This paper examines team building as a core strategy in organizational behavior and management. It discusses why organizations invest in teams, the types of team-building exercises available — including communication, problem solving, planning and adaptability, and trust exercises — and how these activities develop both individual and collective capabilities. The paper also addresses challenges teams face, such as personality clashes and poor leadership, and considers when outside consultants may be necessary. Drawing on research in management studies and human resources development, the paper argues that well-constructed teams improve employee satisfaction, workplace communication, and overall organizational effectiveness.
One of the best ways to manage the behavior of employees in an organization is through team building. There are many ways in which teams can be built, and there are also many different types of teams — and different exercises that can be used to help create the best possible teams for any organization. Many work environments focus on company goals and on personal goals, but teams (and team goals) can be a better choice for a large number of organizations (Aritzeta, Swailes, & Senior, 2007). Because that is the case, more organizations are trying to learn how to build good teams. This is still one of the areas where organizations have difficulty, because they are unsure how they should build teams and how to put the right people together to get the best work and the best environment for everyone involved (Ellis, et al., 2008). Businesses that can learn to build good teams will be more likely to have workers who are happy and productive, and they will get more done overall than companies where there is no teamwork.
Some of the reasons for building teams include improving communication and motivating employees, along with making the workplace more enjoyable for everyone involved. In addition, building teams can help employees really get to know one another and feel as though they are on the same page with the goals they have set. Strengths and weaknesses of all employees emerge when they work with others in teams, and that can help people learn more about themselves and how they can improve their work, personal relationships, and individual abilities. Collaboration with others is highly important in today's global business world, and when people learn how to work in teams they are able to collaborate more easily. That gives them more developed "people skills" and helps them move forward with their career plans. They can improve not only their own situation but also the impression that others have of the company at which they work, which is beneficial to everyone (Garavaglia & McDaniel, 2010).
When people work in teams, there are many team-building exercises that they can undertake in order to gain a better understanding of one another and grow more comfortable working together (Aritzeta, Swailes, & Senior, 2007). Team-building exercises are important for efficient work, and they can offer a wide variety of tasks for members to engage in. Not all team-building exercises will be the right fit for certain groups or certain people, but stepping outside of the comfort zone is part of what should be considered when engaging in team building (Ellis, et al., 2008). When people never leave their comfort zone, they are not able to think outside of the box and attempt things that are different from what they would normally consider doing.
Some team-building exercises are very simple, and others are quite complex (Garavaglia & McDaniel, 2010). One type is not necessarily better than the other; it comes down to personal preference and the specific issues on which the organization chooses to focus when working with the teams it has created. Some team-building exercises take only a few minutes, while others can span several days (Ellis, et al., 2008). Not all companies want to invest that much time in their team-building exercises, but other companies are fully committed to ensuring that their teams work together as cohesive units rather than separate entities. The more cohesive a team is — regardless of what that team is designed to do — the better it will perform its appointed task.
In some cases, team-building exercises simply do not work, and it becomes necessary to disband the team (or teams) and start over (Aritzeta, Swailes, & Senior, 2007). Some individuals are difficult to work with and do not collaborate well, and some personalities clash too strongly to be reconciled. This is rare, however, and the majority of people who are expected to work together in teams are capable of doing so with a minimum of difficulty — especially after they have practiced team-building exercises and received proper training that has allowed them to understand and respect differences more easily than before.
The types of team-building exercises include communication exercises, problem solving and decision-making exercises, planning and adaptability exercises, and trust exercises (Gilley, et al., 2010). Communication exercises are precisely what they sound like — they are activities designed to foster and improve communication between members of a team. Generally, these are activities in which participants must solve problems through good communication. If team members are not capable of communicating with one another effectively and efficiently, the problem will not be solved and the team will "fail" the exercise.
Communication exercises are very similar to — and often include — problem solving and decision-making exercises (Garavaglia & McDaniel, 2010). Exercises that require team members to make decisions and solve problems are very common in organizations because they most closely resemble what teams of employees will be doing in their daily work lives. They can serve as a valuable gauge of whether employees will be able to solve real-time, real-world problems that arise in the organization. If the employees are not able to do that, it is possible that the team needs to be adjusted or that team members require additional training in effective communication with one another.
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