You’ve likely heard the saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” While it may seem cliché, it’s not wrong. In order for your organization to be successful in achieving its goals, you need a team that can work together cohesively. That kind of teamwork doesn’t just happen overnight or by magic. It takes some effort and dedication to teambuilding.
What is Teambuilding?
Teambuilding is basically what it sounds like: it is the process of building and strengthening the relationships between your employees, so they can work together better as a team. There are a number of ways in which you can promote teamwork, including gamification, activities, and planned interactions that are designed to develop comradery and relationships among coworkers. These activities can be simple in-office activities – such as a 15-minute activity at the start of a team meeting – or more intense out of office activities such as a team retreat. Whatever the activity, the goal is to build up your team.
Why is Teambuilding Important?
The success of your business will quite often rely on your employees’ ability to work together as a team. Teambuilding will help ensure that success by providing the following benefits:
1. Creates connections – Developing connections between employees is especially important when onboarding new employees. You want those new employees to quickly feel welcomed and like they belong. Teambuilding activities with new employees will help them to create those connections with their coworkers.
2. Develops communication – Teambuilding activities can help open lines of communication between team members, and develop an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions. This can lead to a more transparent workplace and constructive feedback.
3. Builds trust – An important component of a successful team is the ability to trust your teammates. Employees cannot work together successfully if they do not trust each other. Teambuilding will help employees get to know one another and develop that necessary foundation of trust.
4. Strengthens company culture – Your company culture is defined by the values, goals, and attitudes that exist within your organization and right now company culture is a big selling point for new recruits. By scheduling regular teambuilding activities and demonstrating your commitment to a culture of teamwork, you’re showing new employees your invested in their growth and success.
5. Improves morale – Low morale and job dissatisfaction result in high turnover rates. Teambuilding helps develop unity and comradery that can help boost the morale of your employees. The time you invest in teambuilding also shows concern for your employees, which will lead to happier, more satisfied employees.
6. Identify leadership potential – How your employees participate in your teambuilding activities can demonstrate which employees have leadership skills that you can harness and develop for leadership roles within your organization. Identifying these potential leaders will allow you to assign them a custom learning path to prepare them for leadership positions as they come available. Promoting from within is another great way to boost morale and strengthen your company culture.
7. Boosts productivity – Studies have shown that strong teamwork and collaboration leads to higher productivity. Building connections between your employees and encouraging positive work environments will have a positive impact on their productivity as a whole, and in turn your organizations bottom line.
Teambuilding and the Culture of Convenience
Teambuilding is just one way you can work towards developing a culture of convenience in your organization. Leaders who create a culture of convenience are able to streamline tasks and establish processes that improve employee performance and increase everyone’s productivity. Get weekly ideas on how to make your job easier through the Culture of Convenience podcast. Listen now!
