| I was talking to someone employed by the tax office | | | | constructive or destructive. Unless you personally have |
| about life, the universe and everything. The | | | | experience of organising and delivering team building |
| conversation turned to management. He bemoaned | | | | activities, you should outsource. Mentioning team |
| the fact that none of the managers he had served | | | | building often creates a negative response so choose |
| under seemed not to have read any management | | | | an event carefully. Generally this is because of the |
| books and therefore could not manage properly. | | | | outdated touchy-feely, trite and |
| But therein lies the problem! The most de-motivating | | | | build-a-chair-from-newspaper exercises that were so |
| manager I have ever known was highly acclaimed in | | | | popular in the 80s and 90s. Outdoors days in the wilds |
| management circles. He even ran courses on | | | | getting cold and wet can also generate that negative |
| management. Presumably, the people on those | | | | response, not everyone enjoys the misery of being |
| courses would go away thinking that his methods | | | | cold and wet for hours on end. Nowadays good team |
| worked. He de-motivated by using insincere sincerity, if | | | | building is achieved by stealth. Corporate entertainment |
| you see what I mean. | | | | days are also team building, but in a more enjoyable |
| My point here is that books and courses are not a | | | | way. |
| panacea to good management. | | | | Taking your staff to Paris on a chocolate or wine |
| Mulling over the comments of my tax office | | | | tasting event is memorable. It gets staff to get to |
| acquaintance, I wondered how many other people | | | | know each other out of the workplace. You can easily |
| thought that managers needed to read management | | | | get to know your staff on a social level and make |
| books. OK, books can give a basis for management | | | | those connections that are vital to good management. |
| but they are often one person's view of the | | | | Other corporate entertainment events that build a |
| management process. The most important aspect of | | | | team by stealth include a treasure hunt or scavenger |
| management is knowing how to treat staff. This is | | | | hunt. Your staff is broken into teams who compete. |
| often overlooked in books or courses - these tend to | | | | To win, they must plan, communicate, think laterally to |
| focus on the manager and not those who are | | | | solve problems, keep an eye on the time ... skills that |
| managed. They can also lead to a school-like teacher | | | | are essential in the efficient and productive workplace. |
| pupil relationship. | | | | Another corporate entertainment event that doubles |
| Managers are generally regarded as 'company people' | | | | as team building is hotel based spy games. These are |
| whose interests are firstly to the company. But if they | | | | a series of short activities that rely on the team |
| have no concern towards the employees, who are the | | | | working together for success. |
| real engine of any business, then the business will not | | | | Good team building days have another element in |
| be as efficient as it could be. You need to know what | | | | common - a goal. For example a medieval day. With |
| makes your staff 'tick'. Only when you genuinely care | | | | the slogan 'Be A Knight for a Day', Knightactive have |
| what your staff do and respect them as people, will | | | | put together a sequence of events that build on the |
| your department reach peak efficiency. | | | | previous ones and lead to the climax of the day, the |
| Some people are lucky enough to have an instinctive | | | | joust. The team has to work together to be |
| skill with others, but for most of us it takes some | | | | successful but in a fun environment. The joust is the |
| effort. It is not always easy to make time during the | | | | goal - achieving a goal is good team building and |
| working day to socialise with staff and get to know | | | | essential skill in a successful workplace team. |
| them on a personal level. Something simple like | | | | So in short, to get the most out of your team, |
| organising a weekly trip out to the pub can be a | | | | remember always the human element, use corporate |
| workable starting point. Grab a bite to eat together as | | | | entertainment as team building. And remember to use |
| a department in a relaxed ambience. You soon will | | | | a variety of different corporate entertainment events |
| discover more about the interests and background of | | | | to build the skills of your staff and to generate that |
| your team. | | | | camaraderie that is found in the most successful |
| Team building days have the potential to be either | | | | teams. |