Team Building Articles

Business » Communication » Team Building | By David Little @ Monday, 23rd October 2006 @ 10:29 AM

One of my favorite places to shop in town reserves a parking space closest to the door for its employee of the month. That retailer, like many businesses, knows the importance of small, regular gestures that publicly recognize employees. Such kudos build employee loyalty, inspire excellence and motivate workers to perform at a high level month after month. A recent article by Charles Christian entitled "Motivate With An Employee Incentive Program," summed up the value of su... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Kris Koonar @ Saturday, 30th September 2006 @ 9:26 AM

Employees are an important stakeholder of any organization whether it is large or small. However, managers are often too busy with running the day to day operations of the company that little, if any, time is spent on a motivation strategy. This is unfortunate because a high performance work team is actually an easy goal to achieve. Why should you read on? So you can increase the bottom line. If every employee made one minor change, as a result of increased motivation, then the result on ... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Nicky Pilkington @ Tuesday, 5th September 2006 @ 1:39 AM

The first challenge you will encounter on any teambuilding exercise is personal introductions. Members of the teambuilding course need to become acquainted with each other and the course leader. These initial exercises are commonly called 'icebreakers' as they break down any barriers between team members. The most popular icebreaker is for the team leader to arrange the team members in a circle and ask them one by one to stand up and tell the group a little about themselves. Eac... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Joe Torrence @ Monday, 28th August 2006 @ 12:18 AM

Take a number, press 1 for technical service, all of our service representatives are busy. Does this sound familiar? If your like me I've had to succumb to the inevitable world of technological advancement but somewhere along the way I (a person) have got lost in the shuffle. I (we) have an inert need to be special, important, noticed. We're all human beings, not machines. We're designed to experience life daily as a new, fresh and invigorating experience of interactivity, relatio... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Kimberly King @ Monday, 7th August 2006 @ 12:46 AM

Mentoring is not an easy task. It is made even more challenging when dealing with the "difficult" employee. Here are the top 6 techniques for managing through the "difficult relationships" and coming out a winner when it's all over. 1. Separate the employee from the situation. First of all, it is not the employee who is difficult, it is the situation. Separate the employee from the situation in your mind and through your actions so that you can build a cohesive re... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Paula Switzer @ Thursday, 1st June 2006 @ 7:33 AM

Most of us have heard of these types of instruments before: Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Social Styles, DISC, Colors, etc. There are many of these type tools available. And most of us have taken at least one of these over the years, perhaps as a part of a college course, or in our jobs at work. Usually our response is something like, "yea, that’s pretty much like me" and then we leave the experience thinking that was nice to know, but "so what?" What do I DO with that knowledge... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Clare Evans @ Saturday, 22nd April 2006 @ 6:25 AM

Feedback is an effective way of communicating with employees, colleagues or members of your team. Feedback can be both positive and constructive (rather than negative). When giving feedback it is important to have a balance of positive and constructive feedback otherwise the receiver may feel that they only ever receive one type of feedback. It is also important not to always link the two, especially in the same conversation - giving with one hand and taking away with the other. ... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Thursday, 13th April 2006 @ 6:55 PM

Building relationships is vital in business. When you are employed and have a boss it's even more critical, because you have an incentive to get the best from your boss - and the onus is on you. For bosses, try on this as a set of expectations your people have from you. You are limited in how much control you can have in the employed world. Much is passed down to you and this can feel frustrating because you feel 'done to'; without any input in how your experience, ... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Thursday, 30th March 2006 @ 5:05 PM

You are the leader of your team, your department or your organisation. You are the owner and amongst you all, no one can do the job; run the place, like you do. We all know that and have been there. It's tough because someone has to do it. In fact it's a struggle and because you are building something worthwhile, someone once told you that you don't get anywhere without hard work. Period; full stop; whatever. In fact there is a lot of research now that ... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Thursday, 30th March 2006 @ 5:03 PM

When we lead and manage a team, whether we are business owners, run a department or just supervise a group of people in our business, we are on show. Part of our make up ensures that we 'lead from the front' and take all that the world throws at us - after all, that's what we are paid for - isn't it? This is where many managers struggle, with the pride factor. And pride can cause many pitfalls because we might feel obliged to battle on fending off every issue th... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Tuesday, 28th February 2006 @ 5:56 PM

Building strong relationships is all about having two sides appreciate each other and want to build a bond that works both ways. This can generate the enormous benefits of collaboration, which is a valuable interchange of ideas and effort that is better than one plus one. When you are a boss, it's quite natural to take the lead in conversations, and those who work for you usually take the subordinate role as a matter of course - it's what they've always done! ... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Tuesday, 21st February 2006 @ 12:25 AM

We all have weaknesses. Whatever our roles. In management positions, one of the bigger challenges is to recognise our own shortcomings and alter our own behaviours. Sometimes this can be very challenging. Often a hint is that there are areas of your work where you feel like you really struggle, or are things you avoid. Or are things that you don't enjoy doing. So you do other things that you do like and leave gaps. Spaces in your attention that are important, but get missed.more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Saturday, 18th February 2006 @ 7:02 PM

Is it easier to have a bunch of people that are brand new to a team, or one that you mould from those you inherit? In my business life I only had the latter. An existing group of employees, in each business who I had to work with, from each new day one. Never a new set that I could grow for myself. There are different challenges in each case. With an existing team you have to challenge and change ideas and behaviours set in their ways, unchallenged, sometimes for years. You ... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Tuesday, 7th February 2006 @ 10:19 AM

1.Great Environment Have the place you work comfortable, with all resources in place. You have to get this right first, before expecting a great culture. 2. Be Very Clear Through having a set of standards you state clearly and a process for identifying to people exactly what is expected of them, there will be no surprises. People will have their goals and targets. It will be easy for them to understand and deliver. 3. Encourage Sharing Through your own modellin... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @ Wednesday, 1st February 2006 @ 10:14 PM

For meetings to consistently deliver the required performance and hence outputs, it is critical to have a prepared communication process in advance of the meeting. This enables participants to be aware and where appropriate prepare for the meeting in advance. It also allows for them to circulate any preparatory information and pre-reading before the meeting to minimise any information-giving during valuable meeting time. This time when all participants are together must be d... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Laurie Weiss @ Tuesday, 31st January 2006 @ 10:11 AM

Anger is neither good nor bad! It is simply energy. It is your natural emotional energy that arises when you feel like something (or someone) is blocking you from getting what you need or want. For this purpose, anything on the frustration to rage continuum is considered anger. Without making any judgments about whether you should need or want any particular thing, here is how you can direct your own supercharged energy. 1. Notice that you're angry. Sometimes it is unm... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @

Building relationships with your people is the most valuable action you can take. This week, make the time to get to know your people better. Create spaces in your diary to have some conversations with them which will build rapport. This makes a big difference if you are to build together as a team. All business is built on relationships - even virtual ones where the only connection between a vendor and customer is virtual. For most of us, face to face relationships a... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Robin Chandler @

This document is all about understanding teams and team building training; the purpose of team building activities; why corporate team building events can be effective; planning a team building strategy; building creative teams. Why have a team building activity or event? This is a phrase we hear a lot these days: 'we need some kind of teambuilding activity'. Corporate team building events are on the increase: everyone seems to be having them these days. But are they livi... more...

Business » Communication » Team Building | By Martin Haworth @

It's a small thing, but it is so vital. In your business relationships, forgetting little things promised, causes erosion of trust and belief in you and all you stand for. And ultimately, those little things add up to a lot for your people. And that affects you and in the end, your business success. Integrity is very important to me, and I try hard to 'do unto others as I would wish them do unto me'. It hasn't always worked that way for me though. There... more...