Team Building vs. Team Development: A Roadmap to High Performing Teams

In our recent market research, we made an interesting discovery: some organisations and individuals use the terms "team development" and "team building" interchangeably. Actually these terms represent distinct concepts with unique purposes and applications.

Both team building and team development are useful for nurturing high-performing teams. Yet, to ensure our interventions lead to sustainable success, it's crucial to grasp the nuances between them. This understanding enables us to choose interventions that precisely match the needs of our clients and maximise their outcomes.

Team building is an important aspect of team development, serving as a supplement to ongoing team development efforts. It is often an occasional refresher, fostering relationships, trust, and cohesion among team members. The team dynamics benefit from these periodic activities as they are aimed at enhancing collaboration. Think of trust falls, problem-solving challenges, or outdoor retreats where team members bond over shared experiences. Team building aids in relationship-building and fostering a positive team environment by breaking down barriers and building trust, which creates and maintains a fertile ground for collaboration and synergy.

Team development includes the initial bonding phase and delves deeper into enhancing team effectiveness by focusing on intricate aspects such as goal setting, conflict resolution, decision-making processes, and leadership dynamics. Unlike team building, which is often a once-off event, team development unfolds over time, encompassing various phases of team maturity. It's about honing skills, refining strategies, and nurturing a culture of continuous improvement.

Team development interventions significantly accelerate team performance. As teams progress through the team development stages, these interventions help them navigate challenges, capitalise on strengths, and achieve high performance. One exemplary program for team development is Purposeful Teams? by Worldsview Academy. This program recognises that teams naturally go through a development process, from forming to performing, but sometimes this journey can derail or stagnate. Purposeful Teams? helps teams move faster through this development process and reach the next level of performance more speedily.

Through facilitated workshops and follow-up sessions, Purposeful Teams?creates alignment around team purpose, develops team dynamics and culture, and strengthens team spirit while at the same time the team ‘gets down to business’, identifies their strategic objectives and creates an action plan. In the follow-up sessions, team progress is assessed, challenges are identified, and team dynamics and culture are further developed. By providing a structured framework for team development, Purposeful Teams? equips teams with the tools and insights needed to thrive within the specific team context.

Knowing when to employ team building versus team development is crucial for maximising their impact. While team building is ideal for laying the groundwork or reconnecting and addressing immediate interpersonal challenges, team development accelerates team maturity and performance. In essence, team building improves unity and trust, while team development fuels continuous growth and excellence.

By recognising the distinctions between these concepts, leaders and practitioners can build, select, and implement interventions that resonate with the unique needs and aspirations of each team, ultimately driving organisational success.

Contact us on [email protected] for more information on Teams; or for your Organisation Development needs.

Written by Mbali Masinga