#177: Team building makes me nervous

Spring is in the air and I can almost hear consultants and HR people planning this year's team building events.

Team building exercises make me nervous.

At best, they teach people how to do meaningless things together; at worst, they produce the opposite effect.

This happens when the focus is on team building instead of on a work-related outcome. You don’t want people who are good at liking each other and trusting each other and paddling well together. You need people who care so much about the outcome that they overcome their liking to deal with any member who is not performing.

A friend was once told to improve teamwork with her client by going river rafting together. In her own words: “Before, I thought he was an idiot. Now I know.”

So much for team building. What should have mattered was the work they produced together, not whether they could paddle together.


I’m james@nonsenseatwork.com

Copyright: 2008 James Henry McIntosh

James can be heard on Public Radio, 88.9 FM WCVE, Richmond VA.
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