Follow Up on Team Building

by Ed

I wrote about attending a team building program earlier this month. What has been the outcome? Has it been translated to greater cooperation at work and better results by working in teams? I guess it is a mixture of both. For some people, they really jelled and the working relationship is one of mutual encouragement and mutual support. On good days, they celebrate victories and on bad one, the emphatize with one another and encourage the down trodden to try again.

I’m mostly a team player in that I generally support team efforts. But this time round, due to unforeseen circumstances (yeah, we have a bug that’s hitting a whole lot of folks. Persistent fever and flu like symptoms are the order of day or weeks, I dread to say) I was the drop-out from follow up team events. And I felt out of the circle. Perhaps it is a human thing that needs connection and communication. Now that I’m not tapped in into the team events or going ons, I have to say that I feel I’ve lost out on whatever is happening currently. And the longer I’m out of the inner circle, the further I feel I’m losing touch with the team. I was vary curious to see the condition of the team when I got back. The reason is, I’ve seen many teams come and many teams go. Some last for a longer period, some die a quick death. And, I’ve often wondered why some teams win big and why some teams just don’t gel?

Does it fall on the leader or leaders shoulders? Or is it the members themselves? Is it lack of clarity of purpose? Lack of a common language? Or is it because the members do not believe in the vision or that the vision does not energize them?

I think all of it plays a part. Any part can cause the team not to work, pun intended. Weak leaders definately cause the team to fall fast, just a fast as not having the right people in the team. And sometimes, the leaders have to make a tough call. Either a member is in, or out. Many leaders lack the guts to make this call. I feel it is important for team members to collectively commit. Either in or out. Fence sitters can make or break your team building efforts.

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