6 Red Flags that Guarantee Terrible Team-building

It’s a universally accepted truth in the worlds of finance and business that investing wisely is key to achieving growth. However, when it comes to team-building, we often neglect to invest in one crucial asset of every team: relationships.

We pour our energy into education, time management, and fiscal strategies, but all too often, we overlook the power of effective team dynamics. Even if we understand the importance of relationships at an intellectual level, we might not always back it up with concerted action. When the pressure is on, we focus on the ‘what’ of our business, at the expense of the ‘who’. Remember, it’s the ‘who’ that truly drives the ‘how’ of our operations.

There maybe no ‘I’ in team – but there is the ‘we’ – the people who make up the team. Without them you have nothing. The team is nothing.

Neglecting relationships may seem like a minor risk in the face of daily pressures and immediate goals, but the long-term consequences can be severe. When we start viewing our team members as cogs in a machine rather than as individuals, we risk a dramatic downturn in morale, productivity, and ultimately, results.

When done well, team effectiveness sessions can have a powerful and lasting impact moving the group towards becoming a high performing team – making them #bettertogether. However, we’ve also heard tales of the nightmare experiences team-building experiences that you make recognize: the ill thought through trust-falls, the requirement to share or over-share, or the the fun-fun-fun events with no clear link to business results or sustained team cohesiveness. All of which lead to terrible team-building.

6 Team-Building Red Flags

Effective team-building is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It requires thoughtful planning, an understanding of the unique challenges a team faces, and a commitment to ongoing development. Below, we’ve outlined six red flags to watch for in your own team-building efforts:

1. Time Mismanagement: If a quick gap filler on the agenda is driving the team development request, rethink your approach. Investing the right amount of time, care, and attention to your team’s development is crucial. Rushed activities often scratch the surface, leading to more harm than good.
2. The Silver Bullet Fallacy: A struggling team won’t fix itself with one single event. If your team has been experiencing difficulties for a while, it will likely take time and guided coaching to turn things around. There is rarely a single solution that will solve all problems.
3. Chasing Trends: Building a high performing team doesn’t require the latest fads. It’s about mastering the fundamentals: clear goals, effective communication, conflict resolution, and understanding roles and responsibilities.
4. Misplaced Solutions: Address issues directly with the individuals concerned. If you have a problem with one or two team members, trying to use a group meeting to solve for this might do more harm than good. Use coaching, mediation, or other tools to resolve these issues and when the individual relationships are settled then focus on the team dynamics.
5. All Talk, No Action: Powerful conversations and new understandings are great, but they’re useless without action. If your team can’t point to any decisions, actions, or results emerging from your team development workshops, it’s a clear sign that something needs to change.
6. Leadership Disengagement: Lastly, if you’re not fully engaged with the process of team development, your efforts are likely to fall flat. Don’t delegate or only half commit to the process – your involvement is crucial.

Building your high-performing team isn’t about quick fixes or flashy trends – it’s about consistent investment in the relationships within the team.

Here at SkyeTeam we’re sought out for our team-building events. We’ve had the privilege of partnering with hundreds of teams worldwide, helping them enhance their performance. We’ve witnessed the power of effective team-building sessions firsthand. These sessions, tailored to each team and its leader, can significantly shift group dynamics, propelling the group towards becoming a high-performing unit.

If you’d like to learn more then give us a call – we’d love to partner with you!