Team building study

Now more than ever, the notion of trying to build a great team is sharply in the focus of business leaders. It is part of the reason that they come to us in order to use our team building events. In this article, we show the vast benefits of enhanced team integration and why team building events are popular and effective at building productivity in teams.

The need to improve productivity has prompted a great number of studies into the area of team-building as academia attempts to answer the burning questions of what makes a good team and how the process can be “hacked” in order to make it repeatable and teachable. Nowhere is this truer than at MIT, their Human Dynamics Laboratory has identified the group dynamics that underpin high-performing teams. They have now discovered that these dynamics are measurable and can importantly be taught to teams in order to make them stronger.

Communication

It seems obvious, but teams that performed well had an advanced level of communication within them, they appeared to have a unique style that was shared. Researchers found that these patterns of communication were common in high-performing teams and were linked as a strong predictor of the success of the team. The researchers gathered the information by wiring up workers in teams in differing sectors. They collected a huge data set that allowed them to break down exactly what it was that separated top performing teams and the also-rans.

Team work

The strong and unique communication that was present in the top performers showed that teams with more energy and engagement had better communication and thus created better teams. Researchers noted that teams that spent longer together outside of the work environment had better interpersonal relationships and were higher performers. Researchers concluded that staff should be encouraged to take breaks together to foster this enhanced level of communication. Indeed in the study, a bank that moved its call centre staff’s breaks found huge improvements by getting the staff together on those breaks.

Productivity

The implementation of quite simple strategies can garner a huge result; during the study, the researchers were based in the call centre of a bank, after adding in the tips from the researchers they’re forecasting a $15m a year productivity increase over their 25,000 staff.

The normal thinking has been that staff only work for rewards, while rewards do constitute part of the picture, the work environment itself and the strength of the team overall can be of huge influence in engagement and productivity.

If you want to foster some of this into your team, then why not book one of our team building events? We can help to create a setting so that your staff can get to know each other a little better in a creative and fun environment. Give your team a productivity boost and get in touch today.

• Communication
• Team work
• Productivity

What to look for in a leader

Building a good leadership team is essential for any business that wants to achieve. Whether an office manager or project leader, all leaders require certain skills to help them interact positively with other team members. Skills that you’ll need to look for when hiring for leadership roles in your company include:

Communication

Leaders need to be able to explain goals and tasks to employees in a clear and succinct manner. They must master all forms of communication, from one to one conversations, to motivational speeches to an entire workforce. As well as this, they must be able to converse effectively via phone, email and even social media.

What many people don’t understand is that a big part of communication involves listening, and this means that leaders need to establish an efficient flow of communication between team members and themselves. As such, leaders should ensure that they’re regularly available to discuss issues or concerns with employees.

Motivation

Leaders should be able to motivate workers to go the extra mile for a business. This could involve building self-esteem via recognition or rewards, or by offering staff the opportunity to take on new responsibilities. Employees should be made to feel like they’re a vital asset to the company and that their hard work is appreciated. Good leaders should be able to identify effective motivators for encouraging productivity in the workplace.

Positivity

Positivity is an important trait of a leader as it can help to create a happy and relaxed work environment. This is especially important during busy or stressful periods when constructive attitudes are essential. Employees will be more likely to want to be at work and will be more willing to out the hours in to achieve results for the business.

Responsibility

A good leader will be willing to take responsibility not just for the successes of a team, but the failures too. They should accept the blame when something goes wrong, as well as celebrating when things go right. They should look to devise clear solutions to rectify issues. If employees see their leader blaming others, they’ll lose respect for them, which can be disastrous for a business.

As a manager, you’ll always be keen to improve leadership skills in your workforce. So why not invest in corporate team building activities? Team building events can target leadership specifically, allowing you not only to identify those employees who possess (but who may not have yet had the opportunity to display) leadership traits, but develop existing skills in this area. Targeted leadership team building games provide situations where leadership skills can be developed, practised and enhanced.

Contact our team building experts in the UK to find out how leadership activities can benefit your business. Team building providers work with businesses in various industries, and so you can be sure that they can deliver a service that’s fully tailored to your company’s requirements.

Top 4 tips

• Communication
• Motivation
• Positivity
• Responsibility

Top ways to improve productivity in the workplace

These days, employees spend long hours in the office. But how much of the working day is spent productively is another matter. As an employer, you’ll no doubt be keen to increase the level of productivity in your workplace in order to improve your business’s balance sheet. Here are some tips to help you do this…

Instil accountability in your staff

Making your employees accountable for their decisions and actions will encourage them to be more cautious and careful when it comes to completing tasks. This will minimise the risk of mistakes occurring, ensuring that work is completed to a higher standard. What’s more, instilling accountability will also provide them with a sense of ownership, which will encourage them to feel like they have a stake in the business.

Don’t micro-manage your staff

You need to learn to manage your workforce, but without micro-managing. Micro-managing can lead your employees to become too dependent on you and unable to make decisions for themselves. To avoid this, begin trusting them to get the job done themselves. After all, they were hired to do the job, and so they must possess the skills required for the role. Putting faith in your staff and their abilities will encourage them and give them the self-belief that they can achieve results.

Reduce distractions

Social media is a big killer of productivity. However, it isn’t practical or fair to have a no-phone policy within the workplace. Instead, take steps to keep your staff focused and engaged whilst allowing them a certain level of breathing room.

Motivate and reward

Many managers fail to give their staff recognition when they complete a task to a high standard. This can lead to a drop in employee morale, and a resultant decrease in productivity. Rewarding your workforce with bonuses can demonstrate how much you value their hard work and will give them motivation to continue working hard. If budget constraints mean you can’t give them a bonus, offer words of encouragement instead, or provide rewards such time off or an increased number of leave days.

Invest in team building events

 Team building events run by team building companies in the UK can be a great way to improve employee productivity levels. Your staff will participate in various activities that can encourage them to work as part of a team in order to achieve a common goal. They can then take these newly developed teamwork skills into the workplace in order to carry out work in a productive manner. Better teamwork in the workplace can result in tasks being completed faster and to a higher standard, which is excellent news for your business’s bottom line.

We pride ourselves as a leading team building events agency in the UK. Our London events are carefully designed to cater for the fast pace city life.

Improving productivity in your workplace can maximise your business output and minimise your costs. Put simply, it can allow you to get more high-quality work done in a shorter amount of time, whilst reducing your company’s financial outlay. Higher productivity can ultimately achieve a higher level of profit for your business.

At Goto Events, we provide the best outdoor Team building Events in the UK, furthermore, we’re nice people to deal with.  We don’t compromise on quality because we care about your event.  Rather than churning out the same done to death team building events, we make sure our activities are current and especially relevant. Furthermore, our kit is unique and most of all, great quality.

Top 5

• Instil accountability in your staff
• Don’t micro-manage your staff
• Reduce distractions
• Motivate and reward
• Invest in team building events