When it comes to business, it’s important for workplaces to encourage teams to grow and develop, no matter how big they are. There’s no denying that sometimes things can get boring when they aren’t changed after a long period of time, which isn’t good for any company.
By utilising the strengths of employees through a number of different methods, businesses can ensure that they are getting the best possible work out of them. Different means can offer results such as capturing people’s unique abilities and allowing themselves to understand what makes them crucial for the company. This has an overall positive effect on the business.
How you go about bringing out the best in your team depends on your business, but there are a lot of options available. These can range from strengths training sessions to team building activities or even just unique schemes that are devised to get the best out of employees.
How your business can be its very best
There are various training sessions on the market which help employees to see their true strengths, and how they can then use them to their advantage through their engagement in the workplace. These sessions will hopefully help to improve their performance, motivation, and confidence, which is nothing but beneficial for their job role.
Many established businesses have taken this method on as a viable option, with fantastic results. For example, Tesco made use of such training to work with their store directors and managers so that they could identify and develop their personal strengths. This led to improved leadership confidence, more positive energy, stronger employee performance and better clarity.
A similar approach is also used by some NHS trusts as a way to motivate and engage their workforce. Managers have noted seeing clear increases in productivity at work, a clear indicator that said training is effective. In an organisation such as the NHS, this is nothing but positive.
Team building activities
If you are thinking of giving your employees a break from their usual tasks, team building activities could be a great way of going about this. Not only do they help strengthen the bond between workers, but they are also a chance for employees to have a change from their usual routine. As well as being fun and rewarding, it allows workers to recharge their batteries.
The phrase ‘team building activities’ may evoke images of childish party games for some people, but this doesn’t have to be the case; there’s a wide array of options available.
If you want to keep things fairly work related, you could host a conference. Even if it’s over something related to your business, you employees will still be socialising and strengthening their relationships
In the majority of cases, though, team building activities are at their most effective if they’re a non-work-related activity.
You could host a more formal indoor event such as a dinner, for example. It may not seem like a team building activity as such, but it offers your employees the chance to socialise in a setting that isn’t the workplace, strengthening the bonds of your team.
Less formal events, such as a few drinks at a pub or a meal somewhere may prove to be even more successful as a team building activity. It’s likely that there won’t be any work-related stress, and the more relaxed environment is bound to encourage your employees to socialise with each other, too.
If you really want to stick to the ‘team building activity’ stereotype, team games or outdoor events can improve workplace relationships and encourage teamwork, but only for certain people. Some may find these sorts of activities demeaning or alienating.
No matter what, they are all guaranteed to bring out the best in your team; it’s just up to you as an employer to suss out what activity would benefit your workers the most.
The RSA can testify to team building activities working well, having taken advantage of such a method. It used the Crystal Labyrinth and its range of games to focus on the areas of skill, physical, mental and mystery; this didn’t disappoint, and the variation of games meant that everyone involved was engaged and able to display their individual talents.
A little encouragement goes a long way
Bringing in certain schemes in the workplace can improve your team in a number of ways. This can involve learning new things, getting to know new people, building up morale and confidence, generating ideas, as well simply getting time away from their desk. All of this can prove valuable to the business overall.
An example of such schemes working to great effect would be Google’s infamous ’20 per cent time’; this is when the bosses give their employees a certain percentage of time alongside their regular workload to work on something that they think could benefit the company. This has proven successful as it has led to the development of Google News, Gmail, and AdSense.
This case in point shows how important it is for workers to be given a certain amount of freedom, even if they are in employment somewhere as demanding as Google. Noone can deny the success of the likes of Gmail and how much revenue it must bring to the company, which is a great way of showing the victories that can come from allowing the time to bring out the best in your team.
Teamwork is the foundation of a successful business
In all, giving your team time to get inspired can give your business a boost. Nobody is going to be 100 per cent motivated for a long period of time, but that doesn’t mean there’s harm in trying to keep it as high as possible at all times.
Whether it’s through strengths training sessions, team building activities or a different approach, there’s no denying how bringing out the best in your team can be beneficial for your business.
Further reading on building a team
