3.6 THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO BE A GREAT BOSS: Actually Building Teams

(EXTRACTION FROM TEAM MANAGEMENT: Team Management Skills at http://www.mindtools.com)

Team Building that Actually Builds Teams

Team-building exercises can be a powerful way to unite a group, develop strengths, and address weaknesses.  Start by figuring out what challenges the team faces.  Spend time thinking about your team's current strengths and weaknesses.  Identify the root of any problems.

SOME BASIC EXERCISES
Improving Communication	Back-to-Back Drawing o   Divide into pairs o   Each pair sit on the floor back to back o   Give one person a picture of a shape o   Give the other person a pencil and paper o   Ask the person with the picture to give verbal instruction on how to draw the shape without actually telling the partner what the shape is o   After they have finished, ask them to compare the original shape to the actual drawing Survival Scenario o   Tell your group that their airplane has just crashed in the ocean o   There's a desert island nearby o   there's room on the lifeboat for every person – plus 12 items they'll need to survive on the island o   Instruct the team to choose which items they want to take
Eliminating Stereotypes and "Labeling"	Stereotype Party ·        Write on nametags many different 'personality types: o   Auto mechanic o   Olympic medallist o   Professor o   Fast-food restaurant worker o   Postal worker o   Movie star ·        pin or tape one tag to each person's back ·        Don't show people which tag is on their back ·        they'll be able to see everyone else's tag ·        ask each person to figure out which personality type is on his or her back by asking stereotype-based questions of other people o   Am I a man? o   Am I an athlete? o   Am I an entertainer? ·        answer only yes or no ·        encourage participants to ask questions to as many different people as possible
Building Interdependence and Trust	Human spring ·        Ask group members to stand facing each other in pairs ·        Their elbows should be bent ·        palms facing toward each other ·        Instruct them to touch their palms together ·        gradually start leaning toward each other ·        eventually they hold each other up ·        instruct everyone to move their feet further and further back so that they have to depend solely upon their partners to remain standing Mine field ·        Set up a 'mine field' using chairs, balls, cones, boxes, or any other object that could potentially be an obstacle and trip someone up ·        Leave enough space between the objects for someone to walk through ·        divide your group into pairs ·        Pay attention to who you match with whom ·        Blindfold one person, the 'mine walker', this person is not allowed to talk ·        Ask his or her partner to stay outside the mine field and give verbal directions, helping the mine walker avoid the obstacles, and reach the other side of the area ·        Before you begin, allow partners a few minutes to plan how they'll communicate ·        make sure there are consequences when people hit an obstacle, perhaps they have to start again from the beginning

Effective team building needs to happen continuously.  It needs to be part of the corporate culture.  team-building exercises help everyone address their different issues.  it will give them a chance to have fun, and learn to trust one another.  make sure that your team-building exercises aren't competitive.  Plan an event that makes people truly depend on others to succeed, and stay away from competition and 'winning.'