How to create and maintain a friendly team: seven tips for a manager. Action plan for uniting the children's team; work program in psychology on the topic: What can be organized to unite employees
What corporate events can be used as a way to unite the company’s team in order to improve staff relationships? Experts spoke in the article.
From the article you will learn:
How to unite the team in order to increase the level of comfort and desire to move towards set goals - this is a question that arises among managers who want to increase labor productivity and the level of commitment of employees to the organization. The word “team building” comes from the English team - translated as a team and building - this is construction, construction. In modern organizations, team building is seen as team building. The philosophy of personnel management does not consider employees separately, but as a single cohesive team that can achieve their goals.
How to unite your team at work using the advice of a psychologist? According to experts, it is necessary to apply all available techniques in order to employees of the same team felt like one. Then the work will proceed more smoothly, and you will be able to achieve your goals in a short time. During a period of active growth of a company, conflicts and tense relationships between employees may periodically arise. During this period, it is very important to pay attention to leaders, distinguishing between formal and informal ones. Team building helps create a friendly atmosphere in the team.
Team building trainings create conditions for the formation of a cohesive team. It is rational to use such techniques in the following situations:
when it is necessary to develop the communicative and emotional experience of participants;
rid the team of conflicts and internal competition;
if there is stagnation with the economic decline of the organization;
employees do not show initiative and interest in achieving their goals;
local problems arise that require immediate management intervention.
Trainings involve teamwork. Employees alone will not be able to cope with the task at hand. The choice of plot should be made taking into account the specifics of the company’s activities.
Tasks for participants can be of several types:
- extreme;
- intellectual;
- ethnic;
- theatrical;
- musical;
- dance;
- culinary.
During the training, the team learns to interact. It is impossible to win the competition without the help of all members participating in the training. At the same time, you can solve several problems at once, for example, introducing the basics of effective sales technology, attracting new clients, etc. It all depends on the chosen plot and the specifics of the organization’s activities. The presenter chooses the script. It must be taken into account that in creative events employees exhibit personal qualities and show a side of themselves that was previously hidden from the team.
Game quests require you to unite and make maximum efforts, ingenuity, and demonstrate mental, creative and other abilities. Solving a common problem with one team is something that helps bring employees of the same team closer together. Informal communication brings people closer together faster than several years of working in the same office or office.
Managers need to take into account that currently there are a greater number of methods that help to understand the issue of how to unite the team, taking into account the age of the employees and the goals set during the events.
Corporate events are held according to a thematic scenario. A simple corporate party will help employees get to know each other if they work in different departments or structural units, but will not become the basis for unity. When celebrating the New Year, celebrating a company anniversary, or other festive events, it is worth using techniques that help team members unite and feel like a single team.
Basic conditions for forming a cohesive team
Factors influencing team cohesion
|
Community of interests |
|
|
Age composition of groups |
|
|
Psychological safety, goodwill |
|
|
Attractiveness of the reference sample |
|
|
Presence of competitors |
|
|
Having an employee who opposes himself to the group |
|
|
Labor unity |
|
|
Skilled work of formal leaders |
|
Related articles:
What corporate events to organize as a way to unite the company team?
Holding corporate events can unite or divide the team. Unoriginal scenarios or the same type of such events will lead to employees losing interest and treating corporate holiday parties as something formal and ordinary. The staff perceives such holidays as a continuation of the work process. Subsequently, people feel uneasy and become concerned about the correctness of their behavior.
The holiday turns out to be full-fledged, rich, bright and unforgettable if the entire scenario is prepared by team members. Already while thinking through the script, preparing for the further process and rehearsing, the employees become closer. Team building is quick and easy.
Corporate events as a way to unite the company's team are held systematically. Over time, an initiative group of leaders is formed, around which a whole team is formed. In the future, this helps during work to feel like members of the same team. Cohesion not only helps to increase productivity, but also leads to the creation of a team capable of completing the most complex tasks so that the organization can take a leading position in its field of activity. All this invariably leads to the development and economic stability of the enterprise.
Team building helps create loyal relationships, serves as a motive for unity and organizing a cohesive team. Employee disunity leads to ineffective management. Staff turnover increases and labor productivity decreases. A generalized and friendly team is able to overcome any difficulties in the transition period during the development of the organization. A core is formed that remains in the organization throughout the entire period of work.
How to bring your team together through other events
Sports events are held in groups, where mainly young and middle-aged teams work. Often members of the same team compete with different departments, workshops, and divisions. The spirit of sports and competition helps to unite a team in a short time.
Preparing for the next sporting event allows team members to socialize more outside of work. This leads to the formation of friendly relations, a spirit of unity and common interests. A close-knit team easier to manage. During work there is mutual assistance and mutual assistance.
It is necessary to take into account the psychological characteristics of employees; when selecting personnel, pay attention not only to the professional, but also to the personal qualities of candidates. Conflicts of interest arise in teams where staff have different views on what is happening around them and cannot find common ground due to psychological characteristics. That is why it is so important to timely develop and revise selection methods in order to subsequently obtain a cohesive team capable of working with maximum efficiency.
A friendly, close-knit team, ready to do everything possible to achieve its goals, is the dream of any leader. At the same time, every top manager wants to see a real team at his enterprise. In a broad sense, this concept means a work team with a high level of cohesion, each member of which is committed to common goals, as well as to the values of the organization. A team is nothing more than a group of like-minded people moving towards their goal under the leadership of a leader. This is the highest official of this organization.
But how to create such a team?
Team building helps to form such a team. From English this term is translated as “creating, building a team.” In other words, team building. So what is team building and what techniques does it use?
At the dawn of history
Even at the very beginning of the development of human society, people, losing their aggressiveness and socializing, began to gain the possibility of cooperation and mutual assistance. The emerging group territoriality contributed to the consolidation of all members of the tribe. This made it possible to conduct collective labor activities while hunting and at home. If we consider the modern concept, we can say the following: what we call team building today arose in ancient times. This phenomenon became a forced measure designed to increase the effectiveness of collective actions of a certain group of people, at the head of which was always a leader (leader, leader) or a group of leaders.
In ancient times, the importance of maintaining team spirit at the proper level became one of the main goals of commanders. In order to achieve the cohesion of the army, competitions were held among its soldiers for ingenuity, endurance and strength.
Centuries passed, one generation replaced another. But this idea was not abandoned. Leaders of large companies began to implement it. They were the first to think about using a technique that was designed to increase the efficiency of group work. This problem was especially pressing during the years of the industrial revolution. However, scientific developments in this area were not created at that time.
Introduction of gaming techniques
Active team building events began in the 40s of the last century in the USA, France and Great Britain. For this purpose, group and sports games were used. The purpose of such events was to unite people who were not well acquainted with each other, who would subsequently have to carry out a common task. As a result of the use of such games, their effectiveness became obvious. In those years, team-building events were actively used during military training.
Development of the concept
In the literature on doing business, it is simply impossible to find the exact date when the term “team building” was first mentioned. But the founder of this concept is considered to be the American sociologist and psychologist, Professor Upton Mayo. This scientist at one time studied the influence of various factors on the growth of labor productivity. His research was carried out at one of the Chicago industrial enterprises. Mayo was able to prove the special role of group and human factors. According to the scientist:
- productivity is directly influenced by the relationships that develop between subordinates and the manager;
- increasing production volumes depends on working standards;
- support and care are very important to people; they stimulate more than improving working conditions;
- the workplace has its own culture.
All these conclusions made during the experiment were the first impulse that allowed the concept of team building to emerge.
Modern management theory
Team building event - what is it? Management theory looks at team building from various perspectives. On the one hand, it is believed that a team-building event is a process that helps unite the team. At the same time, it is based on such scientific areas as organizational development and dynamics, group psychology and group dynamics. Many prominent figures in psychology and management are involved in the development of this concept.
On the other hand, team-building activities are considered as an alternative direction in development and training. This is confirmed by the fundamental difference between this process and classical forms of acquiring skills and knowledge. After all, team-building events are often held in nature. At the same time, their participants learn through their experience and active interaction.
The need for team building
Does your organization's team need team-building activities? Without any doubts. The fact is that today there is a constant increase in competition in economic markets. That is why companies operating in modern conditions have to make enormous efforts to find non-standard solutions that would allow them to become a leader in their field, and then maintain their position in the highest positions.
No less intense competition is observed among specialists. To climb the career ladder and receive a decent salary, an employee has to constantly prove to his manager that he is the best in his field. This tendency often affects the relationships between team members. But the manager needs a well-coordinated team. Only in this case will it be possible to increase the company’s rating on the market. That is why it is necessary to establish productive communication between employees. Team-building activities for the team will help the manager with this. They represent the most collaborative evenings, outings and competitions that promote a common corporate philosophy and unity among employees.
Professional help
How can you organize team building events? Professionals can help the company manager with this. For example, it’s not at all difficult to order a team-building event in Moscow for 250 people or more. For this purpose, specialized organizations offer their sites for active recreation, as well as for holding banquets and receptions.
Team building activities are held every day. The head of the enterprise only needs to select any of them. You will also need to agree on a script for a team-building event. It can be of very different directions.
For example, some companies choose hiking trips, during which specialists use elements of team building. In the most interesting and original form, such active recreation will contribute to:
- formation of motivation aimed at joint achievement of results;
- creating a high emotional background and favorable conditions for physical relaxation of employees;
- providing the opportunity to realize the potential of specialists in a non-standard environment;
- creating conditions for uniting people and making collective decisions when setting tasks.
A very popular scenario today is called “Chain Reaction”. This is a unique, newly developed team building program. Its implementation involves the emancipation of employees, the development of their creative potential and informal relationships, as well as increasing the efficiency of group work and the ability to achieve a common result.
Carrying out such team-building events allows people to get positive emotions and distracts them from their daily routine. But in addition to building relationships in the team, such a vacation is a clear demonstration of the care and attention that management shows to its employees. A team-building event for company leaders is very useful. The director and heads of departments are given the opportunity to get to know their employees better, discovering their capabilities that allow them to make decisions in the most difficult situations.
How much does it cost to organize team building events? The specific amount will depend on the size of the team, the venue, as well as the need to use special equipment, etc. Based on current practice, this cost, as a rule, turns out to be less than what it costs to organize regular parties. However, the effect produced by team building events is much stronger.
Positive results for the company
High-quality organization of team building allows you to develop a corporate culture among employees, create a unified spirit in the team and focus on joint activities. In addition, the purpose of team building activities is:
- relieving stress among employees;
- increasing the level of trust in the team;
- psychological relaxation of people;
- soft adaptation to a team of new specialists;
- quick suppression of unfavorable moments that occur in communication between people.
What are the benefits of corporate team building? Today, such time spent together is becoming an excellent option aimed at stimulating employees. With a regular schedule of team-building events, they have a greater effect than bonuses for employees. In addition, high-quality organization of team building allows you to strengthen the company’s image in the market and attract highly qualified specialists to its ranks.
Positive results for workers
Organizing team building helps each employee get to know their work colleagues better and get closer to them, while revealing their best qualities. During such events, each person gains confidence that he is important to the company.
When organizing team building, various options can be used. Let's take a closer look at them.
One-day programs
Let's look at examples of team-building activities. One of the options for organizing team building is a game that is held on a themed site and is associated with exciting adventures. This may also include sports tasks. This is, for example, the team-building event “Rope Course”, as well as “Laser Tag”, etc., held in nature. The company's employees go to a picturesque place and are in the fresh air. This contributes to their psychological and physical health.
In addition, all team members gain the skills of joint decision-making and take responsibility for all the actions of their partners.
Weekend trip
Such events are an interesting and fun pastime. They bring together even those people who know each other little. Going out with a team for the weekend is a great way to unite the team. In this case, exceptional conditions are created for overcoming the difficulties standing in the way.
Such team-building events are usually organized in forest clearings, picturesque shores, in sanatoriums, etc. If the necessary funds are available, management can organize team building abroad, including training and educational activities in the form of trainings, master classes, visits to exhibitions, etc.
The weekend, held under the slogan of team building, remains in the memory as dynamic and exciting.
Office team building
In this case, team-building events are organized directly at the workplace. This type of team building for management is the most economical. Nevertheless, at low costs it is possible to obtain the highest results.
In addition to saving money, the office option is beneficial due to the speed of preparation. This makes it possible to tighten the schedule of team-building activities. They can be held even on weekdays. Such a move will ensure the presence of 100% of employees. There are quite a lot of examples of team-building events for the team held in the office. These can be various scenarios, including entertainment, business, intellectual, etc.
The games and tasks used to organize such an event in the office are selected depending on the size of the premises, the number of employees, as well as the goals that the manager sets for himself.
Team building ideas
How to conduct a team-building event at the highest level? To do this, you will need to approach its preparation with all responsibility. For example, to improve relationships between employees, it is best if the “Rope Course” is used.
Even before the event, you will need to form a team, without taking into account the personal sympathies of the employees. At the same time, the team captain is selected, its motto and name are invented. Sometimes participants are introduced to the rules of the game in advance. All tasks must be selected in such a way that they best suit the characteristics of the team.
Active team building
Such programs will increase trust between employees. There are quite a lot of examples of team-building events for the team, carried out in an active form. So, a game of builders can be played. It helps increase concentration and teaches concentration.
According to the game scenario, participants are asked to complete a task, for which they must receive virtual money. Then, for the points they receive, team members have the right to “buy” all the necessary materials. Moreover, the better the players cope with their tasks, the larger the list of things they have purchased will be. During the event, the task of the facilitator is to correctly redistribute roles in the team. This will orient people towards achieving common goals.
Photo hunt
This is one of the most amazing team building ideas. When holding such an event, its participants develop imagination and hidden talents are revealed. At the same time, all the necessary conditions are created to unite the team.
Organizing a photo hunt is quite simple. The presenter will simply need to set the topic to which the photographs should be devoted, as well as the time for their completion. For the most outstanding works, participants are given valuable prizes. In this case, a specific task must be issued. This could be, for example, a selection of photographs of random passers-by for social advertising, collage, etc. When performing photo hunt tasks, not professionalism should be taken into account, but the creative abilities and creativity of the participants.
Carrying out such an event will not require large financial costs. However, it will allow you to get excellent results in achieving the goal of team building.
Quests and adventures
This is one of the most interesting options for team building events. The scenario in this case can be very different. Often the principle of the well-known game “Fort Boyard” is used as a basis. Participants in such a quest must cope with various tasks, the successful completion of which is possible only with the effective actions of each team member.
The best time to hold such an event is the warm season. This will allow employees to escape from the hustle and bustle of the office and be in nature. A quest held in the fresh air will certainly bring people together.
Creative master classes
Such events are recommended to unleash the creative potential of employees. In this case, a variety of directions can be involved. Among them are cooking and painting, pottery, etc. When choosing one option or another, the characteristics of the team should be taken into account.
For such events you will need to hire a specialist. With its help, you can learn the basics of mastery in your chosen field of creativity.
In this case, the team should be in a friendly mood. It is very important that moments of rivalry between participants are completely excluded.
"Rope Course"
Such training is an effective technology that allows you to build a team and develop leadership. The Rope Course tasks involve overcoming physical, emotional and intellectual obstacles, which allows you to improve teamwork skills and relationships within a team. The program involves completing team diagnostic exercises, as well as completing tasks that require a personal impulse.
The strength of the “Rope Course” is the involvement of all group members in the work without any prior training. In this case, company employees are brought to the training site, which is usually a forest. Throughout the whole day, various adventures await them here, which are training.
The nature of the tasks assigned is unusual for the participants. This is precisely what deprives them of the opportunity to hear a hint from their more experienced colleagues. Most tests have no one correct way to perform them. Sometimes the number of correct options reaches a dozen or more. That is why the method to solve the problem must be chosen by the whole group.
Before each exercise, the participants develop a strategy and tactics for completing the task, and all roles are pre-distributed among team members with the appointment of those responsible. If necessary, the group makes trial attempts, refining or supplementing the pre-drawn plan. Only after this the team is able to complete the task before it without errors. Because there are clear criteria for performing or not performing the exercises, the group is given the opportunity to see the degree of its effectiveness. This allows us to create responsibility - personal and collective.
A prerequisite for completing the “Rope Course” is the participation of all team members. This can be any available method, namely emotional support, advice or a supportive knee. In this case, the participant who, due to his objective limitations, is physically unable to perform the exercises, sometimes becomes the main strategist.
The main goal of any company manager is to make a profit. However, not only the manager himself, but also his subordinates take part in this process. The ideal option is a team passionate about their work. A team of professionals who strive for a common goal and know how to achieve it. And most importantly, in which a healthy psychological atmosphere reigns.
How to achieve harmony in your office? How to create a team of employees that will most effectively solve the company's problems, while communicating with each other in a friendly, favorable manner? Today, more and more managers are asking these questions. There are two ways to solve these problems:
1. Western style - hire a psychologist or HR specialist for your team, who combines the functions of a psychologist and will create a positive mood in the office and unite the team.
In this case, all responsibility for the mood in the corporate team is completely transferred to the hired specialist. The manager simply watches how well he will do it.
2. A la russe style - independently carry out a number of events aimed at “improving the office environment” of the company.
If this option is chosen, the manager will find the following tips useful for improving the psychological climate in the team.
1. Basics of well-being
Practice shows that employees who enjoy their work show much better results than those who go to work only for a salary. A manager should not ignore his subordinates precisely for this reason.
It is also worth considering that a high salary and career prospects will not necessarily force a person to stay in your company. More often than not, a team is much more effective. It works much better and easier where a good mood and a desire to support each other prevail. Good relationships within the team are very important not only for employees, but also directly for the company:
Workers are much less likely to consider changing jobs;
. loyalty increases, for example, employees are more willing to work extra hours;
. a team that has been working in a company for many years without changes achieves better results than in cases where new people constantly appear, “turnover” occurs, positions change and a kind of “ferment” begins.
To obtain and use all these benefits in the future, you need to work on the environment in your company. In this way, you can significantly improve the atmosphere in the team and, as a result, increase the performance of your employees and the company as a whole.
“In most cases, the manager’s view of the work of the staff is very primitive and tends to believe that in front of him are some kind of technical systems or mechanisms,” says anti-crisis manager, business trainer and coach Ivan Novichikhin. - For example, a boiler into which the more energy you throw in the form of money, like coal or gas, the greater the result you get. But this doesn’t always work and doesn’t work everywhere.”
2. Comfortable conditions in the office
Make sure that your subordinates have not only the “vital necessities”, but a little more. Well-equipped workplaces, comfortable restrooms, the opportunity to drink tea and coffee... All these seemingly small things actually play a significant role in life, so you should try to ensure that your employees have nothing to complain about.
3. Frankness with the team
Always inform your employees about the company's successes or failures. For example, this can be done based on the results of a month or quarter. If things are going well, there will be a reason to rejoice together, if not so much, to work together to improve the situation.
4. Ability to listen
Try to at least occasionally set aside time to talk with employees. Find out from each of them what problems currently exist in his area of activity, in his department, etc. Find out what steps you, as a leader, can take to solve them. Be sure to consider the team’s suggestions for increasing the productivity and efficiency of the company. Sometimes really good ideas can come up, since employees are inside the work process and often have a better idea of how this process can be improved. In addition, such conversations increase the degree of respect for management and generally create a positive atmosphere in the office.
“The main problem is that managers do not know how to set goals correctly. The company's goal cannot be money or profit. Such a company is doomed to a quick or slow death, says Ivan Novichikhin. - Profit is one of the indicators of the quality of a company’s effective activities in meeting customer needs for a product or service. If employees participate in setting goals, their voice is heard, voiced, and even accepted for certain processing, then the likelihood of achieving such goals is very high. But if the goal is set to enrich the manager or owner, employees resist, even though they are given the opportunity to earn a little more. There is an expression “a strike in Italian”, this is when people do their work according to instructions. And that’s it, such an enterprise fails, because all the cases or moments, how to behave and what to do, cannot be written down on paper!”
5. Encouraging success
Don’t forget to thank your employees for good results, and you need to do this not only and not so much in a personal conversation, but publicly. Gratitude expressed in front of the entire team is a good motivation (periodic cash bonuses too). However, you should be careful here: if you praise and encourage only one employee (create a “favorite”), the rest may become negative, not only towards him, but also towards you.
6. A little personal
Find out what your employees are interested in and passionate about. You can even find out a little about your personal life. Sometimes this information can be used in a personal conversation. “Sergey Ivanovich, how did you like yesterday’s match?”, “Natalya Valentinovna, how is the child’s health?”, “Kost, did you make it to the concert?” Questions like these help you become closer to your employees and establish yourself as a pleasant and attentive leader.
“Many entrepreneurs believe that any participation in the lives of their subordinates is not beneficial for them and, justifying this, they mercilessly exploit people,” says Ivan Novichikhin. - Motivation is not only a monetary reward, but to a much greater extent a psychological reward, lying in the area of morality and the positive spirit of people. Only a dense consciousness can not understand this.”
7. Closer to the team
Don’t avoid general corporate holidays: throw parties, celebrate New Year, February 23 and March 8, chip in for gifts, attend employee birthdays. Don't hide your birthday either. Another good solution for corporate events is to celebrate the founding date of the company or a day associated with the line of business (like an accountant’s day, for example). Corporate events create an informal environment where employees become more relaxed and open.
This set of measures aimed at creating a healthy and pleasant atmosphere in the team will allow you to avoid conflicts, scandals and other problems and at the same time significantly increase the company’s productivity, and therefore the level of financial profit.
Our expert Ivan Novichikhin, in turn, recommends that managers start with a critical look at themselves: “I did not conduct statistics, but, as an anti-crisis manager, I will say that all problems in enterprises lie in the field of worldview, worldview, psychology, education of the owner or leader. What is the biggest problem for entrepreneurs? Why in 99% of cases do businessmen answer this question that the main problem is a lack of money? No one wonders why there are not enough of them, and no one looks for the problem in themselves. How long can you step on a rake without understanding one thing, the most important thing?.. Only YOU are responsible for the results of your enterprise, but not bad employees, competitors or the government!”
Instructions
Good relationships within the team, without which fruitful cooperation is impossible, is one of the main areas of a manager’s activity. To successfully solve this problem, a leader must know the strengths and weaknesses of his employees, their preferences, and also be able to correctly distribute responsibilities and delegate authority so that conflicts and disputes do not arise between colleagues.
It is very important for a leader to show sincerity in words and actions, because... Company employees most often convey exactly the approaches that managers adhere to. Psychologists also recommend that top management representatives communicate more often with their teams, support their endeavors, monitor and suppress negative trends: conflicts, quarrels, etc.
It is easier to unite a team if people have common socio-demographic characteristics - age, gender, education, work experience, marital status. But this happens quite rarely, because... people are hired based on different principles. In this case, various events help to unite the team.
Team-building events can be divided into two groups. The first group is directly related to professional activities. A leader needs to organize for his employees to participate in various seminars and conferences, conduct business games, brainstorming sessions, discussions, etc. All these events promote the exchange of experience, opinions, and ideas, as a result of which colleagues get to know each other better and informal relationships are established between them.
The second group of unifying events - festive evenings, sports competitions, anniversaries, excursions, etc. - also contributes to strengthening informal relationships in the team. They can be organized in the office or outside, and the occasions can be various holidays, employee or company anniversaries, successful completion of transactions, etc.
At the ceremonial part of these events, it is necessary to emphasize that it was possible to achieve certain peaks only thanks to the joint efforts of the entire team. It is imperative to note the individual contribution of some individuals and emphasize the importance of their work for the entire company.
An excellent event for team building is team building. Most often, team building refers to sports competitions, team games or competitions, but it can also be fun corporate events or psychological training aimed at teaching employees to interact and solve problems together. Team building helps liberate and bring colleagues closer together, and it helps managers take a closer look at the team and determine the roles of employees (“leader”, “idea generator”, “performer”, etc.), which in the future allows them to more effectively manage work processes.
Each manager strives to unite the team in order to maximize the level of comfort of employees and their desire to move together towards their goal. There are many tools used to build relationships between employees.
You will learn:
- What are the advantages of a close-knit team?
- How to form a cohesive team
- How the New Year can help unite the team
- What problems may arise in creating a cohesive team?
What are the benefits of a close-knit team?
1) Collective-team is an analogue of such concepts as strength, unity and reliability of personal interactions and relationships between employees. Team cohesion is a necessary factor for the company’s productive and focused work. A group selected from strangers must spend N amount of time to unite and focus on solving the tasks assigned to it. As a rule, only a well-worked and loyal team can successfully overcome periods of crisis during its formation and advancement, which is their fundamental discrepancy with a group where the members are hastily found people.
2) Only a cohesive team has the ability to overcome the crises that await its members on the path of their formation without losses, which cannot be said about a group of incompatible people. The concept of compatibility is a real opportunity to overcome difficulties, and solving the problems they face actually means that all team members are integrated in the best sense of the word.
3) If the company has a friendly team, then staff turnover practically zero or none at all. Employees do not run away from work after the end of the working day, do not try to help each other out, and do not have the habit of gossiping about their colleagues.
4) Working in such a team, it is immediately clear that everyone is ready to help a colleague, talk about their ideas and developments that can be applied in common work. Employees do not experience negative emotions when thinking about work, they are less tired and more stress-resistant. and they are the ones who are ready to ultimately increase the company's profits.
Team building that will unite the team
Find out how to think through a scenario for an ideal team building from the article in the electronic magazine “Commercial Director”.
Characteristics of a cohesive team
1. Awareness is one of the important concepts of conscious human behavior. The level of awareness of people affects the performance of the entire team as a whole. A timely information process, sent to all recipients and reaching everyone, gives a person a feeling of involvement in the life of the team and its goals. Thanks to this, there are no uninitiated or indifferent employees in the team.
Openness and interest in the economic interests of almost all team members encourages employees to jointly participate in the management activities of the team. It is unlikely that even the most experienced top manager will be able to hope for the support of the team if he does not use or minimally uses the available information channels, both oral and printed, in his work.
2. Discipline is the accepted order of people’s behavior, which meets the moral norms and rules established in the company, which allows you to regulate the processes of behavioral mood in the team. A disciplined person in a team is a stimulus for social development and responsibility towards work. High awareness and understanding of the importance of one’s place in the team contributes to the conscientious performance of functional duties.
Compliance with discipline is the fulfillment by people of established norms and rules of behavior. The level of personal relationships between management and each team member directly affects the quality performance of job duties and social functions.
Methods for maintaining order and discipline can vary widely. Types of social discipline can be such concepts as morality, mores and traditions.
3. Activity is an increased activity performed by a person not so much because of the obligation to fulfill official duty, but because of the opportunity for free self-expression. Thus, the activity of the individual is a need for work and knowledge of the surrounding world.
A person always has a desire to realize and more fully express his inner essence, which leads to his most complete and integral development as a person. The level of activity and initiative of a person is more influenced by the situation when he is alone or in contact with colleagues. Naturally, the feelings and moral component of a person in society are much different from his behavioral mood in a state of loneliness.
4. Organization programs the accurate and competent definition and distribution of rights and responsibilities of employees. It can be traced in the response of team members to changes in the environment, to updating internal and external awareness. The attitude of personnel to the labor process and discipline depends on the correct organization of work.
It is easier for a top manager to work in a highly organized team. To create such a company requires enormous effort and the highest professionalism. Organization is influenced by reasons such as the role of the individual in the team, discipline and other important factors. But even an ideally formed team experiences ups and downs during its existence due to the distribution of responsibilities of its employees as subjects of labor communication and cognition.
To strengthen personal connections in the team, take into account the interests of employees, using economic and social leverage.
5. Cohesion is an action that unites all employees in their common work and gives integrity, which proves the team’s attraction to each other and to the team. This is undoubtedly a qualitative indicator of any work collective.
When the formation of a cohesive team is required
1) At the stage of active development. If the number of employees increases over a short period of time, the “old guys” sometimes develop rather difficult relationships with the newcomers. To unite both groups, you need to start with leaders, both recognized and unrecognized. Team building will serve to bring you closer and benevolent.
2) During stagnation or business downturn. This period is characterized by the fact that employees, doubting the future of the company, begin to work unsteadily, slowly, without showing initiative, begin to look for a new job, and then go free swimming. At this time, the main task of the manager is to raise the working spirit of the staff so that they can realize that improving the situation is in their hands.
3) When there is a conflict between the company's departments, such events will help resolve the problems that arise. So, in one company sales fell sharply. The head of the company organized team building, which contributed to the breakthrough. This event was held after the January holidays, after which the employees went to work rested and ready to move mountains.
What factors influence team cohesion?
1) Common interests, hobbies, views, ethical and material values and orientation of group members;
2) Age composition of groups;
3) A feeling of psychological safety and goodwill;
4) Active and intense joint labor unity aimed at solving common problems;
5) The attractiveness of the leader as a reference model who performs functions to the maximum;
6) Skilled leadership work;
7) The presence of a competing group;
8) The presence in the group of a person who is sharply different from other members and who opposes himself to the group.
- Remote sales departments: how to organize and how to control
Ways to unite the company team
1. Corporate events. They are used as an effective mechanism designed to unite the team or divide it. The unoriginality of the script and the same type of corporate events will not lead to anything good, since employees treat these events as artificial. During the meeting, they are tense and cannot feel at ease. The person understands that this is a continuation of the work process. After returning to work, people feel awkward and worried that someone behaved inappropriately, someone had too much alcohol.
A full-fledged holiday occurs when the entire scenario is invented and implemented by team members. Colleagues learn new information about themselves and others, and everyone is positive from the very beginning. This approach saves the company money, since holding corporate events by specialized organizations is quite expensive.
In order for the event to be rich and original, you need to conduct an anonymous survey to find out what employees want to see as a corporate event. To do this, fill out a questionnaire. After processing the completed questionnaires, you will understand what employees want, and an initiative group will be determined that can be involved in organizing the event.
2. Team-building sports trainings. Team building will help team members create loyal relationships and motivate team unity and team organization. Improperly organized team building can lead to unforeseen consequences - disengagement of employees, loss of authoritarianism on the part of the manager, and dismissal of staff. Therefore, you should take the choice of a coach very seriously and take into account the physical fitness of the participants. There was such a case, a female leader broke her arm during team building and then thought for a long time whether it was done intentionally or not.
When a company employs active young people, and the physical shape of the manager leaves much to be desired, then team building is hardly justified. This can diminish the boss's authoritarianism. If the general director has much higher sports training than the employees, there is no need to force everyone to take an active part in the event.
For example, in one company the manager, an athletic man aged 36, was passionate about skydiving, so he organized extreme team building for top managers, who were mainly representatives of the fairer sex over 40 years old. Naturally, no one was forced to jump, but they hinted that anyone who did not jump was not our man. Many had to jump, but not all. It is better to compete with extreme sports with those who love such recreation.
3. Team building activities. These include carrying out educational trainings, which will unite the existing staff. They will help adapt new employees to achieve positive results:
- Find a common language. There is a known case when a company conducted training 6 times and each time for a new department. The company's management set a goal for the staff to speak the same language. This could be achieved by undergoing training from one trainer. As a result, colleagues began to use a single terminology. Typically, this training is most useful for employees with different educational levels.
– Bring newcomers up to speed. Within a few hours or days, a new employee gets to know his colleagues, gets involved in the work and ceases to be a stranger. During this time, the team can draw up a portrait of the person and move on to an active form of cooperation. Under normal circumstances, a newcomer can undergo adaptation for several months.
– Earn authority. In the financial division of one company, the core of the employees were people of above average age. A new manager was appointed to the position of financial director, and a young woman at that. How the employees reacted was quite predictable - disrespectful attitude, insubordination, sabotage.
- Training for sales managers: preparing a newbie in 3 steps
The financial director made an unusual proposal - she announced her intention to conduct free seminars on English and financial analysis. It is clear that at the first lesson there was no queue of people interested, but there were also those who became interested and came to the conclusion that the classes were worthwhile, and even free. He told his colleagues, and the employees reached out. As a result, she gained authority and respect from her colleagues.
– Development of new documents. During the training session, you can work together to develop, for example, a corporate set of rules for the company, which sets out all the acquisitions and developments of the company. If such a document is provided by a higher organization, it will not work. It’s another matter when the employees themselves become the creators, and the document is honed through an open discussion.
How to unite truants and drinkers
Aigul Gomoyunova, General Director of Penopol Group of Companies, Moscow
The main part of our company are warehouse employees (loaders) and sales department. Therefore, we had a constant turnover of personnel. The loaders' staff was constantly being replaced because they drank and skipped work. In just one year, the entire sales department left. It seemed impossible to find out the reason for the constant turnover, because at that time I paid too little attention to the issues of retaining employees. I was at a loss as to what the reason was: our wages are quite high.
Hundreds of methods were used to change the situation: fines, bonuses, promotions - nothing worked. Various methods were used throughout the year, but there was no result.
Remembering my past experience as a business coach, I thought about conducting trainings on team building, inviting the whole team to it: after all, every employee should understand that the final result depends on his contribution, regardless of what he does. The movers expressed a strong reaction to the proposal; they were pleased that someone was interested in their opinion and listened to it. Today they are already interested in the training schedule. The office staff also reacted actively and with understanding.
The first training was devoted to identifying problems with interaction. We played a game on the theme of a shipwreck, in which everyone present took part. Everyone tried to prove their point of view, no one heard anyone, the office employees treated the lower classes with semi-contempt, i.e. movers. The problem was obvious: the entire team was divided into groups, and each considered itself the main one. The goal became clear to me - team unity.
- How to fire an employee correctly: key features
The culmination of the training was our biggest event, when we rented a cottage and went out into nature for four days. The picnic program included barbecue, paintball and training. The participants were divided into two teams, each including colleagues from all departments. Before we started, I asked departments to make a list of what they needed to buy for their work.
The accounting staff needed some kind of program, the loaders needed an electric car and a microwave, etc. The winning team could choose only one item. Before the start of the competition, everyone argued and proved that the most important thing was the one they ordered. And when the game started, and the first winning team chose the very first item, the situation changed dramatically, each department refused its prize, everyone chose a microwave for the movers, realizing that it was more important to them. And this was repeated at every stage of the competition - everyone completely forgot about their interests and decided on its value for the company, and not for themselves personally.
Today I am pleased with the result:
– permanent employees work at the warehouse site, loaders take an active part in the work of the company.
– in the office, only two employees quit in 2 years, one of them for a good reason.
The effect of the training did not appear immediately, but the first results became visible after the 2nd training.
How to unite the team with the help of a New Year's corporate party
Nadezhda Finochkina, director of the company “Formula for Successful Selection”, Moscow
One day, a client approached us with a request for help in increasing the level of interaction between employees. It was not customary for the team to communicate with each other or attend corporate gatherings. Such relationships within the company were reflected in productivity.
We gave the client's employees a carefully thought-out and original surprise. We conducted mini-interviews with the staff separately in advance to find out personal preferences and facts from their biography, what they spend their free time on. We collected 25 questionnaires and, using the information provided by employees, prepared a questionnaire for the quiz. On the announced day, the entire team of 35 people was invited, as the New Year holidays were approaching.
- Motivating Sales Managers: What Really Works
According to the rules of the quiz, you had to listen to an interesting description of the hobbies and characteristics of any employee and determine who exactly they were talking about. This story was accompanied by a showing of his childhood photographs. The duration of the corporate holiday took about 6 hours in total, including the official part, a quiz with photos and a buffet reception.
After the corporate event, the colleagues got to know each other again. Such an unusual and educational experience helped the team unite and even created friendly relations between departments. In just one evening, people learned more about each other than in the previous ten years of work.
An original idea for team building for 300 rubles
Eduard Kolotukhin, General Director of the company “Stayer.ru”, Yekaterinburg
Our company is not engaged in sales, but in the emotional involvement of customers. True, this approach works only if team members are endowed with emotional intelligence, the ability to note and emotionally welcome the best sides of their work colleagues. One of the ideas that helps develop empathy in a team is cards with the word “CLASS!”
The essence of the idea. To convince employees to notice the good deeds of their colleagues and thank them, we did not use the usual means of suggestion such as “encourage the best qualities of your colleagues.” Instead, we used a simple technique: we allowed employees to pay each other a small incentive every month. Today, any member of the company can personally present 300 rubles once a month to someone who, in his opinion, has earned it. All employees are given a personalized “CLASS!” card on the first day of each month. Throughout the month, he can give this card to a colleague whose work has delighted or helped him. On the last day of the month they are counted, and we celebrate the leader of the month in corporate media and on the company website.
Here are examples of cases that, in our opinion, are worthy of encouragement and monetary incentives. One replaced a colleague who was on vacation or sick. Another went to the post office to do his business and bought some stamps to send mail to the company, although he was not asked to do so. You can always do a good deed! But if a person is sure that there were no people worthy of the award in the past month, then he may not indicate anyone and not give his card to anyone. Then the next month starts from scratch.
Result. The relationship between the two internal divisions is slowly building. By the way, this pleased me the most. The staff gradually gets involved in the game, learns to notice signs of attention and concern from their colleagues, because sometimes it’s difficult to come up and say: “Thank you!”, but with personalized cards it’s easy and simple. In addition, we noticed emotional leaders of the company.
Factors that reduce team cohesion
Factor 1. The presence of small subgroups in the group, which leads to “parochial” behavior and thinking. The larger the group, the greater the likelihood of subgroups emerging. Limit the number of team members to 5-7, sometimes up to 20 people. Typically, friendships or acquaintances between individual members before the group is formed will lead to separation of these individuals from the team, which can lead to the alienation of that pair or small group from the entire team. This problem can be present when combining old and new team members, which clients usually want to resolve.
Factor 2. Incompetent leadership of the leader leads to conflict situations and even the elimination of the team. So, if a leader is engaged in building intrigues, bringing in or removing selected members, giving powers and rewards, based on personal preferences, and not on the knowledge, competence and existing merits of the team, then such a group eventually ceases to be a team.
Factor 3: Lack of common purpose and shared direction. For example, asking a group of students: “Is our group considered a team?” - the participants say: “No, we are all good people, but we have no future.” When people do not have a future, it is created by a leader who brings down a goal from above. When this goal is realized and accepted by each member of the group, then the group turns into a team. If the leader does not give such a task, then everyone carries out their own plans and sets personal goals.
Information about the author and company
Aigul Gomoyunova, General Director of Penopol Group of Companies, Moscow. "Penopol". Field of activity: production and wholesale trade of construction and finishing materials; logistics services; The holding of trainings.
Nadezhda Finochkina, director of the company “Formula for Successful Selection”, Moscow. "Formula for Successful Selection" LLC. Field of activity: personnel selection. Number of staff: 5. Closed vacancies per month: 7–12.
Eduard Kolotukhin, General Director of Stayer.ru, Yekaterinburg. GC "Stayer" (Stayer.ru). Field of activity: production and sale of sportswear, as well as equipment; sale of sports equipment. Number of staff: 25. Annual turnover: 50 million rubles. (in 2014).
Popular
- Action plan for uniting the children's team; work program in psychology on the topic: What can be organized to unite employees
- Requirements for a quality control inspector
- Non-price demand factors
- PR manager - responsibilities, job description
- Overview of bonuses that can be paid to engineers
- What is better management personnel management
- Economic efficiency
- SpaceX Dragon, or New competition in space Space cargo ship dragon
- Mechanical properties of metals
- Museum and educational programs within the framework of the project “Live lessons Educational tour of city enterprises