Despite overwhelming evidence that team building, team development and team training can produce huge returns for the company, the team and the individual participants, some organizations continue to avoid or delay team development programs.
Often, they have seemingly good reasons for shunning or delaying an investment in team growth, and yet, their excuses sometimes underscore their need for team building.
Those most resistant to investing in teambuilding, leadership training and strategic planning are often those who can benefit the most.
Let’s take a look at the top three team building avoidance scenarios, along with the deeper issues revealed by those excuses…
Excuse Number One: We Already Get Along Fine.
It’s a great excuse! Why invest in team building when the team is functioning well? “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was a mantra in long past times where change took years and competition was minimal.
In today’s fast paced world of constant and often instantaneous change coupled with fierce competition, a passive or reactive strategy of waiting for something to “break” before taking action is a recipe for disaster.
The truth is that challenges exist, even in seemingly functional work groups. In functional environments, effective team building is preventative medicine–a proactive step toward avoiding an emergency intervention session later.
More important, it is proactive training that provides practical tools and skills that will improve the effectiveness and productivity of a functional work group. It is an investment that statistically pays off dramatically.
When “we all get along fine,” the team is ripe for training, since there aren’t any contagions to prevent the full use of the insights gained in the team-building program.
When “we all get along fine,” team building is a necessary, strategic investment that will avoid future breakdowns and, more importantly, accelerate communication, efficiency and productivity.
Excuse Number Two: It’s Not In the Budget.
An expenditure that pays for itself geometrically is always budget-worthy.
Unfortunately for those organizations without a budget for team development, there are two likely outcomes.
The first is that they will meander along without substantial problems or achievements indefinitely. What likely follows at some point is a crisis or challenge that makes team training a critical priority and hence a budget item. Or worse, because no investment was made early on, major restructuring or competitive difficulties become prevalent.
The second is that management makes an intelligent and profitable investment in team building and training. Exceptional partial and one day events and programs are available for less than a few hundred dollar investment per person—a small investment with a huge payoff.
Comprehensive team development training programs, while a somewhat larger investment, tend to produce even larger returns and payoffs.
Organizations that use a cost rationale to avoid team development programs are saving pennies at the expense of dollars.
Team building is often most appropriate, most needed and most beneficial in an organization asserting that “it’s not in the budget.”
Excuse Number Three: We Don’t Have Time.
It’s tough to argue with this one: If your team is already overworked and overstressed, where will you find the time?
Unfortunately, unless we choose to find the time the cycle of overwork and over stress will continue until a major crisis forces the time to be made.
Constantly putting out fires and dealing with high pressure dramatically reduces the effectiveness of every worker.
The research overwhelmingly demonstrates that for high level positions requiring creativity and complex cognitive processes, it is critical to take a break, regroup and refresh.
For positions involving interaction with customers or employees, the research shows that cohesion and communication break down leading to loss of efficiency and conflict unless active steps are taken to refresh and refocus.
Team building is not just useful for fast-moving teams, it’s critical.
If team building seems unworkable for your team because your fast-paced, high-burnout task load doesn’t leave time for it, you unquestionably need to schedule a team building program to clarify strategic plans, improve communication and provide your team the tools to more effectively deal with the high-stress environment you face.
Call Professional Teambuilding and find out more about how our corporate team building and motivational programs can help you build a more satisfied, motivated and productive workforce.