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Carole Ann Rice on Avoiding the Possible Pitfalls of Team Building


For the singleton it’s an opportunity for romance or expense account booze up and for those with kids it’s a nightmare of childcare arrangements and disgruntled partners.  The team away day or residential development event can build morale and create an inclusive, motivated workforces or it can simply divide, disengage or downright disillusion the reluctant team player.

From solving faux business dilemmas to psychometric testing, where individuals are divined as either Earth Mothers or Warriors, the away day can be a minefield of bruised egos and battered expense budgets.  When a team is pulling in different directions, blame and scapegoating is the culture and there seems to be an issue around shared goals and outcomes, time out and training can solve the issue.

But how many times have you seen folk return from these events flying high and geared up for change to find it dissolves into the same old routine?

 Donna from sales may have been the high wire heroine abseiling her way to team glory in the badlands of Shropshire last week, but is back to being as obstructive as ever as soon as her heels hit the office Axminster.  Something appears to have been lost in translation from away day to work day.

To ensure that a team away day really does do more than bond a disparate group of people but have real and sustainable effects it might be worth considering these pointers.

• Be very clear from the outset what the desired intention of the event is.  What exactly is it you want to achieve?  How will that be done?  What needs to be in place? What benchmark with you use to know you’ve got there?

• Make sure you will be able to measure results and take away accumulated data (contributed by the teams) that you can use effectively thereafter.

•  Don’t assume everyone wants sporting terminology and Will Carling-esque motivation exercises; that people like to be physical, extrovert or do things that get them out of a comfort zone and straight into the psychiatrist’s chair.

• Inform the team what you would like them to get out of the event and invite them to make suggestions to as to what they would like to achieve, learn and contribute to the exercise.

• Use psychometric tests from the outset so that they can identify theirs own strengths and weaknesses and learn about the qualities of their colleagues too and how best to work and interact with them.
• Work, rest and play – make sure the event has its highs and lows and at the end there is a social time in the bar or restaurant to socialize, de-brief and consolidate what has been learned.

• Check in with the team a week later to see if what they have learned has been useful and put into practice. 

• Avoid death by away day.  Too many psychometric tests and physical challenges could lead to confusion and burn out.  Remember, this is training and development not the Apprentice.

Find out more about Carole Ann Rice www.realcoachingco.com

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