It’s time to debunk the myths surrounding Team Building and get your team on the right track!
Myth: Individuals are not responsible for the quality of their team experience because teamwork is a group skill.
Truth: This is a popular belief that causes even the smartest and most highly skilled individuals to excuse their poor performance by saying, “I got put on a bad team.” Individuals make a vast difference on teams and they should draw upon all of their personal abilities to affect their entire team’s performance.
Myth: Managers are responsible for building teams.
Truth: Teambuilding is a series of specific conversations between people who share responsibility to get work done. Team members can and must learn to have these conversations on their own, particularly since a manager isn’t always there.
Myth: Team members’ skills are more important than their motivation.
Truth: When teamwork is required, skills come after factors like drive, energy, interest, motivation, and enthusiasm because it’s shared motivation and not talent that creates teamwork. Relatedly, it is also true that low motivation is more infectious on teams than high motivation.
Myth: For a team to be really successful, its team members must like each other.
Truth: Teams that encourage affinity for the shared goal- not for one another-create the strongest group cohesion.
Myth: Team members must subordinate their self-interests for the good of the team.
Truth: Responsible team members retain their personal power and find a way to align their self-interests with the team, knowing that “going with the flow” without passion or commitment gets the team nowhere.
Myth: Team members must choose between getting the job done and treating one another humanely.
Truth: The best teams believe that the task can get done and that team members can have an a positive and healthy work environment.
Myth: A team that starts on the right track stays on the right track.
Truth: Many events can happen to disrupt a team’s healthy dynamics. To stay healthy, team members should identify and discuss problems as they arise.
Myth: Teambuilding means taking time away from “real work” at offsite events.
Truth: Teambuilding happens in the course of work. At Epic Adventures, we believe team building only STARTS at one of our workshops. It is our aim to kick-start those difficult conversations and teach you the skills necessary to carry on the team building process back at the office, in the boardroom and at the water cooler! Call us today at 1-855-5BE-EPIC !!