We’ve said it before; we’ll say it again. We’re back! The cogs of the world are churning. The fire is lit in the engine room. But even as we propel forward, there is still some audible dust on the internal wheels. With more and more teams living in the remote or hybrid workspace, company culture is taking on unexpected water. Lack of motivation or dissent can torpedo your growth and success. If you’re not watching out for the icebergs, you’re sunk. So, we’ve made you list of 10 signs that your team needs team building. And we’ll tell you how to bail out the banality in order to stay buoyant.
First, you need to understand what team building is and who needs it.
What is Team Building?
If you want to demotivate a team, read them the actual definition of team building. According to Oxford, it’s: “The action or process of causing a group of people to work together effectively as a team.” Snooze!
Yes, on paper, that definition is correct. But it’s not even close to capturing the bigger picture of what team building is. The true essence of team building lives in the soft, spongy marrow between the people. It’s trying to look through the same lens while walking in a kaleidoscope of different shoes.
The act of team building can come in many forms. And how it’s done depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If done right, team building will be one of the most critical things you do this year to strengthen your brand. When you reignite the light of your people, it is magic. And those sparks will make your culture sparkle.
Why Do You Need It?
If you have to ask, “Why do I need team building?”, teams in general may not be for you. Having a cohesive and well-working team is critical to your company’s success. They are the heart and soul of your business. From frontline to behind-the-scenes, your employees fuel the flight of your brand.
An unhappy or frustrated team carries a huge negative weight, which will pull down your trajectory. A recent survey by Gallup stated that 51% of workers are “not engaged”. They are “psychologically unattached to their work and company”. That is a staggering statistic. Over half of your teams are going through the motions. With so many disenfranchised, how do you figure out who needs the help?
Who Needs Team Building?
Everybody. A little louder for the people up top…EVERYBODY! In today’s climate, everybody on the team needs team building. Even management.
In that same Gallup poll, the disconnect was even higher for managers. When you think about the fact that managers impact 70% of the team’s engagement, it makes sense why people feel afloat.
With negativity populating such a huge section of your team, how do you know if you’re sinking? Here are 10 signs that your team is drowning.
Signs Your Team Needs Team Building
UC Berkeley compiled a list of symptoms that are an alarm that your team needs team building. Vigilant owners and management will recognize that these are just the tips of more serious problems below the surface.
- Decreased productivity – Slow production means a lag in revenue. Is your team sluggish? Are tasks taking much longer to accomplish than before? Is there a clog in motivation? When you your flow is getting frozen, this is a warning sign.
- Conflicts or hostility among staff members – Differing opinions are a reality of a workplace. But there is a difference between different perspectives vs actual conflict. Is there friction between your departments? Are you seeing communication breakdowns or – worse – open hostility? When there is grinding between the gears, you need to grease the wheels.
- Confusion about assignments, missed signals, and unclear relationships – No one wants to hear “That’s not my job!”. But sometimes the lines between departments or tasks become unnecessarily blurred. Do people seem confused by what they need to accomplish? Are your teams’ roles not clearly defined or understood? If you’ve ever built a piece of furniture on your own, you’ll understand. When the directions are confusing, there is a strong likelihood that things will be wobbly.
- Decisions misunderstood or not carried through properly – This is especially true for managers. When directives need to be carried out, they need to go all the way. Is the walk not matching the talk? Are the promises not being delivered? Commitment is a tough pill to swallow when it’s not swallowed from the top down.
- Apathy and lack of involvement from the team – When your team wears their lack of enthusiasm like a uniform, it’s a red flag. Do you sense a resistance to engagement? Is there a heavy silence when you’re looking for feedback? Apathetic individuals build a team of the disengaged.
- Lack of initiation, imagination, innovation; routine actions taken for solving complex problems – Innovation is key and customers appreciate out of the box thinking. If your team is taking the path of least resistance, this can be a sign of stagnation. Are you or they doing the same old thing? Are you innovating or repeating? If you’re going through the motions, your competition may lap you.
- Complaints of discrimination or favoritism – Equality is a non-negotiable in life and workplace. Is everyone being treated in the same way? Are you fielding complaints about individuals? Or are you feeling frustrated with co-workers with repeat behavior? Unbalanced team dynamics are a recipe for disaster.
- Ineffective staff meetings, low participation, minimally effective decisions – Do your staff meetings steep in negative-i-TEA? Do they descend into community complaints, finger-pointing, and tense exchanges? Nothing feeds the fester faster than releasing the spores in an open environment. Negative meetings are a breeding ground for culture infection.
- Team’s negative reactions to the manager – This is a tough one, because some people are resistant to accountability. But it’s critical that the ones guiding the ship are doing so with kindness. Do your managers work well with their team? Are they respected? Giving your managers the right tools to help them shepherd the ship is essential.
- Complaints about quality of service – This is the biggest sign…are your customers complaining? Considering most customers simply take their business elsewhere, you are at critical level when negative feedback reaches your ears. The toxicity has breached your walls and is now infecting the community.
It’s time to assess the damage. If you recognized even a handful of the above signs, you’re already in icy waters. You need a beacon to guide you back to safety.
How to Get Your Culture Back on Course
Having your team together is huge opportunity for you. Selecting the right event is going to be critical to strengthening the bonds of smooth sailing. The biggest hurdle in your journey back to culture is that you need to ensure that your team building delivers. When you’re re-engaging, the experience needs to be poignant, powerful, and hit the spot. It’s not enough to simply toss them in a room together; you need to be thoughtful about the act. Your team dynamics are simply too important to take lightly. They define the success of your company’s voyage.
In these deep waters, you need a life raft. The first and only step is to call in the professionals .
Reach out to our team of professional meeting planners to help you with your need for team building. We’ll heed all the currents pulling you down and get to the heart of the ocean of your objectives. We’ll help provide you with team building solutions to chart your culture back on course.
