Creating a Cohesive Office: A Guide to Effective Team Building

Even though everyone in your office has a different set of duties, it’s important to realize that you are all working towards a common goal. That goal would be the success of the company you work for.

Whether you are in customer service, HR, or even accounting, your office is a vital part of the organization you work for, and every company is only as strong as its weakest link.

Also read: Why Effective Mentors Focus On Building High Trust Relationships

Don’t let your office be that weak link. If you are looking to build a cohesive office, this brief guide to team building will be your strength.

Identify Obstacles to Overcome

The very first step in team building is to identify problem areas. Why doesn’t your office function as a team? Are there people who refuse to cooperate or work well with others? Perhaps some people have oversized egos while others are afraid to come out of their self-imposed shell.

Once you have identified obstacles, it’s time to begin building that cohesive team. Don’t forget to get introspective as well. As the team leader, they look to you for direction. Are you an inspiration? If not, what can you do to grow?

Spotlight on the Launching Event

Every team building strategy should always begin with a major kick-off event. This is where you begin building excitement and set the ground rules for how you envision your team to act. Even so, always take the time to market the big event prior to launching your team building strategy.

The excitement should crescendo with a day away, perhaps with treasure hunts in London like these. You might want to look at how companies advertise their launch with press releases and little reminders of the upcoming event, day, time and location.

Choose Activities that Build Relationships

The important thing to keep in mind, and your chief focus, is to build a cohesive team. Everything you do at the main event should be to set the tone for an ongoing effort.

Also read: 5 Ways To Build Positive Relationships With Your Employees

Whether you choose a weekend away or a day trip outside the office, it helps to get your team out and away from a place where they would typically have their professional face on.

This is a day to have fun and learn to appreciate the person at the next desk to whom they may never have said anything other than, ‘good morning’.

From Relationships to Trust

Sometimes the biggest detriment to working together as a team is a lack of trust. Once you begin with your launch, your big opening event, it will take periodic teambuilding activities along the way.

As you notice your team members, your office staff, begin forging new relationships, they begin to trust each other more. It’s natural to fear the unknown, but those newfound relationships will eventually lead to trust if you keep them nourished with teambuilding activities on a regular basis.

Bear in mind that all relationships take work and that means team building isn’t a one-shot wonder. It’s an ongoing focus on keeping the team on track towards an ultimate goal by working together with a single-minded purpose. They are your team and you are the coach, so stay active on the sidelines because they rely on your direction.

It takes time and effort, but with the help of this guide, you will soon see that cohesive team take shape. There is nothing you can’t do together, and this is just the beginning.

As in any relationship, things can go stale quite quickly if you don’t nurture it. Team building takes time and effort, so don’t be discouraged too quickly. Keep up your efforts and you will be rewarded. In fact, team building just may bring you the biggest ROI of all, so give it all you’ve got!