Manage HR Magazine | Thursday, March 16, 2023
Team building is an integral part of any company's culture, whether it's remote-first, hybrid, or in-person. The concept of team building is more than just ropes courses and trust fall activities. The new digital age makes it easier than ever to make work processes enjoyable, which helps remind everyone how human we all are.
Fremont, CA: Team building is an integral part of any company's culture, whether it's remote-first, hybrid, or in-person. The concept of team building is more than just ropes courses and trust fall activities. The goal of team building is to create an environment where people feel empowered to take risks, push limits, and make hard choices.
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What Does Good Team Building Look Like?
There is nothing worse than forced team-building exercises. Everyone has been in situations like that — perhaps the trust fall/ropes course type of team building activity — that feel more like an obligation to overcome than an honest, genuine effort to bring people together. Building a good team requires attention to authenticity rather than rope-course activity, and recognizing that each individual will feel secure and trusted differently.
In order to understand what team building looks like, it is important to consider what people's roles and responsibilities are both within their teams and within the organization as a whole. In what ways do people currently collaborate? How can vulnerability, transparency, and trust be encouraged at each level? Where do teamwork skills lack, and how does that affect the team? For team cohesion, it is necessary to answer these questions.
What Role Does Technology Have in Team Building?
The final stage of teamwork, where everyone is on the same page and feels safe to share their vulnerabilities with each other, can seem impossible to achieve. Investing time and energy consistently in cultivating that environment can prevent it from happening. When working in a remote or hybrid setting, there are fewer chances for organic interactions to build trust and foster vulnerability, so it's important to look for ways to renew that feeling of belonging and trust. The software and tools we deploy on our teams can shape us in the same way Winston Churchill famously said: "We shape our buildings, and then our buildings shape us." Bringing a sense of joy into work processes can make a positive difference to each team if teams choose tools that are delightful. For example, Slack normalized the use of emoji reactions and gifs during text-only communication, which can otherwise feel abrupt and impersonal. It is possible and recommended to use multiple products, including Range, to keep teams connected and informed about what people are working on and how they are doing, even if they do not meet face-to-face every day. FigJam shares screenshots of new features, customer feedback, new customer logos, and other wins of the cycle through virtual brainstorming and collaboration. Teams can then celebrate each item one by one, giving compliments and decorations.
The new digital age makes it easier than ever to make work processes enjoyable, which helps remind everyone how human we all are. Over time, those small moments of vulnerability will encourage team members to open up more, share their feelings and thoughts with others, and build an emotionally intelligent, bonded workplace that is not only productive and prosperous but also safe and inviting for all.
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