TEAM BUILDING - Meaning and Procedures

Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks.

When individuals with similar interest, attitude, and taste come together to work for a common objective, a team is formed. Every individual contributes equally and performs his level best to meet the team targets and achieve the organization’s goal. Team members strive hard to live up to the expectations of others and successfully accomplish the assigned task. A team cannot do well unless and until each and every member is focused and serious about his responsibilities. For every team member, his team should come first and everything else later. Personal interests must take a backseat.

Team building is one of the foundations of organizational development that can be applied to any group. The formal definition of team-building includes:

• aligning around goals
• building effective working relationships
• reducing team members' role ambiguity
• finding solutions to team problems

The FOUR approaches of team building as described by Salas and his team are:

1. Goal setting: The purpose/objectives of the team should be clearly defined. This way, no member will be left out as to what they intend to achieve. Goals could be short or long termed so dont be suprised if the goal looks very easy to achieve, it could be a stepping stone for another set of goals. If the opportunity exists, the goals should be written in a very visible location so as to remind every member that they have a duty to carry out in order to attain that objective.
2. Role clarification: Every member of the team should know what their role entails. Dont assume that they know. Define them, probably together. If every member knows exactly what is expected of him/her, it will help the individual organise his plans without falling into another members plan. Roles that are not clearly defined could lead to conflict between members and possibly resignation. A friend who once worked as a front desk officer in a hotel once complained to me; "Can u imagine my boss always complained that I did not clean up the toilet in the reception. Should that be part of my job?"
3. Problem solving: This emphasizes identifying major problems within the team and working together to find solutions. This can have the added benefit of enhancing critical-thinking. A team should always understand that they are together because there is a problem that needs to be solved. Two good heads are better than one. Remember I said earlier that they have similar interest which means ideas and solutions will be generated around the already defined goals. 
4. Interpersonal relationship: Teamwork skills such as giving and receiving support, communication and sharing promotes strong interpersonal relationship. Strong interpersonal skills produces greater bond between members. Teams with fewer interpersonal conflicts generally function more effectively than others.

The effectiveness of team building differs substantially from one organization to another. The most effective efforts occur when team members are interdependent, knowledgeable and experienced and when organizational leadership actively establishes and supports the team.Effective team building incorporates an awareness of team objectives. Teams must work to develop goals, roles and procedures. When team building is prioritised, success in already knocking.