While it might have a less-than-stellar reputation to some, team building is a more critical part of leading a cohesive, well-functioning workplace than ever before. This notion is especially true of the tech industry, where flexible working arrangements can contribute to a feeling of disconnect between your staff.
In this article, we’ll be going over why team building is such a crucial aspect of strong leadership, as well as some ways you can facilitate it among your valued staff.
Background: The Importance of a Strong Team
It’s clear that tech leaders like CIOs and CTOs are becoming increasingly aware of the profound importance of team building for a company’s strength and success.
While it may be a relatively new concept, organizations across the globe are embracing team-building wholeheartedly as part of their management strategy, and it’s not hard to see why; staff who feel more connected to the company they work for and their colleagues report a greater sense of wellbeing at work and tend to perform better on the whole.
What’s more, there’s no one ‘right’ way to foster a stronger bond between your team members. You can tailor your approach to team building based on what your staff enjoys or are interested in; for example, if they love sports, then you can play football together. If they’re passionate about games, you can plan to spend a night playing jackpot slots at Joe Fortune.
It’s important not to overlook the key role team building can have in your staff’s overall wellbeing and satisfaction with their workplace, too. It’s not uncommon for leaders to dismiss team building as fluffy or a waste of time and resources.
Still, we’d argue that, as an employer, you should do what you can to help your staff have the best possible experience in their workplace. They’ll thank you for it!
Indeed, team building does much more than just help your staff become more productive at work. It also helps them improve their communication and feel a greater sense of motivation, not just within the context of their career but in their lives more generally.
You can even use team building as an opportunity to facilitate activities that promote excellent health and wellness among your staff.
For instance, team sports can be a fantastic way to bond with colleagues and promote better physical and mental health. Arranging for your staff to take a short course in meditation will not only help them get closer to the people they work with every day, but it can also teach them to manage stress in a healthy way and feel a greater sense of satisfaction in their lives.
What Does Team Building Look Like in Practice?
As mentioned above, there are plenty of ways that you can facilitate team building with your staff. For instance, if you’re using one, you can incorporate it into your team management plan; making sure someone is responsible for ensuring that team building is happening on a consistent basis is crucial for its success in your workplace.
Practically speaking, team building can be fostered by team building exercises, strong leadership, understanding your staff and their priorities, implementing changes based on staff feedback, and so on.
The Role of Strong Leadership
It’s especially important for management to take an active, encouraging role as far as team building is concerned. Showing enthusiasm for your staff and their wellbeing, as well as the social cohesion of the organization more generally, is crucial if you want to earn the trust of the people working for you.
Without a strong leader, your staff can end up feeling that there is a lack of direction or structure in the workplace. This, naturally, can contribute to lower morale and an overall sense of a less united team, so working on your leadership abilities can be just as important for team building as anything else.
Team Building Exercises
Let’s be honest here; for many people, team building can seem like, frankly, a pretty unappealing way to spend their time. Some of your staff may cringe at the very idea of team-building exercises.
But they’re a key part of bringing everyone at your workplace closer together. All the negative associations people have with team-building exercises don’t have to be a self-fulfilling prophecy; there are plenty of ways to create joyful, positive memories for your staff if you put some thought into the type of team building you’re facilitating.
It’s worth keeping in mind that any team-building initiatives will generally receive better from your tech team if they feel less corporate; you’ll also want to avoid having any overt messaging as part of whatever activity or exercise you do.
Allowing your staff to enjoy themselves and connect organically simply will provide them with a far more positive experience.
Why Team Building is So Vital in Tech
The tech sphere is pushing the boundaries of conventional working patterns and systems in myriad ways. While this helps us be far more productive in certain respects and forces us to be more innovative, it also creates a greater need for a more robust, supportive work environment and a sense of camaraderie between staff than might otherwise be necessary for other industries.
Some examples of this might be asynchronous and remote working, both of which are more common in tech than in most sectors. While more flexible working arrangements like these can be great for your staff’s overall work-life balance, they can make establishing a good workflow for yourself and your team trickier.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to respond to this. For instance, you should have a fixed day where your whole team works at the office. This promotes a greater sense of cohesion among your staff and can help them connect with one another.
If this is difficult for team members who primarily work from home, you can try to provide some form of aid or assistance in making it into the office. For example, covering the cost of public transport tickets can be immensely helpful.
Virtual Team Collaboration
Another way to foster team building in tech is to use online tools and platforms that facilitate virtual communication and collaboration among your staff.
For example, you can use Slack or Microsoft Teams to create channels for different topics, projects, or interests. You can also use video conferencing tools like Zoom or Skype to hold regular meetings and check-ins with your virtual team members. These tools can help create a more engaging and interactive workplace culture, even if your staff work from different locations.
Finally, you can also use team building as an opportunity to celebrate your team’s achievements and milestones. Whether it’s a successful product launch, a new client acquisition, or a personal accomplishment, you can acknowledge and reward your staff for their hard work and dedication. You can send out a thank-you message, gift card, or bonus. You can also organize a team outing or a party to celebrate together. This can help boost your team’s morale and motivation and show them that you appreciate their contributions.
Team building is not just a nice-to-have in tech; it’s a must-have. Investing in team-building activities and initiatives can create a more cohesive, productive, and happy workplace for your staff. You can also improve your team’s performance, creativity, and innovation. Team building is a win-win for everyone involved, so don’t hesitate to prioritize it in your organization.
Wrapping Up
Team building is vital to leading a successful and thriving tech organization. It can help create a more connected, engaged, and satisfied team to deliver better results and outcomes. It can also help you foster a more positive and supportive workplace culture that can attract and retain top talent in the industry.
By implementing some of the team-building strategies and tips discussed in this article, you can take your IT team to the next level and achieve your goals. Remember, team building is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process that requires your commitment and involvement. So, start today and see the difference it can make for your team and your organization.