As a facilitator, I have been asked if I conduct
teambuilding. My response: yes, I conduct teambuilding events. Can you help my
build my team? My unreserved answer: no, I can’t.
There are limitations to teambuilding activities. You own
your team. You have built your team. You can do more to enhance your team
capability. Teambuilding events and activities provide a platform in which to
challenge an organic team, to allow it to express itself distinctively, through
its team dynamics and team values. No facilitator, worth his/her weight in
integrity, can help build your teams. What they may do is, facilitate
discussions around the team, with the team, to explore and build on their
collective competencies and potential. Through astute observation and acute
clarity, a facilitator can bring into your awareness what is working, or not
within your team.
Team engagement involves participation and involvement. You
want to engage as much of both from members. You want to activate functional
dynamics instead of dysfunctional dynamics. You want your team to focus on
useful behaviors, team values, and healthy relationships. High-performing teams
avoid the energy-sapping efforts of ‘office politics’. They focus on seeking solutions
instead of only shame-bringing problems. They regularly indulge in productive conversations,
and they create experiences of worth. They feel valued as individuals and as
professionals. They believe that you are fair, equitable and impartial in your
decisions and delegation.
Build as much value as you can when in your team. Engage in
synergistic collaboration, and collaborative synergies. Your team can then face
any challenges that comes it way with a sense of optimism, purpose and clarity.
