Playing ‘soldiers’ while trussed up in a boiler suit, toy gun in hand is the ultimate in tired and tested teambuilding activities that are designed to bond and unite colleagues through mutual humiliation; an aspect of management that begs the question is it worth it?
Phrases designed to instil some ‘get-up-and-go’ are aimed at re-invigorating failing energy levels while team bonding is positioned to re-awaken enthusiasm for the team and shared goals.
And according to Rosemary Harrison author of Employee Development it’s a good thing.
“Outdoor development periods’ are designed to ‘bind participants into a close-knit group, motivated to tackle a long-term learning experience as a team rather than as a heterogeneous collection of individuals; and to develop appropriate learning styles and skills.”
Combat, however, is an ugly affair. So how useful can running around a dis-used field in a sweaty, oversized suit be for injecting some loyalty and team bonhomie?
Indeed, it can easily back-fire as it so often does in war. Drawing out those elements of character that we always suspected existed in our colleagues anyhow and secretly despised them for.
And apparently I’m not the only one tip-toeing towards the ‘oh I just can’t be bothered’ camp.
Reported by the Times, a real-life demotivational company exists. Despair Inc suggest that weighing up the approach between motivation and demotivation isn’t as easy as you might have thought.
The bottom line, according to a Times reporter is that, “Motivational tools do nothing more than offer rubbish workers a way of disguising their shortcomings with fake accomplishments and some pom-pom waving.”
By far the easier solution is accordingly to just leave well alone, allowing self-motivated staff to shine without the intervention of teambuilding and motivational tools.
And it would seem that there’s a lot be said for the doctrine of ‘laissez-faire’ – manage the mere basics and the rest will work of its own accord.
After all serial paintballing, pulse ranger or wine tasting at Vinopolis costs and perhaps wallflowers just want to be left well alone while those with a big-mouth already know their own aptitude for self-glorification.
Far be it for me to say that any type of social gathering is worthless, we all enjoy a tipple and seeing it for what it is – a ‘jolly’ might be a better approach.
And has anyone actually measured whether a direct link actually exists between team building activities and motivation levels? Tips, tricks and tools aside the saying that ‘you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink’ seems to ring true in this case.
Editor’s Comment invites you to talk back – share your views on the worth of teambuilding and motivational tools by posting your comments below.
8 Responses
Demotivation and management
I loved the stuff about demotivation in your editorial. It blows a wind of realism into the rather self-congratulatory atmosphere of some organisations.
Employers wanted to abandon the paternalism of the past in favour of a ‘flexible’ workforce (ie we can sack them whenever we want). They cannot expect to retain commitment and motivation as they did in those days. They have changed the psychological contract but are being slow themselves in adjusting to the implications. The demotivation arguments are thought provoking and stimulate thinking about a more business-like and grown-up relationship between employer and worker. UK management in all sectors needs to prove it can rise to the challenge.
The Myths of Teambuilding
Teams are groups of people who share objectives and work together towards them. They are not defined by those who happen to be working in the same department or under the same boss. In my experience much of what is called teambuilding is euphemistic. It’s an excuse for strengthening (or destroying!) relationships, having fun, being remotivated etc ….all of which is OK so long as we are honest about why we are spending the money.
There is minimal (I acknowledge its not zero) transfer from paintballing and abseiling (etc etc) to the stresses and realities of the workplace. If I am asked to “build a team”, I sugest they take a real live problem that they SHARE, sit down together, and I will both suggest a process and try and provide feedback to the team about its own processes, strengths and difficulties in working together. When we have done this “reality teambuilding”, THEN we can have some fun.
Most so called teambuilding – with respect to Kathleen and many other dedicated people like her – has no measurable effect on any business result. It doesnt mean it was a bad thing to do, but it should probably come out of the “welfare budget” …
See my latest “Viewpoint” in the Training Journal!
Andrew Mayo
Team building works!
My experience and research suggests that building teams has a very real impact on individuals & their organisations; as long as the organisation is set up to enable participants to live it back at the ranch! As a director of an ‘experiential’ learning & development company I wholeheartedly believe in the benefits of developing teams through a balance of fun, activity, underpinning theory and reflective facilitation but this is not the same as morale building by paintballing etc. Team building ought to be to specific objectives and be thouroughly integrated into actions that can be applied in the workplace whilst being an enjoyable process for the participants. Any design needs to take into account the desired outcomes, environment of the event, budget, organisational culture, participants involved and opportunities to transfer the learning. There is a place for a complete range of ways to develop teams – there communication, interpersonal relationships, problem solving, decision making, planning & leadership etc, however be clear about the purpose if it’s to boost morale & have fun alone then call it that; the events may start to improve working practice too. Just as ‘real’ teambuilding boosts morale and relationships as well as meets other additional learning objectives through an enjoyable & relevant process!
Long may whatever tools we have be useful in enabling organisations to be as effective as possible in a way that values, motivates, supports and encourages its precious resources.
Teambuild as an expensive waste of time.
Could I ask reasers to please see my next month feature on TrainingZone about team building.
There is so much money and time wasted on this in the UK and elsewhere, with pointless and non-performance outcomes. Cheaper to give everyone £30 and send them down the pub for the evening. There they will get to know each other and hopefully bond.
No. There needs to be a more purposeful approach to team building and development that asks questions about why are we doing this, and if we do what do we hope to gain from it other than getting to know one another better?
Mucvh team building is of the “bungee-jump off the side of this building” school that frightens the living day lights out of people and certainly isn’t motivating. But a carefully planned and purposeful event, that enabled teams to work out how they operate and negotiate processes for creating team spirit, cohesiveness and workplace effectiveness, can pay back huge rewards.
Only useful if well designed and results interpreted
Such action activities can be valuable, but must be properly designed to suit the capabilities of the participants as well as providing enough opportunities for qualities of team-working and leadership to be genuinely displayed. The weakness in many of these activities is that the organizer/facilitator is often unable to help the group and individuals relate their behaviours to the real work and activities which go on in their normal business.
motivation or team building?
Annie
(I agree with the “tired” point BTW!)
Surely there should be a difference between a “motivational” event and a “teambuilding” event.
Teambuilding events need to take into account the complete makeup of the individuals within the team….something like paintballing will apeal to some but will be a massive turn off to others, not just from the point of appeal but also from their aptitude for the activity. I worked with managers from a pharmaceutical company a couple of years ago where one manager pooh-poohed the whole approach of teambuilding “events”; he had tried go-karting evenings, paintball,5 a side and a beer and skittles evening. They had been evening events and volutary and (in his words)the same people turned up every time and the same people wouldn’t join in. When asked who always came and who never came, guess what?
People need to THINK what they want to get out of an event rather than getting caught up in their personal enthusiasm for a particular activity.
The laissez faire approach may work sometimes but all too often the problems within a team get worse rather than better if left alone. Again I worked with a team who had achieved very little in 11 months due to infighitng and egos…..one painful teambuilding session for a day helped them to fulfill all their team objectives with no loss of team members within the next 7 months
(and there wasn’t a paintball gun or a sweaty body in sight!)
Sensible teambuilding events are worth their weight in gold, an inappropriate event can do more harm than good
Tired as in zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hi Chris – I wondered if anyone would spot that! I actually did mean tired – that is over-used and traditional team-building events.
thanks,
Annie
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Freudian slip?
Annie,
I was amused to note that your opening paragraph refers to this form of development as “tired and tested.” I presume you meant “tried and tested” – although, perhaps not!