Team building is essential in any organization or business.
And just like everything else, there are different ways you can go about it.
The most important thing you should remember as the business owner is that your
team is human. They have emotions and feelings which you have to take into
consideration when you plan a team building activity.
Below are the common team building mistakes you should avoid
at all costs:
a. Assuming that everyone is equal
Your team consists of different people, who essentially have
varying skills, learning abilities, personalities, and even temperaments. Thus,
there is no way you should assume that they will all have the same reaction to
your company policies.
b. Showing that you prefer someone over another
Being a professional, you’ve got to be very careful not to
make your people feel that you prefer a particular employee. When your workers
sense that you like someone more than you like the others, they will begin to
lose motivation and engagement.
c. Letting cliques thrive
By allowing cliques to blossom in your team, you are also
welcoming segregation in the workplace. When this happens, your business won’t
gain the benefits collaboration can bring to an organization. What’s worse is
that it could cause resentment among your employees towards one another.
d. Being too subjective
A good leader is someone who is able to remain objective
when dealing with his or her people, and when making important company
decisions. There’s no way you can build a good team if you are obviously
subjective.
e. Not having clear goals
Unless you have set clear goals for your team, you are
headed for failure. Before you expect your team to perform, you must first make
them understand what your expectations are, and what goals they should meet as
a team. This way, every team member of yours will have an idea of what they
should do and how they should do those things.
f. Micromanaging
You hire people to help you build a successful company. You
didn’t hire them so you could have someone you will supervise. To be an
effective leader, you should know when to guide your team, and when to let them
perform their tasks their way. Trust is important in building a company culture.
g. Not enforcing policies and rules
It isn’t enough that there are rules and regulations in your
company. What’s more important is for them to be enforced or implemented. You
want a team that’s responsible for their actions. They have to be on the same
page as everyone else so that things will not be chaotic.
Building a strong team is challenging, indeed. It would help
if you hold team building activities
on a regular basis to make sure everyone enjoys working with one another, and
that every team member is committed to achieving company goals.
