site paint-ball retreat. The battle lines drawn at that ‘team building’ event turned what had previously been minor issues into an ongoing battle zone back at the office.”

John Curtis, Conflict Coach

Change management and conflict specialists have long known that major events do not guarantee results and do not do as well as small adjustments to day-to-day practices in renovating unhealthy teams and relationships.   Sticky and healthy norms that are positive encourage team engagement and performance outcomes.  These are proven to result from activities that are not costly, difficult, or unusual. Simple to implement day-to-day practices can both help to diagnose team dysfunction and result in dramatic team turn-around seemingly overnight.

The “4 Legs” of Everyday Team Building

Four kinds of regular activity and practice are necessary to build and sustain healthy teams: like a wobbly table, teams become unstable or can fail completely when any one of these “legs” is out of alignment (or is missing altogether!).  As in the case of stabilizing a four-legged table, adjustment to just one “leg” may solve the problem altogether, but poorly done, the adjustment may create or highlight another flaw that needs adjustment.  Day-to-day on site practices strengthen and adjust all four legs such incrementally such that each contributes to a balance in desired team stability and results.

On site team building involves easy activities that ensure ongoing team alignment, balance, and stability.

Leg 1 – Regular, Purposeful Dialogue

Team members want to understand context and feel they belong—to be welcomed, respected and trusted with a meaningful role in dialogue. Allow and encourage dialogue to help team members recognize and value each other, their diversity and their strengths.

“I have been impressed by our frequent, well-attended team meetings; each is an opportunity for us to get updated on how things are going… workload, questions, and announcements. The gatherings are pretty informal and don’t last long—half hour, no more. The meeting “facilitator” addresses each person individually and gives them a chance to speak. I was a little surprised at my first meeting, because I didn’t think I could comment on anything. I remember saying something like I was glad to be there, and that was it… but people listened. Since then, I have seen how these meetings have brought the team through a period of great change. When there was an overflow of work, people were asked to help each other out: who needed help… and who could help… and how they could help. We are treated as equals, respected in our range of capabilities, experience, personalities, and we are encouraged. It’s not to say that I wouldn’t mind an out-of-office gathering, but I already feel like I’m part of a team.”

Suzanne McDonald, Human Resources Assistant

Leg 2 – Signal Core Values

Don’t be afraid to be frank or audacious about signaling pride in the things that really matter.  The folks on my personal ‘best team ever’ still get together once in a while.  When we worked together, we found ourselves forced to personally and collectively recognize what is most important to the organization and the team. Our team leader invited this regularly, visibly, and with enthusiasm.  Working together, we could be laughing all day, loved working together delivering top quality results every time… all this when, it may surprise you,we didn’t all like each other!   Each of us loved and hated certain things, but we knew what mattered most and was valued by that group.  We didn’t choose each other but performance, fun, respect, recognition—and each other were key to that team.

Leg 3 – Build Competency in Negotiation and Agreement Building

Team performance is dramatically improved when the team members realign, re-orient and adapt to day-to-day realities. Navigating conflicts and agreement building are skills that correlate to a team’s agility and adaptability; such competencies address the management of internal and external conflicts, challenges, and crises.

Invariably, someone in every team-building session states, “Communication is the issue”, but when pressed, no one wants to see more or better newsletters, emails, info-sessions or policy directives. What they do want is that new and/or confusing information be provided in ways that they can manage for conflict. While policy and boundaries of authority may apply, negotiation skills can help teams work through overlap and gaps in their roles, resources, processes, and tasks to “divide and conquer” workload.

If navigating conflict and agreement building sound like getting a root canal done, take heart: there are resources available (books, coaching, mediation, etc.), and learning to effectively negotiate in the workplace can build relationships and teams regardless of what level you are at in the company.  Years ago, I asked a new guy to do an urgent task for a client. Rather than saying, ‘Okay, sure. I’ll get right on it’, he politely asked that I sit down so he could take notes. He confirmed exactly what I needed, when and how long I thought it would take. I could not believe what he did next… he invited me to take a look at his calendar and told me he was checking to see when the time I needed would be next available. I said, ‘But I need it now!’ and he said he understood my job was urgent and, given that I have more authority with my peers, his calendar could help me to renegotiate work they’d already scheduled with him. I was floored by this behavior, but he got the work done and—without a doubt—I learned his time was something to be negotiated – not taken for granted. Though he was years younger than I was, I learned from him to respect my own time. I’ve bargained/contracted out my time and built agreements differently ever since.

Leg 4 –Mini and Major Milestones

Step back on occasion. Take a mini-break from pressing activities to set shared goals that appreciate the interests the matter, then regularly and meaningfully mark their success and recognize learning from mistakes. Whether celebrating results or just another Friday, teams benefit from sharing, valuing and reflecting on events together.  Each passing event adds another story to the lore of the team – building goodwill and what we know as team “culture”. Announce face-to-face when new members join; exchange a few tales from their past, and spill with pride about the team’s life story, too. Each of these—stories told, token gifts, certificates, Post-it “way to go” notes, “thank you” cards, and other forms of appreciation—become artifacts of your team history and culture.   Pizza (with a topping of pride) for lunch anyone?

Is Day-to-Day Team Building Really Better?

If you are like me, you know where those swish new “uniform” jackets the team on the plane were wearing are today: the back of the closet or long ago recycled.  I don’t have that kind of cynicism for all team investments – at all.  I love that one organization I know treated its corporate team to a swank resort each year. While not a sexy or slick jacket, during one year’s agenda, the whole team – from the CEO down – was met on arrival in their hotel rooms with identical salmon-strewn flannel PJs (extra large) that they were required to wear for their first breakfast meeting.   In today’s economy, this organization no longer does the resort and whether such common-denominator, “yes, you belong!” tactics are an affordable and necessary tactic or not, know that a team turn-around, culture, engagement, and ownership can be built through day-to-day efforts instead.  Such day-to-day efforts can be lead by anyone, at any level: no need for big budget, splashy and all–out off site meetings.

Not all team building requires big investment, novelties, or time.  Studies have shown that more than 80% of learning in the workplace is informal[i]; in other words, teams develop, build culture and knowledge through hands-on, at-the-job teamwork that establishes “the way it is around here.” Onsite team building economically allows for strengthening and adjusting the critical balance of each of the 4 legs of the team table: values, dialogue, negotiation, and celebration—all without having to wear those extra large PJs.

Cheers,

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[i] Berg, S.A, and Chyung, S.Y. (2008): Factors that Influence Informal Learning in the Workplace, Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 20, 4. Pp 229-244.