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TEAM BUILDING What is a TEAM?  A group of people working towards a common goal  A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Why TEAM BUILDING? Team Building is the process of enabling that group of people to reach their goal. Aims of team building:  To clarify the team goals  To identify all those issues which inhibit the team from reaching their goals  To address those issues, remove the inhibitors and enable the goals to be achieved  The nature of the team building varies in terms of scale, and what you are trying to achieve. Elements of a TEAM SYSTEM: The following must be present in a Team System:  A relatively small number of people/group  A knowledge of the team’s goals  Interdependence (Interaction and Coordination among members)  Responsible contributions of members  Team Spirit Formula of a Team System TEAM = individuals + group attitudes + group skills The Ideal Team Player    

focused on the team vision (big picture) focused on others and selfless, willing to take a backseat for the good of the team, and works hard to overcome obstacles, no matter what.

KEYWORD: DISCIPLINE Guidelines for Effective Team Membership 1. Contribute ideas and solutions a. Solution oriented people recognize these truths: 1. Problems are a matter of perspective. 2. All problems are solvable. 3. The choice is yours to let a problem stretch your potential or stop your progress. b. To make yourself a solution-oriented team player… i. Refuse to give up. ii. Refocus your thinking. iii. Rethink your strategy. iv. Do whatever it takes to get your solution. v. Generate fresh ideas and approaches to a problem. vi. Repeat the process. 2. Recognize and respect differences in others

a. b. c. d.

Respect Trust Enjoy together. Just the joy of being together as a team can turn unpleasant tasks into positive experiences.

e. To better relate to your team mates… i. Focus on others instead of yourself. ii. Ask the right questions. iii. Listen carefully. iv. Share common experiences. v. Make others feel special. f. There is no “Me, I & Myself” in team i. Be generous. ii. Avoid internal politics. iii. Display loyalty. iv. Value interdependence over independence g. To become more selfless… i. Promote someone other than yourself. Find positive things to say about others. ii. Take a subordinate role. 3. Value the ideas and contributions of others i. Collaboration is the key word when it comes to meeting challenges as a team. ii. Cooperation is merely working together agreeably, but collaborating means working together more aggressively. iii. Every team player must bring something more to the table, and not just put in his minimum required work. b. A collaborative team player needs to change in four key areas: i. Perception 1. See teammates as collaborators, not as competitors. 2. Your skills and talents must complement and not compete. ii. Attitude 1. Don’t be suspicious, of your teammates. 2. Always assume another person’s motives are good unless proven otherwise. 3. Treat others well iii. Focus 1. Concentrate on the team, not yourself 2. Think of progress as a relay race, where you must pass the baton onto your next teammate. 3. Do not ask “What’s in it for me?” but rather “What does this do for the team?” iv. Results 1. Create victories through multiplication c. To be a collaborative team player… i. Think win-win-win. ii. Complement others and their unique gifts. iii. Take yourself out of the picture. iv. Stop promoting yourself and ask how the team would do if you were not in it,

v. Propose ideas that will promote other teammates. 4. Listen and share information 5. Ask questions and get clarification a. Communicative team players… i. Do not isolate themselves from others. ii. Make it easy for teammates to communicate with them. iii. The twenty-four hour rule - never allowing a conflict to go unresolved for 24 hours. iv. Openness fosters trust. Speak truthfully but kindly and respectfully to your teammates. v. Be quick. Don’t sit on things. Address potential issues at the first opportunity. vi. Be inclusive. Do not keep information from others, keep your teammates informed at all times 6.

Participate fully and keep your commitments a. There are no halfhearted champions i. Committed people don’t surrender easily. ii. Commitment does not depend on gifts or abilities. iii. Commitment is the result of choice, not circumstance. iv. Commitment lasts when it’s based on values. If it’s something you believe in, it’s easier to keep. b. How does a team player improve his level of commitment? i. Make a list of personal and professional commitments. ii. Commit yourself to living your values. iii. Any commitment involves risk iv. Evaluate your teammates’ commitment. You can’t expect commitment from uncommitted people. c. Bring an enthusiastic attitude to teamwork often… i. Take responsibility for their own enthusiasm. ii. The only way to begin is simply to begin! iii. Believe in what they are doing. iv. Spend time with enthusiastic people. Enthusiasm is contagious. d. How to improve your enthusiasm: i. Show a sense of urgency. Give yourself deadlines and be a bit more ambitious. ii. Be willing to do more. Go the extra mile with your teammates. iii. Strive for excellence. Nothing breeds enthusiasm like a job well done.

7. Be flexible and respect the partnership created by a team—strive for the “win-win” Characteristics:  They are willing to learn and adapt to new things.  They do not feel threatened by a new addition to the team, or a change in the way things are done.  They are creative.  They focus less on themselves and think of the good of the team. Action:  Get into the habit of learning.

 Reevaluate your role on the team.  Think outside the box.  Be creative and resourceful when faced with a challenge. 8. Have fun and care about the team and the outcomes. a. Team members love a player who is able to inspire them to become more successful. i. Enlargers value what their team mates value. ii. They know what their team mates hope and aspire for. iii. Enlargers add value to their team mates. iv. The enlarger looks for special talents and gifts in other. v. Enlargers make themselves more valuable. b. How do we become Enlargers? i. Believe in others before they believe in you. ii. Serve others before they serve you. iii. Add value to others before they add value to you. iv. Point out your team mates’ strengths, encourage and motivate them out of their comfort zone. c. The mission-conscious team players: i. Know where the team is going. ii. Let the leader of the team lead. iii. Any time a team member hinders the actions of the leader, the whole team will be hindered in its goals. iv. They place team accomplishment ahead of their own. v. Teamwork requires sacrifice. They do whatever is necessary to achieve the mission. vi. Always keeping the team’s mission in mind makes it easier to not get bogged down by the details of responsibilities. d. How to improve mission consciousness… i. Have a mission statement? ii. Find ways to keep the mission in mind. iii. Contribute your best as a team member. This may mean taking a behind-the-scenes role Activity The Egg and The Eye Objective: For participants to experience team building firsthand. Instructions: 1. The group will be divided into small groups of five members each. 2. Each group will be given an egg, 50 pieces of softdrink straws, and I roll of scotch tape. 3. Each group is required to pack the egg making use of the materials provided. 4. Each group must see to it that the packaging is durable but neat and attractive. 5. You will be given thirty minutes for planning and packaging. 6. After thirty minutes, the judges will rate the attractiveness of the packaging and test the quality and durability. 7. Prizes are at stake for the most attractive and most durable packaging. Good Luck! Synthesis

Barriers to Team Building • •

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Poor Leadership • Confusion in the ranks Poor communication • Not seeing others as persons • Lack of trust • Insensitivity to the problems of others • Poor recognition Failure to make an effort to see the difficulties and needs of others Discouraging others by not sharing with them in their needs Ignorance of the objectives of the group • Poor planning • Planting your goal posts • Not sounding the depths Poor Attitude • Individualistic approach to one’s task • Impatience Poor training Not being aware to what the group can perform collectively • Carrying poor perfomers Reticence (keeping things for oneself) Escapism

The least you need to know • You don’t shift from work groups to teams by an edict from top management. Take “sounding” of your team to uncover hidden problems. • If the team leader doesn’t lead, the team cannot follow. Worse, if the leader leads badly, the team will perform badly. • The effective leader does not micromanage the team. It stifles creative & independent thinking. • The concept of the team is based on the principle that all its members work together to achieve the desired results. • The basis for any relationship, on or off the job, is trust. If it is lacking the team cannot succeed. • Whether you are the team leader or a team member expressing your views, you have to be alert to how you come across to others. Successful team leaders make it a point to listen to their members. • It is important to reward individual performance, but equally important to supplement, and sometimes replace it, with rewards for team achievement.