Is a team building day part of your New Year’s Resolution?
Time to focus on improvements
The holiday season is in full swing. The New Year is quickly approaching, so it’s time to start thinking about bringing your team into 2016. If you haven’t scheduled your team building day yet, now is the time.
New Year resolutions can represent a clean slate, which is just what some teams need. Don’t put it off any longer – there are a lot of benefits of a team building day. Events and activities, customized to your employees, can build better relationships, break down barriers, increase employee motivation in the workplace, and get the team working together again.
Hiring a professional team builder, like Fun Team Building’s Larry Lipman, can create a positive learning experience for your team and lead them into 2016 stronger than ever!
Hold Effective Team Meetings
Are you having regular team meetings? Are they effective? Meetings are essential to the success of a team because they provide a way for employees to come together and communicate with each other, share ideas, and build team spirit. Some members may only see each other at meetings if they work in different departments or work different shifts. It’s important that team meetings happen regularly in order to build communication and trust in the workplace. Have the meetings at the same time in the same place so employees know where to go and when.
When conducting team meetings, I find it useful to follow the guidelines of the three Ps: purpose, people and process. What is the purpose of the meeting, who needs to be involved and what is the process for sharing the information obtained.
Improve Communications
How well does your team communicate? No matter how long your team has worked together or how well they get along, there is always room to improve communication skills. To build better skills, make sure everyone on the team understands one another’s roles and responsibilities. If an employee has a question, they know where to go and who to ask for assistance. Having an open door policy that allows employees to approach you with questions or concerns will improve communication between you and your team.
Another tip I offer is to create a team communication plan. Hold a team meeting and discuss roles, responsibilities, email etiquette, contacts, team documentation, and decision making processes.
Get Positive
Is your team in a bad mood? Is there a lot of office drama? Combat negativity with positivity! Use your leadership skills to create a positive work environment. Lift your team’s spirit by handing out praise. Let employees know you appreciate a job well done. Smile at every team member every day. You might be surprised at the difference a smile can make in someone’s day.
Your workplace is like a second family. Greet your employees when they come in and say “good bye” when you leave. Don’t toss them under the bus. If they see you being negative, it is more likely to affect them as well.
Practice good listening skills. When an employee comes to you, really listen to what they have to say and actively participate in the conversation. Who knows, your positivity may rub off on them!
Having an effective team is all about creating a positive experience. Whether you do that by having lunch with your employees or simply sending them a personalized note when they perform well, it’s the little things that really make a difference.
Call Fun Team Building
As part of your New Year Resolutions, schedule your team building day with Fun Team Building and get the year started off right! Give Larry Lipman a call at 770-333-3303 or visit fill out the contact us form to set the date for your event today!