The Challenge of Team Building
You can’t do it alone, especially if you want to make more money than you are right now. It doesn’t matter what you do, at some point, you will need a team to make it better or faster or more profitable. And this is often where things go completely haywire.
People see the need for a team, then they just go out and get one. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong people or the wrong job assignments or a combination of both. Suddenly, that team which was supposed to be your salvation is nothing more than an extra level of horror you get to experience on a daily basis. But even if you have the right people, they’re still a group, not yet a team. Teams must be built, they must be molded. They have to experience trials and earn wins together. That’s it. Simple and true. There is no other way to build a team than to put them in situations where they must be a team. Sink or swim. Pass or fail. Make it together or not at all. Of course, there are right ways and wrong ways to do team building. For example, team building should be organic, not forced. If you are getting together for a “team building exercise” that’s not going to deliver the best results. Instead, put people in situations in which teamwork delivers better results. Let them work it out. Don’t turn a day at the office into an episode of Survivor. Sometimes team building can be as simple as doing things together. Experiencing life as a unit outside the office. Go to a sports game or concert together. Plan a family park day or take the whole gang to play paintball or laser tag. Anything fun that is even more fun if they work together. I can see some of you groaning. Company picnic — ugh — not that again. Well, if that’s not your group’s style, try something different. Go white water rafting or take a painting class or go on a fishing trip. It’s not the activity as much as it is the time together. You want your team members
to have shared experiences and memories outside of work, especially if these memories include some sort of triumph. Nothing brings a team together like a big win ‌ or a series of little ones. Give your people a chance to celebrate together ‌ and not just on your birthday. Roman Temkin is a successful mobile entrepreneur from NYC.