Organisational Development

There are many characteristics which successful teams share including:

• clear team goals and objectives
• team members who communicate effectively and actively share information, skills and knowledge
• team members who trust, respect  and support each other
• team members who enjoy their work and in being part of the team
• team members who focus on results and are committed to both the task and the team
• the ability to adapt quickly to change
• clear open lines of communication
• regular reviews of their effectiveness
• team members who are involved in decisions which affect them
• recognise and celebrate success
• a successful team is one which is easy to manage
• a positive working environment

The ultimate aim of teambuilding will be to establish a team which demonstrates the characteristics detailed above.

There are various factors which can indicate that a team is not performing as effectively as it might be.  Understanding the Tuckman Team Development Model could provide an indication of where the problems might originate, however to get a clearer picture of the issues it is important to examine the team performance in more detail.

Both the line manager and team members may be aware that the team is not performing as well as it could but may not be able to pinpoint the issues.

To help establish a clearer picture of the problem the line manager should complete the diagnostic Manager Questionnaire which can help identify if there is a need and also what the symptoms of the team problem might be.

Asking team members to complete a Team Member Survey‌ will provide the line manager or team leader with more information on the need for a team building activity and taking their views into consideration will be the first stage to ensuring their commitment to any future team development activity.

When is Team Building not the solution?

The results of the completed diagnostics (Manager Questionnaire and Team Member Survey‌‌) may indicate that there is no team development need and carrying out a team building event when the need is of an individual nature could be detrimental to team morale.

It may be that the problems caused within the team stem from one individual. Individual performance can be impacted by a number of factors which include:

Factors external to the individual:

• Data –information about standards and what is expected including regular feedback about their performance
• Resources – tools, resources, materials including environmental factors
• Incentives – financial, career development opportunities, consequences of poor performance

Factors internal to the individual:

• Knowledge – are they trained for their role?
• Capacity – personal qualities, social skills, physical or mental limitations
• Motives – attitude towards their role – are they willing and do they want to do the job?

(Adapted from Dr. Thomas F. Gilbert “Human Competence: Engineering Worthy Performance”).

If individual performance issues are identified through the Manager Questionnaire‌‌ e.g. individual competence, performance or behaviour, then these should be addressed through performance management.

For guidance on dealing with individual performance management issues please contact your local HR support.

As individuals need personal development so too do teams. A team building event should be the start of a gradual process and not be seen as a quick fix. Regular development which could be incorporated into staff meetings will nurture team growth. This process can commence with following up on the Meeting Action Plan‌ which results from the first teambuilding event. 

Details of how to plan and structure a team building event can be found in Structuring a Team Building Event and a Team Building Event Preparation Checklist will help ensure all the logistics are covered.

An accurate analysis of the results of the diagnostic tools will clarify the team members’ needs. An effective team building event must be designed to address the identified needs and establish the desired results of a successful event.

Being clear about what you want to achieve

The first thing to consider when designing a teambuilding event is the outcome to be achieved so begin with the end in mind.

Questions to be considered:

• what are the objectives of the team building event?
• what is your overall goal?
• what is happening now that you want to change?
• what are team members not doing currently that they should be doing after the session
• what are the potential barriers to a successful team event? How could these be overcome?

Unless you know what you want to achieve it will be difficult to determine how successful the event has been.

When a team building event is designed it should be clear what the team need to get from the activity and there should be clear and precise actions arising as a result; what are people going to do as a result of the teambuilding event?

Some examples of key objectives for team building might be:

• improved collaboration between team members
• improved communication
• introducing change
• managing change
• problem solving
• flexible thinking
• building trust
• creating a vision
• resolving conflict
• improve decision making processes
• managing projects more effectively

Importance of communication & buy-in

The ultimate success of any team building event will depend upon the commitment and buy-in of team members.

Given the opportunity to contribute employees:

• express opinions
• share knowledge
• have improved working relationships with their manager
• develop a strong sense of teamwork with their colleagues

Allowing team members the opportunity to express their views provides an excellent means of gathering information about how they work in a team and can itself lead to improved effectiveness.

Communication is critical to successful teamwork. Keeping team members informed and involved in developing solutions can have a positive impact.  Clear communication helps build trust; poor communication can result in apprehensive de-motivated and suspicious staff. 

Methods to get team members involved in the development of the team building programme:

• a team survey including open questions
• focus groups – structured meetings with representative samples from the team to ascertain their ideas, opinions and recommendations
• requesting volunteers to get involved in the design of a team building event

The results from any team survey or focus group session must be communicated to all team members to develop a culture of openness and trust. Finding a method to keep employees involved and informed can assist in establishing team success.

The Logistics

In order to help plan the team building event please refer to the Team Building Event Preparation Checklist‌.

Facilitating an event

To understand the role the facilitator plays in the team building event process please refer to the Facilitation Guide.