High-performance teams don’t just happen by chance. They are created firstly by great hiring practices, and secondly with team-building activities both inside and outside the workplace, such as learning new skills in a team building workshop.
However, the benefits of building an outstanding team are well worth the effort, as cohesive teams boost productivity and can bring financial success. In this article, we’ll look at the many team building benefits and see how to build a dream team that will help your company rise above your competitors.
10 benefits of team building
1) Happier employees
Employees working in a well-functioning team are happier than those who work alone. When people work together towards a common goal and see the positive impact of their work, they not only share the success with others but also have a sense of personal achievement. A sense of belonging is important in business and great for employee retention, as 46% of workers in one survey said they’d be likely to leave a job due to feeling lonely.
2) Enhanced problem solving
Problems get solved quicker when a greater number of people share ideas and offer their unique skill sets, backgrounds, and strengths. As long as team members know how to collaborate effectively, they are bound to come up with more solutions to a problem than one person trying to solve a problem alone.
3) Innovative ideas
Well-functioning teams develop innovative ideas for the same reason they can quickly solve problems. When individuals with various educational backgrounds and skill sets come together, they build a team with a high level of knowledge. Teams enable workers to mix their experiences, education and perspectives together to come up with fresh and innovative ideas. Innovative ideas can create more effective working methods and even change an entire brand image.
4) Personal growth
When employees work as part of a team, they mix with a large group of people and essentially learn new skills on the job. Not only do different people bring different outlooks to the table, but they also bring their past victories and failures, which is fantastic learning material for individuals within that team. What’s more, working as part of a team is a fantastic way to receive ongoing feedback and helps employees identify their personal strengths and weaknesses.
5) Less employee burnout
Burnout is a big problem in the workplace. A Gallup survey of almost 7,500 full-time employees revealed that 23 per cent of employees often or always feel burned out at work. However, team building is a good remedy for exhaustion. Working in a supportive and productive team reduces emotional exhaustion and increases feelings of personal accomplishment in the workplace.
6) Higher productivity
According to TINYpulse, team-building efforts are amongst the top factors that affect employee happiness. So, it’s little wonder why receiving respect and praise from teammates is more likely to make employees go the extra mile than receiving praise from a manager. Moreover, highly functioning teams share large workloads and responsibilities, which reduces stress, so employees have the energy and the drive to be more productive in the workplace.
7) More creative ideas
When companies build teams that give employees the confidence to ask “stupid questions,” they often benefit from creative solutions. This is because when a problem doesn’t have a straightforward solution, people must get their heads together to brainstorm and think out of the box to solve the problem. So, when it comes to team building, it’s important to create a supportive team that gives employees the freedom to let their minds wander a little bit and explain their theories without the fear of being judged negatively by their teammates.
8) Fewer mistakes
Nobody is good at everything, so building a team is a good way to prevent mistakes. Employees working in teams can do more in less time and make fewer mistakes when challenging tasks are shared. Individuals can learn and make use of the abilities, education and experience of their teammates to ensure tasks are delivered fault-free.
9) Healthy risk-taking
It can be scary to take risks while working alone, but some situations in business, such as spending money on advertising, come with certain risks. When people work in a supportive and knowledgeable team, they can rest assured that they’ll be supported if their endeavour fails. And when it comes to taking the biggest risks, the smaller the team, the better. Smaller teams tend to be more close-knit and feel confident to argue and discuss their decisions freely.
On the other hand, larger and poorly functioning teams might be vulnerable to “groupthink,” which is a tendency for team members to ignore their own instincts and avoid offering their knowledge and expertise in an attempt to avoid conflict.
10) Long-term growth and success
Running a business in a post-pandemic economy is no easy task. But, according to Deloitte, the ability for companies to repay debt is greatly increased by raising productivity-enhancing investments. Here’s where investing in team building comes into play. When motivated by shared objectives and a supportive work environment, a cohesive team can overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and consistently generate extraordinary results, which increases overall success for large and small businesses alike.
How to build an effective team
Now you’ve seen the many benefits of team building, you’d probably like to know how to build an effective team. There are many fun team-building activities to try out, and of course, there are team-building workshops. Team building workshops enhance collaboration and communication, increase employee engagement, build relationships and trust, improve creativity, productivity and efficiency, and even reduce conflict and stress. Simply put, implementing team building best practices is a long-term strategy for success.
The bottom line
Great teams make great businesses. Building innovative teams that boost employee happiness, develop novel ideas, and make fewer mistakes will greatly benefit your business in the long run. So, if you want to build an outstanding team or get the best from existing teams, check out the Clevry team building workshop. The workshop is a specialised development program built around our very own Team Strengths Model, aimed at helping your team members gain a deeper understanding of their roles, strengths, weaknesses, and the dynamics that drive effective teamwork within your organisation. Get in touch using the form below to find out more.
