How I became adept in team building: from theory to practice

A lot can be said about team spirit. For many, it is viewed as the driving force behind motivation, involvement, and collaboration between employees. To this day, a magic pill that brings employees together for the company’s benefit is seen as more of a pipe dream than a reality. The team development process is a complicated and time-consuming one. A large portion of time is spent on finding the right selection of people, then part on grinding towards a joint goal, part on conflicts and the struggle for a place in the sun, and part on building (and subsequently maintaining) trust. Only after months (or even years) of going through all of these individually complex stages, can a group of strangers evolve into a successful team.?

Sadly, the data shows that most teams are simply not able to mature to the stage of actual productivity. According to the Bureau of Labor, 2 out of 10 new businesses fail in their first year of operation. Of course, this is largely due to strategic miscalculations and the failure of business ideas, but the difficulties in forming a team no doubt add a spanner in the works.

Gallup research shows that only 13% of employees worldwide are actively involved in their work. While young businesses are trying to survive intuitively, large companies are investing in team-building events. Team building is a set of activities that help turn a chaotic group of people into an effective team. According to Palmer Morrel-Samuels, of the Workplace Research Foundation, a 10% increase in investment in employee motivation could result in a $2,400 increase in revenue per employee per month.

?In this article, I will share the theoretical foundations of team building, as well as the experiences that led to a shift in my perspective and convinced me of the importance of team-building events.

The concept of team building was first discussed between 1920 and 1930 in the United States. The founder of team building is widely credited to be a professor of sociology and psychology, Elton Mayo. From 1927 to 1932, the professor studied the influence of various factors on labor productivity in enterprises in the city of Hawthorne. The professor's research went down in history as “the Hawthorne Experiments” and demonstrated several curious social patterns.

As a result of the research, the following conclusions were found:

- relationships within the team have a direct impact on the performance of the team, and the relationship between the leader and subordinate has the greatest influence

- the culture in the workplace affects productivity

- the care and support of management are more important than physical working conditions

- motivation and fair remuneration play an essential role

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Based on the Hawthorne experiments, it was concluded that team building could act as a possible solution to the then-growing problems of motivating employees, building friendly working relationships, and effective communication in the team.

Theoretical foundations of team building

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Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is one of the most famous psychological theories referenced worldwide. In the context of team building, Maslow's pyramid helps determine what incentives to use to motivate employees.

To create an effective and sustainable team-building system, it is important to first research the actual needs of team members.

Meredith Belbin's Role Theory

In the 60s, Belbin developed his team-building system, according to which, it is necessary to correctly allocate roles. The theory is based on a harmonious collection of people centered around their individual qualities.

In line with this theory, each team member should take up one of the appropriate roles based on their traits: Plant, Resource investigator, Coordinator, Shaper, Monitor Evaluator, Team Worker, Implementer, Completer Finisher, and Specialist. It is important to determine what role corresponds to each member of the team and build interaction based on this.

John Adair Leadership Theory

Perhaps, no team-building training takes place without taking into account the leadership component. According to John Adair's theory, the most important tasks for a leader are?

-???????to stimulate the team to achieve a common goal

-???????maintain and develop the individual goals of each employee?

-???????build and support the team as a whole

When developing team-building activities, it is important to clearly define the leaders who will be responsible for team development and motivation.

FSNP Concept by Bruce Tuckman

The concept presented by Bruce Tuckman is interesting because it describes the development of the team through stages. At each stage, the team faces specific tasks that have to be solved.

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1. Forming: the selection of the team

2. Storming: imbalance, clashes, and conflicts

3. Norming: team unity or complete collapse

4. Performing: efficient team operation

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Sometimes a team can get stuck at one of the stages, and then certain steps must be taken to progress forward. This is where special team-building events may help.

This theory was developed by F. Taylor in the 1920s, and then further refined in the 1960s by D. McGregor.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was an opinion, that most people do not have a natural desire to work, therefore, employers have to use coercive measures. In addition, constant strict control is required for effective results. Later, however, McGregor suggested that the weakening of control can have a positive effect on productivity. These new postulates formed the basis of Theory Y.

For this example, the augmented Theory Y includes the following assumptions:

-???????each member of the team needs to realize the meaning of what they are doing

-???????people need to realize that their activities are beneficial

-???????people want to see the importance of their activities and personal contribution

-???????employees need to have the opportunity to improve the work process

-???????employees need to receive recognition – not only material but also social

-???????employees should develop self-control skills

-???????clear criteria for performance evaluation can help employees improve their work results independently

-???????enough self-autonomy increases the dedication of the team

So now that we have a brief overview of the prerequisites to what we call modern team building, it is time to delve deeper into the nuts and bolts of how to successfully implement team-building strategies.?

Team Building Directions

Team building in general is a broad concept that includes a selection of tasks to be completed within a team. Team-building exercises can be incredibly varied and company-specific, however, below is a list of the main areas based on which you can build team-building events.

?Development of communication skills

The first port of call when introducing team-building exercises is typically communication. Communication is a central component of soft skills, and a team’s ability to articulate ideas effectively can make or break a project. Unfortunately, lack of/or poor communication is often cited as a major problem on many teams. Therefore, it is crucially important to dedicate sufficient time (at the right time) to developing communication skills. Ideally, if you manage to include communicative activities at the very beginning of building a team, this will help to avoid problems in the future.

Development of specific skills

The next stage is the development of the specific skills that are necessary to perform certain work tasks. Staff development is a priority for any self-respecting organization. However, the approach can vary: you can hold a lecture for several hours, or you can organize highly involved training, taking into account the individual characteristics of each team member. It is safe to assume that the more tailor-made each activity is to the participant, the more benefit they (and consequently the company) will gain from the training.

Training of personal qualities

Different people are intended to have different forms of interaction. There are born leaders, there are analysts; some prefer to work alone, while conversely, some may be energized by constantly interacting with other people. The productivity of employees will differ depending on how the working conditions correspond to their internal needs. Training in personal qualities will help to identify and develop individual personal characteristics. In the course of such activities, it is possible to determine the optimal formats for interaction between team members.

?Problem-solving training

Group training to resolve unique problem-solving situations helps to unite the team, identify strengths and weaknesses in interaction, and raise motivation. Problem-solving activities are always great in teams and, if carried out regularly, increase work productivity through comradery and experience.

Value development training

In essence, this is the involvement of employees in activities that are in alignment with the values and mission of the company. For example, involving employees in the development and holding of charity events, parties, and other initiatives in the field of human rights, ecology, and economics.

Participation in the values of the company, as well as universal values, helps participants feel a personal positive impact on the global way of life.

?Informal meetings and communication

Everyone's favorite corporate parties belong to this kind of activity. However, so that informal meetings do not turn into a banal "breakaway", it is important to think over the objectives of such events. For example, a team leader can study the personal qualities of employees, their motivation, and their behavior in a naturally relaxed state. For the employees themselves, such meetings can help strengthen informal relationships, mutual assistance, and support. Common impressions and memories will help the team grow as a single organism.

My experience

?Frankly, at the dawn of my career, I was unable to find the aforementioned value in team-building events. It seemed to me more important to pay attention to professional competencies. Why spend huge sums of money on informal trips, training, and corporate parties? I saw this as a significant unnecessary expense, and the complexity of being away from work for a long time added to my uncertainty in the process of team building.

In the 2000s, I worked for the first major company in my career, Japan Tobacco International (JTI). The company paid great attention to team building. After I took a leadership position, my supervisor once shared her thoughts with me: “Aleksey, if you want to become a department head and hold serious positions, then in addition to the professional side of things, you need to gain and develop experience in organizing events for your team. This is the most important tool for team growth, building trust, and motivation, without which high professional achievements are impossible.”

Many years later, already at Philip Morris, after taking the position of Head of Trade Strategy Development, I realized the true importance of the words of my former leader. In 2018-2019, when my team grew to 25 people, I found great value in informal communication with employees, because such live communication allowed me to get to know the employees better, and understand their motivation, values, and goals. In addition, I have found that team-building activities have a powerful impact on total team performance.

One of the most memorable events of that period was a trip to Israel. The whole team managed to visit Jerusalem, see the Dead Sea, and visit other iconic places. At the same time, we summed up the results of joint work, outlined new horizons, and exchanged experience. Employees shared their positive impressions of this trip for a long time afterward. As a result, our team created shared memories that helped us stay united and productive throughout the year. After this wonderful trip, I realized that my task as a leader is not only to direct the work process. Additionally, I have to create such conditions for each employee so that every day they come to work in an optimistic frame of mind, and return home satisfied and feeling like a part of something greater than just their role.

The second significant team-building experience for me happened after the start of the pandemic. During that turbulent period, most employees were forced to work remotely, which affected motivation and job satisfaction. I understood that it was necessary to meet and cheer up the team to ensure effective work later down the road.

?Unfortunately, due to internal restrictions, I had to divide my team into two groups, because companies of more than 15 people were not allowed to travel (at that time my whole team was about 30 people). Previously, we preferred to travel abroad, but the pandemic meant adjustments had to be made: we had to organize holidays in Russia. Part of the team went to the tourist city of Sochi, and the second part went to Kaliningrad. To be honest, this circumstance upset me: I did not believe that it would be possible to organize a team-building experience as memorable and value-adding, as our time in Israel.?

But it seems, I worried in vain and paid too much attention to the physical location. It was much more important for people to communicate and spend time together. As a result, the employees were happy, recharged, and once again shared their impressions for a long time following. The trips turned out to be so beneficial for the employees that I received gratitude not only from my colleagues but also from their families.

After this experience, I finally became convinced of the importance of team-building meetings. I realized the significant positive impact such events can have on the employees' lives, which in turn, leads to a healthier and more productive work environment.

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Team-building events for me are now an integral part of working with a team. My experience proves that teams, where team-building is a regular activity, develop efficiently, are more robust, and bring quality results to the business.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, technologization and globalization have permeated into all aspects of life. The pandemic has added fuel to that fire. A large number of employees have switched to a remote work format, and in the future, most likely, the number of formal offices will be reduced. According to CNBC, 69% of remote employees are experiencing burnout. Now we have to look for ways to strengthen team spirit for distributed teams.

Unfortunately, there are even more gaps in team building for “remote workers” than in the case of office teams. More than half of remote businesses have never held team-building events with their employees. According to TeamBonding, "65% of remote workers report they've never had a team building session."

If you google “Team building for remote teams”, the search engine

will offer virtual quests and games that supposedly unite and motivate remote workers. From a comparative perspective, such ventures look naive. The truth is that even the most exciting and engaging virtual activities cannot replace live communication. Therefore, I believe that businesses should allocate budgets for live meetings for remote employees.

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The pandemic has affected the nature of work but has not changed our fundamental human nature. After all, we are all social beings who feel isolated and unproductive when separated from others. For this reason, live meetings for “remote workers” are vital.

To summarize, I would like to note that team building is currently developing and changing correspondingly to the varying more modern forms of employment. Globalization requires that we embrace new approaches to cooperation between people of different nationalities and cultures, while feminism highlights the need for women's team building, and the popularization of freelancing and short-term projects encourages the creation of effective teams in a short time frame.

?All this pushes leaders to face new challenges. These challenges are far from easy, but their significance cannot be understated. Boundaries between work and life are gradually blurring, and in the near future, we could witness stark transformations in the work-life balance paradigm. Typical office work may very well disappear and many of us will manage our careers without leaving our homes. These changes should be organic for both businesses and employees, and this is exactly where team building comes to the rescue.

Let's see what happens - the future is promised to be exciting and revolutionary. There are a lot of interesting things ahead!