Team Building

Talking To A Prospect As If To A Friend

2009-10-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

While working with a new coaching client, I asked to hear her sound bite. Everyone needs a good sound bite. A sound bite, sometimes also called an “elevator speech,” is a 10- to 15-second commercial on what your company does, offers or stands for. Use it when you meet someone new in business, use it at networking meetings, and use it on the telephone as part of your introductory calling script.
Here is the sound bite from my client: Client: We offer complete marketing solutions. Wendy: (With eyes glazing over…) Huh?
The idea behind the sound bite or elevator speech is to communicate clearly, easily and effectively what you do and why someone else should be interested in what you do.
I asked my client, if a friend asked her to explain what she does, would the answer be “complete marketing solutions”? Probably not. And there’s your litmus test. If a phrase would make a friend think you’d suddenly lost your mind, don’t use it in a conversation with a prospect! Most likely, it sounds artificial and probably doesn’t actually mean anything. That same phrase may be fine in writing, for your brochure or web site, but it is not as effective in spoken language, because written language and spoken language are different.
These differences come into play when you are writing an introductory calling script. Write your script down the way that you speak. If your script is in written language, you will sound phony. Real people do not speak with capital letters at the start of sentences and periods at the end. People actually speak more in phrases or fragments, with pauses and the occasional “ah” or “um...” Write your introductory calling script with no punctuation and no capitalization. If there is a point that you particularly wish to emphasize, underline or highlight it. It is imperative that you sound real, so you may want to try talking into a tape recorder, then playing it back and writing down what you’ve said.
Try to stay “jargon-free.” Every industry has its own jargon, but you must know and use jargon appropriately. If your prospect does not understand your industry jargon, then she will not understand you when you use it! Instead, become conversant with your prospect’s industry jargon—then, she will see you as an expert who understands her industry and her issues and concerns.
When you are writing your script, keep in mind a particular individual to whom you will be speaking. Picture this person as a friend, as someone who is open and receptive to what you have to say. Speak to that person as you would to a friend, and not in formal business language taken from your company brochure.
I have seen perfectly reasonable, articulate human beings become stiff, formal and uncomfortable while trying to speak in a manner they believe to be “businesslike.” They use unwieldy phrases like “complete marketing solutions,” because someone told them it sounds more professional. It doesn’t. If no one understands what you are talking about, no one will buy your product or service. Be yourself, and speak as you would to a friend. Remember your litmus test: Do not include anything in your introductory calling script that would make a friend raise an eyebrow.
The very definition of an introductory call is that you are talking to a stranger. You are telling your story to someone who knows nothing about you, your company and your product or service. You must be clear. For the ultimate test, before you get on the telephone, try role-playing your script with an eight- or nine-year-old. If that kid does not understand what you are talking about—no one else will either.

2 Things You Need Most in a Small Business Team

2009-03-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

What defines a team for small business? What's the difference between the team you build for your company and the teams you may have worked with in a corporate or big business setting?
#1. You need support
When you're building your own small business team, the number one thing you need is support. Not skills. Not experience. Not knowledge - support. Let's say that again: you need support.
At the end of the day, you're the one with your neck on the line. You're the one who's made the investment, the promises, the commitments. You need to deliver, and you need support in order to do that well and consistently.
Many business owners are tempted to hire team members for specific skill sets and specialized knowledge, and that's all well and good, down the line. You do need these things. But remember that now, in your business, this is for you: the whole shootin' match depends on you. So while you're looking at that person with the great technical skills or the terrific sales record, think about the two of you working together side-by-side on a project and ask yourself, "Will this person be able to really support me like I need her to?"
#2. You need people who fit your personality, values, and philosophies
You need this to stay sane. This is not really taken into account in big business - you get who you get on your team, and they're usually hired by HR. But in a small business, it's really important, especially to you, the owner, to be working with people who fit you and "get" you. You need this to feel totally supported (see #1) - you really need to be understood by your team.Make a list of your personality quirks, values, and philosophies - your team may not match all of them, but you'll work better with people who do. Would you like to work with people who are patient and willing to flow with your eccentric personality? Put it on your list. Is it more important to you that the work gets done to your exacting standards than that it gets done at a certain time, or vice versa? If you're hiring someone who's going to work very closely with you, it may be important to you that they see eye to eye with you philosophically. It really pays to think about what kind of people you work best with. (Of course, you can't discriminate against someone for religion, race, or disability, but you wouldn't do that anyway.)
Bottom line: People are people, and depending on how close you're going to be working with them, you'll want to feel like they're part of your "team." You'll want a rapport, a relationship with them, so you can begin to read each other. Remember Murphy Brown's house painter? Eldin was a part of Murphy's team, even though he wasn't a traditional hired employee, and he really fit her personality. If you want to be able to count on someone the way Murphy counted on Eldin, you have to start thinking of them as part of your team - people who can support you and fit your personality, values, and philosophies.

With Advertising Funds Freezing Up - Packaging Picks Up.
Cruise along with Pirate Costumes
Forge Welding
I Couldn't Decide on Bridesmaid Gifts!
Diverse Species of Flies
How to make money with google adsense?
New Ivory Ring Bearer Pillows
Exclusive Stiedl design properties sell despite credit crunch
New Teddy Bear Trust to Comfort French Kids in Hospital
How to take care of Dry Skin Acne?
Actonish everyone with Funny Quotes and Sayings
Windows 7 takes over Vista on graphics
New and Cool House Design in Provence
Movie Review: I love you man
Come Home to Warwick’s Natural Abode
Best Tips to Avoid Cancer
The Best Hotel in Las Vegas: The Bellagio
How to stop hair loss?Top hair styling tools - achieve a special look

Groups in Team Building

2009-03-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

A lot goes into effective team building. Business management would be nothing without it. Teams have become known as a productive way of getting everyone on the same page, reaching for the very same goals. But simply having a team isn't enough. There are various groups associated with team building that you should pay attention to. Having a team also consists of having groups or teams within it. Understanding and implementing this in your place of business is a great way to improve overall efficiency and pave the way for many future successes.
Know the difference between temporary teams and permanent teams. There are some teams that you may find should be actively working together all the time. In other cases such as special events, a temporary team may have to be put together to shoulder the extra load. It's a good idea to allow people to volunteer for temporary group positions. Since they are not in demand all the time, it will give those a chance to take charge in instances when they normally may not. This is a great way to discover the hidden talents and skills of your staff too.
It can be incredibly wise to organize groups for specific tasks. For instance, having a problem solving team that works specifically only for tackling problem issues can make a huge difference when it comes to foreseeing and preventing possible issues. Likewise, a team that focuses solely on design or marketing can improve growth and productivity in that area. By separating your team into appropriate groups you will keep everything moving smoothly while staying organized. Designating groups makes it easier for employees too because tasks are specific to their skills.
It certainly goes without saying that those with certain skills or assets should have the opportunity to exercise those skills within their team. It wouldn't make sense to have someone do a job that is outside of their field of expertise. Likewise, there may be employees that are reluctant to take on certain roles that a team could help ease them in to. Teams are really about what is best for everyone, not just the daily total.
Teams that are self managed must have very strong leaders that are skilled in guiding a group towards their goal. Motivation is the driving force of a good leader and they should be able to encourage it in others. Though most are born with the personality to be a strong leader, there are many leadership skills that one can learn to assist with that trait.
New groups should have some kind of ice breaker activity so that everyone can get to know each other and learn what is to be expected of them. Ease new groups into it so that they can grow accustomed to each other as people and as professionals. Remember that all groups still must work as a team overall. Plan events and functions to keep the groups interacting and maintaining the feeling of morale and common focus. Team building is an ongoing process that always has room to grow.

How to Involve the Workers in Team Building

2009-03-20T01:51:00.000-07:00

It is a challenge to involve workers in such events and to get them motivated. The advantage of team building events, as opposed to typical work meetings, is that you are focusing on building the team not simply dispersing information. You are allowed to use various team building activities, games and exercises if they will help in strengthening the team's unity. Even a team building event can go badly, however.
How can you involve your team members and make sure everyone is on the same page?
The Key To Organisational Motivation: Organisation!
Yes, planning events for a corporate environment requires forethought, advance planning and a lot of logistic preparation. In the planning stages you need to consider what your expectations are as a team builder or project manager, and then the goals you will be setting for your team. Goals should always be clear, and be and consistently given to your workers. This may require repeating and illustrating the same lessons in a variety of ways.
When planning a specific game or activity, follow three essential main points. First, make sure the activity is enjoyable. The myth is true, you are allowed to have fun at work. Team building activities can be enjoyable and fun activities can certainly motivate even the most monotonous of workers to lighten up and enjoy themselves.
Second, make sure the activity or game has some practical value. Yes, you could theoretically introduce a funny game that makes no sense but everyone enjoys. It might motivate the team to like you and enjoy each other's company. But are they actually more excited about their job? It's much more effective to incorporate the company directive into fun activities. This keeps things light and practical. Finally, teach team members how to apply what they learn in their own daily routine. Chances are if you don't explain specifically how this information is to be taken, they will just shrug it off.
Appealing To Your Team Members' Ambitions
One of the best ways to get workers involved is to appeal to their sense of individual achievement. Yes, team spirit is the primary factor. But you can still explore their own personal aims and goals and then direct that enthusiasm back to a team project. This is a great way to motivate your workers if you sense they are hesitant about expressing themselves. Try opening with a discussion of all your team members. If you sense they are holding back, then try playing a game like obituary where all members are told to give an obituary of what they achieved, and what they prefer to be remembered for.
Develop your workers' potential and then encourage them to follow that aim, suggesting that the company can help them excel and reach their goals, at a comfortable pace.
Team spirit starts with a group of individuals, each with their own unique personality and ambition, but all united towards one common goal.

Leave the Games Behind - Team Building 101

2009-03-16T03:02:00.001-07:00

Call it a bad, real-life version of The Office. The boss decides that productivity and morale are down, so there needs to be team building. So on a chilly Wednesday morning, rather than being at work, the whole staff finds themselves at the base of a high ropes course. The morning starts with some reaffirming words about trust and positive thinking and keeping an open mind from the facilitator, followed by some activities to aid in communication and trust, such as a trust fall and the human knot game. Soon, after some rudimentary safety training, the staff begins to tackle the high roped elements of the course; some are not so wild about heights, so they elect to stay on the ground and help with the safety ropes. As the sun sets that evening, the facilitators congratulate everyone on a job well done and for participating, and hope that the staff is able to take the lessons learned that day back into the office.
Come Thursday morning, with the exception of maybe some sore muscles, its back to business as usual. The boss cannot figure out why his team is not any better, and retreats back to the confines of his office to ponder what to do next.
This is actually an all-too-common scenario. Too often when a team is not performing up to expectations, the powers-that-be elect for a "team building" day, such as the one described above or something similar. And while a day scrambling up an artificial wall may be fun, there is one major caveat to engaging in the above activities: none of it is team building.
Simply put, team building is not an activity, but an ongoing process. There are certainly activities and initiatives that can be of use as tools in this process, but they are not an end unto themselves, and if used as such or not properly facilitated, they can potentially create more harm than good.
In understanding team building, it is important to determine what it is not.
Avoid the Clichés
First, there must be a distinction made between bonding and building. Bonding is merely an act of sticking two or more objects together; in terms of people, it is two or more people getting along and caring for each other at some level. This can be done very quickly, such as a child using paste to attach the eyes onto their Halloween jack 'o lantern project in school: effective, though temporary. A more permanent bond is possible, but requires greater time and effort.
Building, on the other hand, is an organized and planned effort to construct a solid structure to serve a purpose. There are many individual activities and transactions required to achieve this goal, and once the initial structure is complete, constant maintenance is required to keep it functional. It is a continual process.
As such, team building is not building camaraderie. While in an ideal environment the team will bond and genuinely care for each other's well-being, it is more realistic that there are people on every team who wish nothing more than to come in, do their job, and go home. Even more realistic a view is that there are people on the team who may actively despise another member. These are obstacles, to be sure, but ultimately the success of the team is not dependent on everyone liking each other, so this is not a goal of team building.
Additionally, team building is not an activity. Putting a team through team building "initiatives", such as the aforementioned human knot and ropes courses and the like in an attempt to demonstrate examples of core team behaviors does little at building the team, as these activities 1) do not always translate well to the work environment, and 2) do nothing to secure continual support of the potential lessons learned.
Team building is an ongoing, multifaceted process encompassing several disciplines that, when done properly and given the due attention it deserves in any organization, plays an important role in an organization's success. Ultimately, it is getting a group of people to work together towards a common goal in such a way that the results of their efforts are greater than the sum of their parts. This requires constant attention and is achieved over time, and must be maintained through continual efforts. As mentioned before, there are additional activities that can help boost or accelerate team building, but these tools are only an additional support option for what should be a daily function of the workplace and the team leader. Moreover, the activities that qualify as team building tools are very specific in scope and how they are applied; in other words, not just any activity provided by a book or facilitator can necessarily fulfill this purpose.
The Myths
There are several myths that have unfortunately been tied into team building, that have created unrealistic expectations in regards to the potential outcomes. The two most prevalent relate to team building's scope of effectiveness and which activities are most effective.
Myth #1: Team building will cure what ails ya'.
FACT: Team building is not a cure-all. There are many possible contributing factors to why an organization is not performing up to expectations, team building being but one. While some quality team building may create a short-term stopgap for overall poor performance, it cannot heal a sick corporate culture. While team building should be a constant endeavor at any organization, regardless of performance, the deeper, underlying issues need to be addressed if team building is going to have the desired impact on success.
The truth is that while a team's lackluster performance can hurt an organization's success, it also may be a symptom of a larger problem. It will still do well to treat the cough, but this will do little good unless the cause of the cough is treated as well.
Additionally, team building may not even be the issue at hand. For example, is there truly a team that needs to be built? High school teachers, for instance, all strive for a common goal: educating their students and playing a role in shaping them into productive citizens. However, the Spanish teacher's job performance is not dependent on the Algebra teacher; ergo, there is no need to spend time and resources trying to "build" this team.
Another example: is the team's goal mission critical? If the office's Sunshine Club is not getting along and it is interfering with the plans for the end of year Christmas party, is it worth the money and lost productivity to send them on a daylong team building crash course? Is it worth spending more than an hour's worth of conversation?
In both of these cases, there is no need for team building. If issues are arising between the parties mentioned in the examples above, other approaches would be more appropriate.
Myth #2: Activities outside of the office can help highlight key behaviors.
FACT: Stripping away all of the excess baggage and eliminating distractions are excellent ways of drilling down to core issues, but most activities do not support this end in a practical, sustainable way. While on paper, the high-ropes course or weekly "team building" initiatives at the morning meeting may seem like excellent ways of demonstrating the core values of team building, there are major reasons why they prove to be ineffective.
One-shot deal. It is the equivalent of brushing your teeth once a week. It may act as a temporary booster, but eventually decay sets in and undoes whatever few benefits gained. In addition, not everyone in the group may get the same take-away value from the activity, thus leading to uneven results at best from engaging in such activities and reducing the return on investment. For them to even begin to approach being effective, the activities need to be engaged in on a regular basis.
Lack of interest. If employees are not interested in the activities, they will not be keeping an open mind to the potential learnings. True, this may stem from a lack of proper facilitation or preparation on the team leader's part, but it provides for a difficult obstacle: if one employee is acting indignant, the attitude can spread virally and keep more members of the team from engaging.
For instance, if someone is terrified of heights and is generally not an outdoors kind of person, they will not be willing to engage fully in a high-ropes course. Additionally, if they are not participating in the full initiative and are left on the ground working the ropes, they are not going to get the same take-away value as those who completed the course (harkening back to a previous obstacle in engaging these activities). Is it worth the time and resources to attempt to convince these one or two employees to engage fully in the initiative? If not, is it worth engaging in the initiative if the whole team will not be getting something of value out of it?
Statement of the blatantly obvious. Most initiatives will attempt to highlight the building blocks of team building. These "truths" are often patently obvious and the staff already knows and understands them.
Most productive members of an organization understand that they are part of a larger whole, and what they do can either contribute or take away from the overall success of the team. It is during this debrief, with everyone sitting in the circle and each holding a piece of string in a web that symbolizes their responsibility to the team that the facilitator begins to highlight the requirements of team work and the employees' eyes begin to glaze over.
Same quota, less time. Most employees will see the time spent on team building initiatives better utilized in completing their work responsibilities. The perception often is that there is still the same amount of work to accomplish, but less time to accomplish it in. At a 3-day in-house team building initiative at one company, employees were told that the sessions were mandatory and would last from Wednesday through Friday. At each break, rather than using the downtime to eat something and relax, the majority of the staff were running back to their desks and answering urgent emails, completing reports and making necessary phone calls. Rather than look for the benefits of the session, most employees saw it as a waste of time that prevented them from completing their work.
No follow-through. Once the initiative has been completed, the staff are turned loose back in the office and expected to perform at a higher level with this newfound enlightenment concerning their role to the team. If there is any positive energy generated, and there very well may be, it will often fizzle out after a few days when it becomes clear that nothing has really changed. Managers do not spend the time following up with their teams properly because they become too distracted with other, more important responsibilities. Lessons are not reinforced. Staff members begin to slip into old habits. The facilitator, if an outside one is used, is nowhere to be found to check on progress.
"We do the bonding." As mentioned at the beginning of the article, many of these activities tend to generate bonding more so than building. They act as a common challenge that people have had to face, much like pledging a fraternity. And while fun, it if bonding is the overreaching goal (and in some cases, it may be as the job requires it), it would probably show a greater return on investment to go bowling or hit the pub for a few pints after work.
Getting on the right track
So what is a leader to do? Is team building relevant, or even useful?
Yes. They key is to readjust the point of view on what team building is and how to enact the process. It boils down to assessing and addressing the team's needs.
In the initial stage of assessment, a team leader must ask a question that may not have a clear-cut answer: is team building necessary? Prima fascia this seems an ambiguous question at best with an answer that falls somewhere in the gray scale between black and white, but the answer can be simplified by breaking the question down into its core components.
First, is there actually a team? This is a bit of a trick question. Are the people that are working in the department or office dependent on each other's performance for their own success? Take for example the previously mentioned high school teachers. They are not dependent on each other's performance for success within their own classroom. True, if all of the teachers are enforcing the rules equally and pushing all of the students to maintain a high standard of performance, then everyone's job gets a little easier, but because they are not immediately dependent on each other to complete their job every day they do not qualify as a "team".
However, if there is direct dependency there, then there is a "team". For instance, if the staff is responsible for achieving a common goal, such as a sales target or a project objective, and each play a role in seeing this goal met, then they are a team.
Who to include on this team can be a slippery slope. Who gets included? How involved in the process must a staff member be to be included as a team member? Does the receptionist who funnels incoming phone calls to the appropriate parties count? How about the administrative assistant who coordinates all of the filing and required meetings?
The team leader ultimately has to make a decision in this case, but to guide this decision, the leader need only ask a question: if this person vanished tomorrow, how much impact would that have on the rest of the team? The administrative assistant would more than likely sorely be missed, as their contribution allows the rest of the team to concentrate on their areas of responsibility, and having team members rotate in to do that job could prove to be counter-productive. The receptionist (as described above) provides a helpful service, but with some adjustments could have their responsibilities taken care of by the rest of the staff with little impact on productivity. The team leader has to make a decision as to who needs to be included, and what the return on that investment must be.
Once the nature and members of the team have been established, the leader can then move on to addressing the team's needs. To answer the question posed at the beginning of this section, "Is team building necessary," the answer is if there is a team, then unequivocally "yes". As has been mentioned several times before, team building is a constant and ongoing process, so if there is a team, the team leader must always be taking action to keep the team moving smoothly.
Meeting their needs
Every team has the following needs that must be met to keep the team functioning smoothly:
A purpose or goal: a unifying reason for the team's existence Communication between members and stakeholders: established channels and methods, and protocols, including who is responsible for what types of communication, timetables, contact people for key issues, etc
Accountability: clearly defined accountabilities; who is responsible for what, and who is responsible for control and evaluation
Support: backing by management at the highest appropriate level, including access to resources and information
Real team building lies in addressing these needs. To be effective, a team leader must constantly be assessing and evaluating how the team's needs are being met. Where are the problem areas? Has there been a break down in communication between two members? Are the appropriate managers supporting the team's efforts? Have the team's actions strayed from the team's purpose? When a team leader starts acting as an advocate in this way, they are laying the foundation for a solid team.
This is an ongoing competency. Simply laying the groundwork is not enough; a strong leader will constantly be taking the pulse of the team in an attempt to be proactive is addressing the team's needs and ironing out any wrinkles before they arise. This process can happen in any number of degrees of difficulty, depending on the team members, the tenure of the team, organizational climate, etc. Regardless, the process does not stop.
The exception that proves the rule
Now, with any rule there are exceptions. Those aforementioned "activities" that were written off as not building teams? They may still hold a useful place in the team building process, but under very specific circumstances. Even if these circumstances arise, the usefulness of these tools has not been proven, and a leader should only enter into their use under careful deliberation and using experienced facilitators who understand the true team building process and are capable of a longer commitment to working with the team,
So when are these "booster shots" appropriate? When should a leader drag his team out into the wilderness for four days to help accelerate the process? The following scenarios may call for additional, accelerated aid outside of the ordinary practices:
Brand new team with a looming project deadline
New members on the team that must be brought up to speed quickly
A mission-critical team in critical condition with a project deadline
A team where 100% of the members are on board with the activity
With the exception of the last scenario, there is a common thread here: deadlines. In all but the last case, the team is threatened by a deadline that must be met. Now, just because there is a deadline does not necessarily mean that there is a need for a team booster shot; as mentioned before, the team leader must carefully consider his or her options before jumping into such an activity. Booster shots are not a cure-all, remember, but only a tool that should be used in conjunction with sound team building processes.
For instance, a firm that produces portable MP3 players is about to begin a new marketing push to try to take a larger market share. This initiative could mean the difference between several years of strong sales and expansion, or could result in a loss of capital and market share. The senior management team has two new members within the last six months, and there are tensions between the other four tenured managers that have resulted in some communication breakdowns in the last year. In this case, with a team that not only has a looming deadline of some importance, but also has new members and issues between others, there may be a case to engage in some emergency "boosters" to get the team in synch very quickly.
Boosters that work
What are some of the options available? If a team leader decides that a booster is necessary, several routes could be taken. In all of the cases below, the key is constant feedback about specific, individual behaviors that are affecting the team. It is not enough to simply engage in the activity with no direction or feedback. And remember, the team leader is not trying to change anyone on the team, but attempting to change their vocabulary and understanding of each other. Focus on the behaviors, not the people, but with an eye as to why the people may be engaging in damaging behaviors.
Do the work of the team. The easiest and most relevant would be to engage in a team-specific project that directly reflects the work that they do. This has a high level of transfer and relevance to their other work habits and could result in smoother operations.
Retreats. Take the team out of the workplace and to somewhere new and relaxed where they can focus on the work of the team (as mentioned above). A change of venue and relaxed environment could yield some strong results, but again the work must be focused on the team's goal. A strategic planning session, for example, would be a good reason for a retreat, but again with feedback given to members regarding how their behaviors are affecting the team.
Outdoor facilitated initiatives. No, not a high-ropes course (with its previously mentioned built-in barriers). This can be a very powerful tool if used properly. The advantage of being outdoors is that most, if not all distractions have been removed and it lays bare people's attitudes and behaviors. The stress of the initiatives (often strenuous hikes with little guidance, book ended with facilitator sessions) brings many emotions to the surface and can really get to the roots of the underlying problems.
Obviously, there are some pitfalls here that, if not carefully navigated, could end up doing more damage than good. This is why it is important to have a strong facilitator present who is not only able to manage the team's safety and act as an outside observer, but also to help the team heal itself once the inevitable verbal and emotional lashings happen.
The Takeaway
As mentioned before, good communication and follow-up are key to the success of any of these boosters. In any of these cases, there must be follow up over several months to ensure that any positive building is being maintained in addition to the ongoing team building that must be present. Faltering in either feedback, follow-up, or ongoing team needs' assessment will result in a loss of any benefits gained through the boosters.
Remember, there are three primary keys that are required for effective team building. First, it must be determined if it is even necessary by assessing the nature of the team. Second, it is an on-going effort that requires attention to specific needs that keep the team operating smoothly. Finally, with any team building, whether it is through every day efforts or through a booster, there must be follow through. If a leader keeps all of this in mind, they will be well on their way to developing strong, high-performing team.

Four Points to Remember When Planning a Team Building Activity

2009-03-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

The science of team building is gaining popularity because experience has shown that the strongest teams with the most successful victories were teams made up of a happy, motivated group of workers. Go back to the beginning of politics to see how well Alexander The Great treated his soldiers! Remember to keep these positive pointers in mind whenever you are planning a team building activity.
1. Teach Compassion
Part of building an effective team is to instill a sense of compassion in your team mates, the same compassion you offer them as a trainer. There is such a thing as competitiveness in business, but there is also a concept known as mutual respect. A team whose members respect each other is willing to drop grudges, to overlook personality differences and to concentrate on a shared goal. This team that is built on compassion will usually have more success than a team motivated by greed, intimidation or other forms of negativity.
2. Teach Spirituality
What does spirituality have to do with team work? Isn't religious discussion a no-no when you're at work? Spirituality is a very broad term not necessarily related to faith, but related to human interaction. Probably not by coincidence, some helpful team building methods are based on principles found in various religions, such as the Golden Rule and Karma. Spirituality in this work context simply means, regardless of your religious feelings, team members should have a deeper value system than just self-gratification. Helping others to excel, putting forth positive contributions and handling success modestly are all aspects of spirituality that can help you in the workplace.
3. Encourage Your Team Members To Progress
Helping your team members to progress as a team, ironically involves helping them to grow as individuals. Before you can focus their efforts in a team direction, it's best to first appeal to each member's individual ambitions. Visualization games are helpful for workers to imagine their success free of restrictions, and fire up their ambition. A team must be made up of confident, goal-oriented individuals.
4. Encourage Leadership Potential
Part of a trainer's job is to encourage workers to advance towards leadership. A variety of activities, such as role play scenarios, can help in this training. When planning group activities try and limit the number of team mates on each team to two or three. This lets everyone get involved in the process. Even teams with four or five individuals may be an ideal setting for a potential leader to respond to the challenge. Use thought provoking exercises in training rather than more competitive and simplistic games, as this allows individuals to unite and to excel in their skills.
Being a team builder is all about encouraging progress and helping individuals to achieve their ambitions in a team setting. Remembering these values will always make your job rewarding and earn your team members' trust.

Four Points to Remember When Planning a Team Building Exercise

2009-03-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

There's another importance factor besides imagination and enthusiasm to have in team building and that's strategy. You must plan your team building exercise very carefully and as much as possible bring a strategy to your activity so that the exercise is organized and professional. Consider five points of planning.
1. Remember Your Team's Soft Side Part of teamwork is developing a strong sense of family among members. Remembering that team work is based on positive qualities like love and family will help you to balance competition with compassion. Some games would not be appropriate for some teams. Children and adolescents are particularly sensitive and should be guarded against physical or emotional injury during competitive games. Even some adult members are more vulnerable than others and may not be able to participate in an exercise that puts too much pressure on the players. Take into account your team members' personalities before deciding upon an exercise.
2. Design A Theme One way to help motivate your workers and to impress upon them a major point is to plan the activities around a theme. The theme could be a few words or a sentence stressing a particular point. You could use the theme of the activity on posters, charters or even on supplies. Any time you can tie in a group of activities to one common theme, you will have made the entire day more memorable for your workers.
3. Adapt Your Exercise To Your Circumstances Not all team building games are appropriate for every circumstance. You may find yourself in situations that would restrict certain games from being played as suggested. Some team building exercises are meant for smaller groups. Some exercises are meant for children not for adults. Some exercises might be too complicated for younger players. However, this does not mean that you cannot use the exercise at all. A better idea is to adapt the activity to your needs and to your audience. There are rules unless you as the trainer set them. Everything else is open to change.
4. Try And Shorten Your Teams Smaller teams are best numbered in groups of two's or three's, as this gives every member the opportunity to brainstorm, perform presentations and work closer with their team mates. In some situations this may be impossible, however. Rotating members may help at this point, so everyone gets a chance to shine. You can also help this problem by creating more teams, rather than just two sides competing. You want to try and help every individual to excel.
Team building exercises are meant to be fun and beneficial for teaching. Uniting your team members towards one common purpose, as well as building mutual trust, are what make teams successful. If you remember these five points in planning, you are on your way to building a strong team of workers.

"How About Those Meatballs" and Other Networking Skills

2009-03-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to a business networking event. There were lots of people milling about, most were in little clusters talking and shaking hands while trying to balance their plate of cheese cubes, meatballs, celery and carrot sticks. There were a few people, obviously newcomers because they were standing alone, looking for someone to talk to. When I looked at the clusters I noticed that most were made up of people who work together or people who already know each other and have a relationship. I'll bet, when they get in their car to drive home, they mumble something like, "another networking event, I didn't meet anyone new who could be a prospect, what a waste of time." And yet they cluster; which is intimidating for new people to break into a conversation and even more difficult for the clusterers to meet them.
The business reason for attending networking events is to meet new people and identify those who can become new prospects. After appropriate follow-up actions, eventually some of those prospects will become new clients or referral agents or both. But few attendees get out of their cluster, their comfort zone, and engage strangers in conversation. Why?
My guess is that there is a lack of social confidence, a fear of the unknown, and a fear of rejection caused by a lack of preparation. People feel awkward engaging a stranger in conversation. It doesn't come naturally to most, so people successful at networking, prepare and practice.
They prepare "conversation-starters", comments about current events, the weather, sports, the quality (or lack thereof) of the food, the traffic, anything to make it easy to initiate conversation with someone they don't know. To make themselves comfortable and sound natural they practice those opening gambits in the same way an actor rehearses lines in a play. They practice their networking skills every chance they get - waiting in line at the supermarket for example. The more they do it the easier it is, the more natural they sound, the more confident they become and the more successful they are... and "Hi, have you tried the meatballs?

Ideas on How to Personalise an Executive Gift

2009-03-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

If you think hard about why you are giving a personalised executive gift, it is probably because you have decided to do so for one of a number of reasons.
One could easily be the most common, which is that you feel you should give a personalised executive gift because "it's the right thing to do", another reason is because you genuinely value the relationship with the supplier, employee or customer that you are going to present with a personalised executive gift. One other reason, which is becoming more common now, is that you are ordering a personalised executive gift due to a customer service issue, commonly now called service recovery.
It is important therefore to think clearly about the reason you are going to give the personalised executive gift, and what the recipient is likely to use it for, before you even start to choose the message, or the personalisation method.
Having decided the 'who, why and how much' questions, you can now move on to selecting a product that fits with the criteria you have defined, so an as example, lets imagine that you have a new product launch, and you have invited a small number of key clients to a dinner, consisting of both male and female executives that you want to give a personalised executive gift to help commemorate the new product launch.
I suggest that you don't give every one at the dinner the same item, lets face it you would not give everyone in your family the same gift at Christmas, so why should you do so for you most important clients when it comes to presenting them with a personalised executive gift.
Have a think about the type of person they are, do they work from a home office, are they mainly on the road, do they work from an office. If they truly are a major client, you will know a lot about them, for instance the colours they wear, whether they are the technology savvy, or do they prefer more traditional working practices.
Once you have used all of this knowledge to select a personalised executive gift, you then move onto what can be the hardest part of all, the way you personalise the gift.
The good news is that with the excellent availability of personalised executive gifts online, you can now order a single item to be engraved or embossed with words, initials, a logo or a message, and have it delivered in a day or so, whereas in the past, you were committed to buying hundreds of an item all with the same logo or, and had to wait weeks, or you had to buy a gift in a retail store, then find your local engraving store to have the message added, which does not suit everyone, particularly where time is short.
Good online personalised executive gift sites will allow you to choose you whether you want a personalised executive gift with engraved initials, or engraved words, a company logo, or even all three, so you have plenty of scope to get the message just right.
The final decision on what how to personalise the gift is yours, but I would think very hard about having too much on the product, particularly if it is a personalised executive gift that will be used personally rather than left on a desk. As an example, a beautiful nappa leather jotter will be perfect with just initials elegantly embossed on one side, it will show you put extra effort into choosing and the personalising of the gift. This will make sure that the recipient uses the gift, it will be welcomed and treasured forever, whereas if you foil block your company name, logo and address all over one side, chances are they will think you are trying to advertise your company rather than say thank you to them.
Most important of all, when you present the a personalised executive gift to the lucky recipient, always do so in an elegant way, never ask or expect them to open it in front of you, and ideally, always give the gift beautifully packaged in a gift box with tissue and a substantial gift bag at the end of the evening or meeting so that when you have said thank you and they are leaving, you pass then the personalised executive gift as a final show of your appreciation, I promise you that having chosen the gift carefully, and given great though as to how you personalised it, then elegantly presenting it at the end of the meeting, you will gain even more respect from your customers, colleague or supplier.

Practical Considerations When Building a House

2009-03-06T00:27:00.000-08:00

Of course, a lot of people dream about building their own home. And while you may not design the actual layout yourself, you can certainly give the architect ideas about what you want the finished design to look like.
But more than often people do not think practically when they are in the process of designing and building a new house. Indeed, it is quite natural to think about how the finished result will look, rather than what it might cost you in ongoing bills; but if you don't look beneath the surface in this way, you might end up paying dearly for it in the future.
For example, you will need to spend some time thinking about what type of energy you are going to use in your home. Do you want to use gas right through the property? Would you prefer electricity? Or perhaps a combination of the two might suit you best? And if you have always moved into an existing property in the past, this might seem like a strange consideration; after all, you normally just move in and get used to whatever is already there.
However, this is your house - that means you get to decide what services you do and don't want, right from the start; which of course, can prove extremely beneficial. And while personal preference does come into it, you should also think about how much each service is likely to cost you. Of course, the price of electricity can vary greatly over time, as can the price of gas; what you start paying when you move into your property will very likely change before too long.
It will also pay you to build a home that is as carbon neutral as possible, since it can result in bills being even lower. Therefore, if you can consider this in the planning stages you might just be rewarded with lower bills.
You can also save money by getting both utilities - if you are going to have both - from the same provider, and there are usually reasonable discounts given for this. You will also save more by paying via direct debit and when you add these together, you can normally save quite a bit over the course of the year.

Teambuilding Insights and Problem-Solving - How the Brain Cracks the Puzzles

2009-03-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting articles I've read in a while is "The Eureka Hunt", by Jonah Lehrer; it was published in The New Yorker on July 28, 2008.
The article begins with the story of a firefighter faced with an impossible situation. A blazing forest fire is roaring up a valley towards him and his crew. At the last second, the firefighter comes up with a desperate insight; he lights a match and ignites the ground in front of him. He then steps into the shadow of his fire, so that he's surrounded by a buffer of burned land. Finally he lies down in the smoldering embers and the larger conflagration jumps right over his body, leaving him all but unharmed.
Such sudden insight (as the fire fighter's) is apparently fairly common but, as Lehrer's article explores, the brain's process for generating "aha moments" is quite complex. As far as scientists can tell, the brain's first action in solving a problem is to focus, suppressing all possible distractions (such as the sensory areas in the visual cortex). The brain then begins a "search phase" in all the usual places, including the logic centers in the left hemisphere. If the problem is sufficiently difficult, however, the brain soon reaches an impasse. In order to access the centers for "insight", the brain must first *relax* in order to seek out more remote associations in the highly-creative right hemisphere.
The relaxation stage is crucial! This is why so many of our greatest insights come to us while we're in the shower or bath, or in the early morning when our drowsy mind is first waking up. And the converse is true; insights can often be inhibited by the typical approach of bearing down, drinking caffeine, focusing on the problem, minimizing distractions, etc. The biggest insights, in fact, seem to come to us when our mind is distracted and wandering.
Corporate Team building activities are sometimes denigrated for "taking people away from work". But if you consider the article above, off sites actually make a lot more sense. By getting away from the pressures of the office, the "clenched mind" can relax a bit and start generating those out-of-the-box ideas so essential for business breakthroughs. Whether you're solving a scavenger hunt list, pondering treasure hunt clues, or doing a puzzle-based bar crawl, your mind is relaxing from its usual work issues -- rendering it open to a whole new world of insight!

Building Teams -You see it everywhere

2009-03-03T01:29:00.000-08:00

A college football team has it. A corporation has it. Even a growing family has it. These three organizations share a common desire to build their prospective teams. For example, a college football team continually needs to bring in new players to replace the graduating players. A corporation builds its team to help it grow and meet the needs of clients. Young, married couples who are having children are building their own family teams. Each of these results has a different outcome. In the end, the goal is to work together, help each other, and collectively reach a higher level of performance. Whatever team you are currently involved with, it is surprising at how much organization is needed to build a great team. Furthermore, the following teams have their own equally important approach as to how they successfully build their prospective teams.

First of all, let’s focus on a college football team. Unlike professional sports, coaches have roughly a four-year time period to retain their players. After that period, an athlete’s eligibility is complete due to graduation. In order to fill the void left by graduated players, coaches rely heavily on recruiting new players to continue building the team. Coaches look for the best athletes who have the capability to surpass those athletes before them, so that they can continue a successful program. Coaches face a challenging role to rebuild their team, depending on their previous team’s success. At the end of the football season, coaches must take the initiative to re-build their team each year to fill vacancies so their team program can move forward again.

During college, I interned for a public relations firm, and on my first day, my supervisor welcomed me with an e-mail that read, Welcome to the team! At first, I felt that only organized athletics reserved the right to use the word team. On a mature level, I’ve realized companies stay healthy when they implement a team-like atmosphere in the workplace. Being on a team brings out motivation and competition in employees, and also helps them to unite, identify their roles on the team, and produce stronger results. I’ve attended many career sessions and with every employer I’ve met, they have emphasized their desire to hire college graduates to join their team. Like a college sports team, an employer needs to recruit prospective candidates to fulfill roles in their company.

Many companies utilize employees as team members because it is a fitting approach when they are competing in an industry. For example, popular competing organizations such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola use the team approach in the workplace. The work environment at Pepsi might have some teams who are directly competing against some rival teams at Coca-Cola. This competition and approach is healthy because it energizes employees to become active team members and promoters for their brand. As mentioned before, being on a team helps members to identify their individual roles in the company and along with motivating them in a competing industry.

You can apply team building skills in any organization. For example, universities that are accepting incoming freshmen will want candidates who will help maintain or even raise the academic standards for greater respect and reputation of their school. Those freshmen are building the university team to improve performance and image. Finally, a chairman will seek out candidates to fulfill his board to bring in fresh ideas and insight to his committee. The chairman is simply building his team for support. In any circumstance, building teams will build a foundation for any organization that wants to progress and move forward. With a purpose and vision to improve your organization, building your own team and improving team interaction will help you achieve outstanding results.

Basic Method of Team Building

2008-04-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

Maybe you find yourself in a new team environment and leading a team for the first time, or maybe you have been working with and leading teams forever. Either way, the keys in this article – whether as new information or a fresh reminder – can make a world of difference in morale, productivity and results from teams.

Help the team identify its purpose. People work more effectively when they understand the goals they are trying to achieve. As a leader it is your job to help the team see the desired outcome of their efforts and help them set specific goals and milestones along the way.

Set the scope and boundaries. Teams need to know what they should tackle and what is “too big” or not their responsibility. By helping teams manage the scope of their work you will keep them more focused and on target to reach the goals more quickly.

Show your belief. If you don’t believe in the team concept, you won’t effectively lead teams. If you do believe both in the concept and in a particular team’s potential, you need to let them know that. Show through both your words and actions that you believe in them. Once they have purpose and goals and your belief, they are on their way to success.

Define your role. Your role is to lead, not to do the work or make all of the decisions. Let the team know what you role is and isn’t. Help them see how you are relying on their experience, knowledge and intellect in the completion of the team’s work.

Be a supporter. Support the team with your actions. Don’t just delegate the work to the team and be gone. Teams will experience obstacles and road blocks and it is your job to remove those roadblocks, find additional resources, and generally provide support. It is like a hike. If you are in front of a group on a hike, you will do your best to remove impediments that might slow down or injure those that follow. Your role on a business team of any sort is just the same.

Be a facilitator. Help the team succeed. Provide guidance when needed. Keep your hands off as much as you can. Let the team succeed and develop themselves towards greater future achievement at the same time. To facilitate means “to make easier” and that is your role. Remember that you chose to use a team to accomplish the task, so let them do it.

Keep your mouth shut. Teams often look to leaders to make the final decisions or assume that the leader has veto power on any decision in the end. If you really buy the team approach - that you want and need everyone’s input – you have to keep quiet. If you are the first person to talk on a subject, the overall amount of discussion and idea flow will drop. Team members will subconsciously assume that your word is golden – whether they agree or not. Because of your position, you must abstain from the early part of a dialogue on any issue, and share your thoughts nearer the close of the conversation.

Each of these things alone will help you build and lead more effective teams. But when taken together, significant progress can be made.

Look at the list above while you think both about your skills and behaviors and the needs of your current teams. Then, put a check mark (mental or literal) next to the one item you will work on today.