Twelve C's for Team Building

Twelve Cs for Team Building

Executives, managers and organization staff members universally explore ways to improve business results etc. Many view team-based, horizontal, organization structures as the best design for involving all employees in creating business success.

Contact Teambuilding Australia or visit us at www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

No matter what you call your team improvement effort, continuous improvement, total quality, lean manufacturing or self-directed work teams, you are striving to improve results for customers.

Few organizations, however, are totally pleased with the results their team improvement efforts produce. If your team improvement efforts are not living up to your expectations, this self-diagnosing checklist may tell you why.

Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams, requires attention to each of the following.

Clear Expectations: Has executive leadership clearly communicated its expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes? Do team members understand why the team was created?

Context: Do team members understand why they are part of the team? Do they understand how the strategy of using teams will help the organization attain its communicated business goals?

Commitment: Do team members want to participate on the team? Are members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected outcomes? Do team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers? Do team members anticipate recognition for their contributions? Do team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team? Are team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity?

Competence: Does the team feel that it has the appropriate people participating? Does the team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed? If not, does the team have access to the help it needs?

Charter: Has the team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission. Has the team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions; its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish their task?

Control: Does the team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter? At the same time, do team members clearly understand their boundaries? How far may members go in pursuit of solutions?

Collaboration: Does the team understand team and group process? Do members understand the stages of group development? Are team members working together effectively interpersonally?

Communication: Are team members clear about the priority of their tasks? Is there an established method for the teams to give feedback? Does the organization provide important business information regularly

Creative Innovation: Is the organization really interested in change? Does it reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements? Or does it reward the people who fit in and maintain the status quo? Does it provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips necessary to stimulate new thinking?

Consequences: Do team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements?

Coordination: Are teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success? Are cross-functional and multi-department teams common and working together effectively?

Cultural Change: Does the organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be? Does the organization recognize that the more it can change its climate to support teams, the more it will receive in pay back from the work of the teams?

Spend time and attention on each of these twelve tips to ensure your work teams contribute most effectively to your business success. Your team members will love you, your business will soar, and empowered people will "own" and be responsible for their work processes. Can your work life get any better than this?www.teambuilding.com.au

Twelve C's for Team Building

Twelve Cs for Team Building

Executives, managers and organization staff members universally explore ways to improve business results etc. Many view team-based, horizontal, organization structures as the best design for involving all employees in creating business success.

Contact Teambuilding Australia or visit us at www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

No matter what you call your team improvement effort, continuous improvement, total quality, lean manufacturing or self-directed work teams, you are striving to improve results for customers.

Few organizations, however, are totally pleased with the results their team improvement efforts produce. If your team improvement efforts are not living up to your expectations, this self-diagnosing checklist may tell you why.

Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams, requires attention to each of the following.

Clear Expectations: Has executive leadership clearly communicated its expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes? Do team members understand why the team was created?

Context: Do team members understand why they are part of the team? Do they understand how the strategy of using teams will help the organization attain its communicated business goals?

Commitment: Do team members want to participate on the team? Are members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected outcomes? Do team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers? Do team members anticipate recognition for their contributions? Do team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team? Are team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity?

Competence: Does the team feel that it has the appropriate people participating? Does the team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed? If not, does the team have access to the help it needs?

Charter: Has the team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission. Has the team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions; its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish their task?

Control: Does the team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter? At the same time, do team members clearly understand their boundaries? How far may members go in pursuit of solutions?

Collaboration: Does the team understand team and group process? Do members understand the stages of group development? Are team members working together effectively interpersonally?

Communication: Are team members clear about the priority of their tasks? Is there an established method for the teams to give feedback? Does the organization provide important business information regularly

Creative Innovation: Is the organization really interested in change? Does it reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements? Or does it reward the people who fit in and maintain the status quo? Does it provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips necessary to stimulate new thinking?

Consequences: Do team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements?

Coordination: Are teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success? Are cross-functional and multi-department teams common and working together effectively?

Cultural Change: Does the organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be? Does the organization recognize that the more it can change its climate to support teams, the more it will receive in pay back from the work of the teams?

Spend time and attention on each of these twelve tips to ensure your work teams contribute most effectively to your business success. Your team members will love you, your business will soar, and empowered people will "own" and be responsible for their work processes. Can your work life get any better than this?www.teambuilding.com.au

Who is Teambuilding Australia?

With a focus on team development, Teambuilding Australia provides teambuilding activities and evening entertainment options that will engage and energise your team …. plus deliver learning opportunities for the participants. Don’t just take our word for it, ask for our testimonials: ‘The best team building we have ever done!’ TELSTRA 2008

See our videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TeambuildingAus

Who are Teambuilding Australia? We have Facilitators in business and leadership, management and team profiles experts, MC of events to Adventure instructors, based Australia wide. Our team consists of professional individuals that love FUN!

How do we operate? Our policy is to focus on designing sessions that meet your business, team and individuals needs. We do this by discussions / pre-meetings and then we offer a choice of solutions, with different outcomes and budgets.

Why Choose Teambuilding Australia? As we offer over 40 programs, with 10 years experience, from this experience we recommend alternative ideas and programs that fit your outcomes. This is all part of the Teambuilding Australia service.

Where and When do you deliver? Diverse programs allows flexibility to deliver any program, any time and at any location. We include a weather and time back up solution to all our events, plus our process allows for all eventualities to be recommended – our 10 years experience has allowed us to add value to our clients.

What’s included?

1. We deliver all of our programs.
2. 10 years of proven professional experience. Ask for our testimonials and references!
3. $10 million Public liability insurance with Lloyds of London. Business indemnity and equipment insurance.
4. Weather and time program alternative, as back - up.
5. Qualified facilitators, coaches and trainers, instructors and staff. We are a member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development.
6. Comprehensive support and logistical event management, pre event meetings to discuss outcomes.
7. All professional equipment and materials, design and teambuilding logistics taken care of.
8. Costs include everything except GST and travel logistics.


What Next?

Teambuilding Australia has earned a reputation for the design and implementation of the highest quality experience-based learning programs. We specialise in providing a range of tailor made programs for clients that can make your conference / training session both memorable, absorbing and full of personal challenge.

If we can be of any further assistance - please call or e-mail. With offices strategically placed in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, it is no problem to call in and discuss your objectives.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Who is Teambuilding Australia?

With a focus on team development, Teambuilding Australia provides teambuilding activities and evening entertainment options that will engage and energise your team …. plus deliver learning opportunities for the participants. Don’t just take our word for it, ask for our testimonials: ‘The best team building we have ever done!’ TELSTRA 2008

See our videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TeambuildingAus

Who are Teambuilding Australia? We have Facilitators in business and leadership, management and team profiles experts, MC of events to Adventure instructors, based Australia wide. Our team consists of professional individuals that love FUN!

How do we operate? Our policy is to focus on designing sessions that meet your business, team and individuals needs. We do this by discussions / pre-meetings and then we offer a choice of solutions, with different outcomes and budgets.

Why Choose Teambuilding Australia? As we offer over 40 programs, with 10 years experience, from this experience we recommend alternative ideas and programs that fit your outcomes. This is all part of the Teambuilding Australia service.

Where and When do you deliver? Diverse programs allows flexibility to deliver any program, any time and at any location. We include a weather and time back up solution to all our events, plus our process allows for all eventualities to be recommended – our 10 years experience has allowed us to add value to our clients.

What’s included?

1. We deliver all of our programs.
2. 10 years of proven professional experience. Ask for our testimonials and references!
3. $10 million Public liability insurance with Lloyds of London. Business indemnity and equipment insurance.
4. Weather and time program alternative, as back - up.
5. Qualified facilitators, coaches and trainers, instructors and staff. We are a member of the Australian Institute of Training and Development.
6. Comprehensive support and logistical event management, pre event meetings to discuss outcomes.
7. All professional equipment and materials, design and teambuilding logistics taken care of.
8. Costs include everything except GST and travel logistics.


What Next?

Teambuilding Australia has earned a reputation for the design and implementation of the highest quality experience-based learning programs. We specialise in providing a range of tailor made programs for clients that can make your conference / training session both memorable, absorbing and full of personal challenge.

If we can be of any further assistance - please call or e-mail. With offices strategically placed in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, it is no problem to call in and discuss your objectives.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.www.teambuildingaustralia.com.au

Team Building Model

The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team.Teambuilding Company website

Follow-through 
One of the most common phrases heard in groups that work well together is "You can count on it." Members trust that when a colleague agrees to return a telephone call, read a report, talk to a customer, attend a meeting, or change a behavior, the job will be done. There will be follow-through. Team members are keenly aware that as part of a team, everything that they do --or don't do---impacts someone else. 



Accuracy 
Another common phrase heard in effective work groups is "We do it right the first time." Accuracy, clearly a reflection of personal pride, also demonstrates a commitment to uphold the standards of the team, thus generating team pride. 



Creativity
Innovation flourishes on a team when individuals feel supported by colleagues. Although taking the lead in a new order of things is risky business, such risk is greatly reduced in a cooperative environment where members forgive mistakes, respect individual differences, and shift their thinking from a point of view to a viewing point. 



Timeliness
When work team members are truly cooperating they respect the time of others by turning team priorities into personal priorities, arriving for meetings on time, sharing information promptly, clustering questions for people, communicating succinctly, and asking "Is this a good time?" before initiating interactions.



Spirit
Being on a work team is a bit like being part of a family. You can't have your way all of the time, and - to add value - you must develop a generous spirit. Leaders can help work teams by addressing these "rules" of team spirit: value the individual; develop team trust; communicate openly; manage differences; share successes; welcome new members.

Why Leadership and Team Building Exercises Should not be Ignored by Small Businesses

What the Large Companies Do

Large corporations for many years have invested heavily in leadership and team building programs, including seminars, debates, outdoor activities and sports. Some take the more ‘military’ route and utilise stressful and challenging situations in order to assess and improve their workforce.

The majority of these activities have shown to be so effective and beneficial that the percentage of human resources budgets dedicated to them has increased steadily for several decades among almost all larger businesses.

The Teambuilding Company

Why Small Businesses Often Do Not

As a small business, employing a small number of people, there are many reasons why carrying out these type of programs might seem to be unnecessary or extravagant. Firstly, they appear to take a lot of time and money to organise, and without adequately trained personnel to design a program and monitor the results, the benefits may not be as much as anticipated.

Small businesses also tend to have a much more personal relationship between all the staff, and between management of the company. As a result, ‘team building’ can appear less necessary than in a larger workforce. The majority of small business types are usually less concerned with staff assessment on a formal basis, either because the managers believe they know their staff well enough, or because the structure does not allow for the same promotion opportunities that larger pyramid structured firms may have.

Why They Should

It is simply not true that small businesses would not benefit. All successful businesses, regardless of size need to evaluate staff on a regular basis, small businesses more so in most cases as it is rarely done formally.

Only with the sort of increased knowledge of your employees that can be gained from these programs, can their skills and talents be properly utilised. An increased understanding of the dynamics within a small firm, even one of only three or four people can make marked differences to productivity, job satisfaction and in many cases innovation or just ‘giving a damn’.

How They Can

One of the main reasons stated by CEOs and managers of small companies not to carry these activities out is money, but it only takes a small amount of research and imagination to come up with low cost options that can be equally worthwhile and fun.

For example, one of the more obvious options is a session of paintball or laser tag – ideal with small teams and if you are short of numbers, friends and family can be involved. The majority of sports can serve the same purpose cheaply, although care has to be taken not to exclude physically less able employees. If you can get hold of some rope, some planks, a couple of barrels and a scaffold pole or two, it is simple to design small leadership puzzles for a group to carry out. Safety can be a concern, but sensible planning and keeping it simple will reduce any risks. A basic treasure hunt, or a business ideas competition can work usefully – as a CEO or manager you should be able to come up with a myriad of ideas that will serve the purpose cheaply and effectively.

The Benefits of Fun

Above all, a small business staff can carry out these kind of activities without the pressure of ‘promotion evaluation’ that is found among large corporation staff members, so they can have fun while carrying out whatever you decide to try.

No experienced manager can dispute the benefits of a workforce having fun together as a group, as this carries over into the workplace. This makes the work environment much more pleasant and productive, plus, you get to know your team better and they get to see your better side!

Why Leadership and Team Building Exercises Should not be Ignored by Small Businesses

What the Large Companies Do

Large corporations for many years have invested heavily in leadership and team building programs, including seminars, debates, outdoor activities and sports. Some take the more ‘military’ route and utilise stressful and challenging situations in order to assess and improve their workforce.

The majority of these activities have shown to be so effective and beneficial that the percentage of human resources budgets dedicated to them has increased steadily for several decades among almost all larger businesses.

The Teambuilding Company

Why Small Businesses Often Do Not

As a small business, employing a small number of people, there are many reasons why carrying out these type of programs might seem to be unnecessary or extravagant. Firstly, they appear to take a lot of time and money to organise, and without adequately trained personnel to design a program and monitor the results, the benefits may not be as much as anticipated.

Small businesses also tend to have a much more personal relationship between all the staff, and between management of the company. As a result, ‘team building’ can appear less necessary than in a larger workforce. The majority of small business types are usually less concerned with staff assessment on a formal basis, either because the managers believe they know their staff well enough, or because the structure does not allow for the same promotion opportunities that larger pyramid structured firms may have.

Why They Should

It is simply not true that small businesses would not benefit. All successful businesses, regardless of size need to evaluate staff on a regular basis, small businesses more so in most cases as it is rarely done formally.

Only with the sort of increased knowledge of your employees that can be gained from these programs, can their skills and talents be properly utilised. An increased understanding of the dynamics within a small firm, even one of only three or four people can make marked differences to productivity, job satisfaction and in many cases innovation or just ‘giving a damn’.

How They Can

One of the main reasons stated by CEOs and managers of small companies not to carry these activities out is money, but it only takes a small amount of research and imagination to come up with low cost options that can be equally worthwhile and fun.

For example, one of the more obvious options is a session of paintball or laser tag – ideal with small teams and if you are short of numbers, friends and family can be involved. The majority of sports can serve the same purpose cheaply, although care has to be taken not to exclude physically less able employees. If you can get hold of some rope, some planks, a couple of barrels and a scaffold pole or two, it is simple to design small leadership puzzles for a group to carry out. Safety can be a concern, but sensible planning and keeping it simple will reduce any risks. A basic treasure hunt, or a business ideas competition can work usefully – as a CEO or manager you should be able to come up with a myriad of ideas that will serve the purpose cheaply and effectively.

The Benefits of Fun

Above all, a small business staff can carry out these kind of activities without the pressure of ‘promotion evaluation’ that is found among large corporation staff members, so they can have fun while carrying out whatever you decide to try.

No experienced manager can dispute the benefits of a workforce having fun together as a group, as this carries over into the workplace. This makes the work environment much more pleasant and productive, plus, you get to know your team better and they get to see your better side!