This is a great article providing some hard science around the factors that make a high performance team – please read!
The Hard Science of Teamwork – Alex “Sandy” Pentland – Harvard Business Review.
For a workshop on team development, please click here: Team Working Workshop
Jane Boucher, our American partner and prolific writer and speaker, has the following advice:
How do you manage your motivation? Do you even think about it? It is difficult for your employees to be enthusiastic about their productivity when they perceive doubt in their leader. It’s that simple.
Giving praise, encouraging and motivating others will, in and of itself provide you with motivation. There is nothing like the hum of productivity and the smiles of satisfied employees to help you love the job you have. But there are a few other suggestions to help you stay fresh and motivated, especially in an economy that will distract you.
Set your own goals. Take time to jot down where you want to be on your job in the next few months or years. Read these goals periodically to help keep you motivated and focused.
Stay informed. A wealth of information is available through seminars, cassettes, CDs, books, professional magazines, the Internet and your local library. Sign up for a class that is work-related or enroll in a course that allows you to explore a subject that has always interested you. You can appoint an employee to give you updates and reports in targeted areas.
Sweep away negative cobwebs from your thoughts. Having hassles on the job, car troubles, the post-holiday blues? Sometimes your mind can become cluttered with life’s little annoyances. They seep into the job before you know it and prohibit you from being the motivator you are. Clear your mind by quiet meditation or reading inspirational books. Take time to help a community organization or simply enjoy a stroll in a park for a mind clearing, energy boost. Take a time-out in between work and family to change gears and mentally clear your mind. Stop at the gym or walk home and get your blood pressure checked regularly. You can be just as proactive in your life as you are in business management.
Associate with positive people. Stay motivated by being around other motivators. Allow yourself to be inspired by fellow successful managers. Share your concerns, stimulate your thinking and allow others to help you enlarge your capacity to enjoy the work you do.
We hope you found this as interesting as we did. Thanks to Jane for sharing her thoughts.
I’ve just found another interesting article that I want to share with you. It basically tells us what we already know – true ‘team building’ is frequently confused with ‘team bonding’ activities which do nothing to increase the effectiveness of a team. please click here to view the article Teambuilding Doesn’t Work!
We have frequently tried to explain the difference between the two, but as you will read, team building is a name attached to activities where it simply should not belong. For example, an activity they cite is walking on hot coals – this is a great personal achievement, but it is not a team activity! Of course, all supposed ‘teambuilding companies’ will offer all bonding activities under the heading of ‘team building’, but please be a little more selective in your choice of activities if building your team is a required outcome. Fun team activities and reward sessions all have their place, but lets use the term ‘team building’ in it’s correct and rightful place.
One of the things we work hard on improving during our experiencial teambuilding activities is how to communicate effectively. We have some very specific team games with this topic very much in mind.
I’ve just read a very good summary by Mark Walsh on the Training Zone website that I would very much like to share with you. Please click on this effective communication link to read it.
I hope it’s useful for you.
What are you actually looking for from your team building event? if the answer includes tangible outcomes, it’s fair to say that you should certainly quiz the company providing your teambuilding about the experience of the staff running it for you. Only with relevant training and experience can those providing the team building be in a position of authority when talking about how it can relate to you in the real world of work.
My suggestion to you is this, question, question, question! Ask the people providing the team building what level of expertise you can expect from those providing it. If you are not happy with the response, think about moving to another provider.
Remember, just because a company has nice equipment, it does not mean that they invest in their staff or care about real outcomes for your team.
As easter begins to be a distant memory and our attention turns toward summer (ash cloud permitting!), I think that timely to remind you that if you want to book a venue or activities, now is the time to secure your first choice.
It’s true that there is a buyers market out there at the moment and competition is fierce – both for us as suppliers and for you as a business. However, if you have a date for your team away date in mind, it’s best to book soon otherwise your prefered date may not be available. I’m sure we are not alone in hoping that you have the right venue and the right teambuilding activities for your day to be a success.
Team Building Blog 