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The business world has changed dramatically since the advent of the Industrial Revolution. The nature of work for modern workers has become increasingly specialized, isolating, and impersonal. Although technology has made it possible to increase human productivity, effective human collaboration is still needed for long-term business success.
The business world has changed dramatically since the advent of the Industrial Revolution. The nature of work for modern workers has become increasingly specialized, isolating, and impersonal. Although technology has made it possible to increase human productivity, effective human collaboration is still needed for long-term business success.
Although people no longer need to be in the same place at the same time in order for communication to happen, there is still no replacement for in-person physical interactions for building relationships and team cohesiveness. People become more than just impersonal names on email distribution lists. They become partners and members of a team, united in working toward a common purpose. Employees become much more energized and capable of working together to accomplish shared goals.
In an increasingly competitive business world where successful companies must be nimble, creative, and good at collaboration in order to take advantage of rapidly changing market conditions, smart businesses should utilize internal and external team building opportunities. Until people feel comfortable working together to solve shared problems, companies will be ineffective, lethargic, and unwieldy as everyone pulls and pushes in different directions to accomplish different ends.
As companies have grown larger and more complex, many businesses have looked to the military as well as the pioneering history of bygone settlers for managerial inspiration. They saw that people who faced logistical and physical challenges together formed quick bonds of trust and developed effective problem-solving abilities as a team unit. People became highly motivated to achieve group success for their team unit.
Team building opportunities have thus been adopted from those models to assist in the world of business. One fun and exciting method involves covered wagon building and driving. People are typically divided into groups of 8 - 12 people to accomplish a number of group tasks themed on the trials of the old west.
Each team must design and build a covered wagon according to certain technical specifications. Each team can also purchase additional supplies within their allotted budget in order to build their wagon. The same rules, limits, and specifications apply to each team. They may also need to create a team flag and camp song. After completing their wagons, teams will then compete by racing their wagons.
Throughout this event, team members must practice communicating, decision-making, exercising leadership, and working in tandem. They practice problem solving in a group setting. People get a fun opportunity to develop trust in their teammates as they define roles and responsibilities to accomplish group challenges. The accompanying adrenaline rush from this activity's speed and novelty is also chemically conducive to feelings of group camaraderie.
Team building events like these can help take people out of their comfort zones and help them overcome self-limiting fears and mental barriers. They can be a safe, fun, and exciting way for companies to develop innovative, cohesive, and highly effective project teams. Team building exercises can help companies become more effectively interdependent, both internally within company departments and externally with business partners and vendors. Everyone can benefit when people feel highly motivated and comfortable working together toward common goals.
Daiv Russell is a management and marketing consultant with Envision Consulting in Tampa, Florida. Find more Team Building Ideas, techniques, and exercises or learn more about finding the root cause of your organization's teamwork issues.
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