Here Is Why Your Corporate Team-Building Is Failing
Are you troubled by low morale, lack of meaningful engagement, and decreased employee productivity? Corporate team-building activities are often viewed as the ‘quick fix’ to these problems.
But if it’s not been yielding the promised returns for your organisation, it’s time to start asking the hard questions and stop yourself from wasting time and resources in yet another generic corporate team-building event.
In today’s competitive business environment, success is measured by how well a workforce can function as one collective unit. What can be done differently to ensure that highly-performing teams can emerge from within the corporate walls?
Here we explore why current approaches to corporate team-building workshops may not be hitting their mark:
The Pros of Hybrid Working
It promotes better collaboration
A flexible working scheme means that team members might not always be in the same physical location. Yet, it provides the flexibility to arrange to meet physically where the need arises.
To ensure the ease of transiting to a hybrid working model, most companies have invested in productivity platforms and technological tools. This means that their teams are equipped with the resources required to maximise collaboration regardless of their physical locations.
It increases job satisfaction and overall well-being
Hybrid working provides employees with flexible work arrangements, where they have the freedom to manage their own time and work out an arrangement that is suited to their needs.
This eventually results in increased job satisfaction as they can potentially structure their time to allow them to explore hobbies or make time for their loved ones – all of which contribute to their overall well-being.
It reduces operational costs and turnover
Companies who are prepared for a hybrid work arrangement could potentially save on operational costs by downsizing their office space and investing their resources in other areas, such as corporate team-building (or hybrid team-building in this case) to ensure they are equipped to manage a hybrid workforce.
This fosters loyalty in their employees who are beneficiaries of their commitment to corporate team-building and people development, which subsequently reduces turnover and cuts down on the costs associated with that.
5 Common Reasons Why Your Corporate Team-Building Is Not Working
1. Repetitive & Boring Activities
One of the main objectives companies want to invest in corporate team-building in Singapore is to develop better communication and cooperation within the workplace. However, these sessions can have the opposite effect when they become repetitive and dull.
For instance, a common team-building activity we often see is the trust fall, a fun and engaging activity that can be done once or twice. However, it soon loses its novelty when it’s repeated over and over again. Not only would teams struggle to find meaning in it, but they would also struggle to draw a link as to how this tangibly impacts their day-to-day work.
Another common activity is “icebreakers,” which can prove to be useful as a lighthearted way of introducing team members to one another. But when the same icebreaker is used repeatedly – even with teams who have worked together for a period of time –, it comes across as superficial and can cause disinterest and a lack of enthusiasm among participants.
2. Outdated Strategies
With the fast-paced changes happening in today’s workforce, corporate team-building strategies must keep up. Outdated methods have lost their effectiveness and can even hinder progress. The goal is to create a harmonious team where every member feels empowered and heard.
Organisations need to rethink the activities they plan for their teams and use approaches relevant to modern-day situations. Incorporating strategic, more purposeful team-building strategies can create a stronger sense of unity and motivation among team members, ultimately leading to more success in the workplace.
3. Lack of Customisation
In team building, a cookie-cutter approach just won’t cut it. A successful team-building experience requires customisation and attention to detail. Without understanding the complexities of each team and its unique needs, any activity may fall flat or undermine the bonds that managers are attempting to strengthen. One possible hurdle is a team composed of individuals with different experiences and levels of expertise. To ensure that your team-building activities resonate with every member, be prepared to get creative and tailor your approach to your team’s specific needs.
For example, you can survey better to understand the team dynamic, strengths, and weaknesses. From there, you can develop a plan that encourages team members to support and learn from each other, enabling them to use their strengths to work collectively.
4. Absence of Follow-Up
It is natural to have a “corporate team-building high”, where team members feel energised and excited about the brand-new insights and tools acquired from the corporate team-building session. But without follow-up or debrief sessions where you can work through the continued application of these lessons, that energy can quickly fizzle out.
Even though they might execute it well during the corporate team-building workshop itself, the real-time execution of these new insights come Monday morning might prove too significant a change for some employees. And when rubber hits the road, most employees find themselves defaulting to what they were used to doing instead of pushing through to implement their newfound insights.
That’s why post-workshop follow-ups are imperative to enable team members to process their learnings and strategise how to move forward effectively as a team.
Investing extra time to have conversations that allow for reflection on what was learned gives space for teams to work through potential conflicts and assess how they can optimise the tools from the corporate team-building session.
5. Unwillingness to Break Out of Comfort Zone
It can be difficult for teams to challenge the status quo and push themselves out of their comfort zone. Pre-existing relationships and cliques can create an environment with a bias, in which teams gravitate towards certain corporate team-building activities or bonding sessions that reinforce the norms.
By staying in their comfort zone, team members may miss the opportunity to choose strategic corporate team-building sessions that challenge the team to innovate or push for change.
Don’t limit the potential of your teams by selecting team-bonding activities that you “like” or “prefer”. Challenge yourself to opt for corporate team-building workshops that force your team members out of their comfort zone and confront workplace issues or working styles in a safe environment.
Final Thoughts
Putting in the effort to create a successful team-building experience doesn’t have to be complicated. Remember that corporate team-building workshops are most effective when the expectations are clear, goals are achieved, the environment is enjoyable and comfortable, and feedback is gathered afterwards.
Get the most out of your corporate team-building experience by getting in touch with our dedicated corporate team-building consultants, who are ever-ready to design your ideal workshop that meets your needs!
Written by Rachel Chai
Connectedness • Empathy • Strategic • Belief • Context
Rachel is a Strengths School™ Certified Strengths Trainer and the Content Lead at Strengths School™. Being deeply introspective, she believes in helping others draw connections between how their unique strengths play out in their lives.
We are corporate team-building specialists based in Singapore, equipping in-person, virtual, and hybrid teams with practical tools to maximise collaboration and minimise conflict. Trusted by 600+ teams globally, our proven track record showcases our expertise in helping teams achieve their corporate team-building objectives.
