Greg Huber

Team BONDING or Team BUILDING?

Are you looking for team building activities to entertain your workforce and promote team bonding or, are you looking for more?

Signature Teambuilding is a team building service provider. We don’t normally provide do-it-yourself activities but keep reading, we have included some great resources for them in this post!

DIY activities have their place in the team building world but be careful with what you think they will achieve. DIY activities that are found online or in a book are often best classified as team BONDING not team BUILDING (more to come on this). If you are trying to do more than have fun, break the ice, or take a break during a long meeting, BEWARE! You are likely going to meet resistance from some of the participants by reinforcing the negative stereotypes that many people already have of “team building”. Whenever people see an agenda that includes phrases like “fun team building activities” or “team building activities”, you are sure to raise a few eyebrows. This may have exactly the opposite outcome of what you want. Another consideration is to know whether the person conducting the activity is skilled enough to do so. Sure, anyone can read a description of an activity and provide the materials needed but delivery and facilitation is both an art and a science that when delivered well looks incredibly easy. Are you sure you have what it takes?

“Two of the biggest obstacles to ensuring a successful experience. The first is mistaking team BONDING for team BUILDING and the next is not fully committing to outcome-based change.”

Team Bonding can be described this way:

It is about having a good time. (“fun team building activities”)
The focus is generally on the activity not outcomes.
The duration is usually short. (“5-minute team building activities”)
It may be something you can do yourself.
Typically, it does not involve any learning.
It is usually costs less than $50 pp or is free.

Team Building can be described this way:

Is delivered by trained facilitator or professional.
Is designed to achieve a particular goal or outcome.
Has an intentional curriculum rather than a bunch of random activities that have no connection.
Reflection and group debriefs are mandatory so participants reflect on their experience and relate those experiences back to the real work environment.

Professionally delivered Team Building programs have several advantages over DIY activities. First, experienced providers know how to engage everyone in the process, even those with “bad attitudes.” Second, the experiential activities will be carefully designed the considered for the audience, location, abilities, and goals of the group. Third, using a professional provider will save you time, reduce the possibility of embarrassment and increase the value and credibility of the time spent. Finally, real team BUILDING doesn’t have to be a huge commitment of time or money.

“I didn’t even want to come to this, but I am really glad I did. This was different than other team building things I have done. I actually learned something!”

This is a quote we hear after almost every program we do. So many people have had their negative stereotypes reinforced about team building that even the words “team building” send some people into a downward spiral before they even show up.

So, what’s the lesson learned?

First, what are you trying to accomplish? Team BONDING or team BUILDING?

Second, what is the pulse of the group? How do they feel about participating in activities like this?

Third, are you up to the task? Are you a dynamic presenter with a proven track record?

Fourth, will it ad value?

If you are confident and ready to deliver your own activities, good for you! I am rooting for you and wish you the best of luck! Here are some terrific resources from some friends that offer a bunch of FREE activities.

www.fundoing.com

www.playmeo.com

If on the other hand you are not quite sure what you need or which direction to go in or if you have really never considered a professional team building provider, give us a call or send us an email. We will be happy to share our 30+ years of experience with you. We aren’t going to try to sell you anything! Either our programs make sense and are a good fit for your organization or they are not. We never take on work where we can’t be successful together.

The Importance of Team Building.

Recently, Signature Teambuilding President, Greg Huber, guest/co-wrote a blog post with InnerWill Leadership!

At Signature Teambuilding, we love sitting down with like minded people. Greg was excited for the chance to partner will InnerWill Leadership Institute for this blog post! Many folks get that team building is important. However, not as many understand why. Or how to make it meaningful.

Initially, Greg talked about WHY team building is important for groups and organizations of all makeups. Then, he went on to explain what can go wrong, and why it is crucial to select the right experience for your team.

He focuses on two of the biggest obstacles. The first is mistaking team BONDING for team BUILDING and the next is not fully committing to outcome based change.

Next you can follow the link below to navigate to the original blog post and find out how you can avoid these situations.

The Importance of Teambuilding: InnerWill Blog

“Effective team building activities allow for different perspectives, improve communication, build trust, and reinforce a spirit of collaboration and unity. Yet many organizations relegate team building activities to a ‘one and done’ obligation instead of seeing them as a vital investment in company culture. In short, these folks are committed to a great day out, and less inclined to achieve sustainable results. “
-Greg Huber, Signature Teambuilding President.

On Being a Small Business.

…and the importance of flexibility

Signature Teambuilding is a Richmond-based, small business that provides facilitated team building and leadership development programs to businesses of all sizes. The key differentiator to our type of team building are the expert facilitation and learning that come through our experience-based, hands-on process. Our programs are specifically and intentionally designed to be outcome-based and promote individual growth in order to foster deeper connected teams. We thrive on connection… so when our world was thrust into the unknown, and we were told that to keep one another safe meant doing the OPPOSITE of what we had always done by practicing social-distancing, we knew we had to make some changes.

We had to get flexible.

The work we do at Signature Teambuilding has always been hands-on and experiential so it is difficult to make it work in a virtual environment where people cannot be together. There have been requests for virtual team building in the past but have always resisted it because it just didn’t seem to fit with the kind of work we have been successful doing. However, as they say…”Necessity is the mother of invention”. So we did what we ask our clients to do during our programs. We put our thinking caps on and looked at our small business through a different lens. We needed to think outside of our own box so we reviewed literally hundreds of activities we have on hand and asked three questions…

1. Do people HAVE to be together for this activity?

2. Can it still engage participants?

3. Can people still have the “A-ha” learning moment that makes Signature Teambuilding unique?

After a solid week of review we did it. We found 10 different activities that we have confidence in for a new program called Virtual Teams. This was only able to happen because of our willingness to be flexible. Our team worked together to design a brand new program. Trust us, we went through MANY versions of Virtual Teams! before we were able to get it just right. What allowed us to be successful? Flexibility. Had we remained “stuck in our ways” because of “the way things had always been done” we would have missed a chance. A chance not only to impact our business model, but also- and more importantly, to be able to serve the community around us.

We practiced what we preached.

Luckily for us, flexibility is not only something we have gotten good at, but also a pillar of teamwork and teambuilding. We promote being flexible in our programs. Our small business aims to help other businesses be better, and so we had to be willing to do what we asked them to do. Being flexible is a cornerstone to teamwork. If a company, group, or team is not able to bend without breaking that can spell disaster. How often do things go perfectly according to plan? In our experience… rarely. For a team of people to be successful they must be willing to pivot and make changes. In many of our teambuilding challenges our staff throw curveballs at groups to help them problem solve in real time.

Working Remotely?

We Are Here To Help.

Staying connected to your team is more important, and more challenging, than ever before.

These are Unprecedented Times. While we don’t know yet what COVID-19 will mean for us in 6 weeks, or 6 months, or 6 years; what we do know is that we are currently experiencing a life and work style change that we have never been through before. If you have not been yet, many of you will soon shift to working remotely and only engaging with your clients and teams virtually. Each of you will find the best ways to carry on your professions and move your work online if it isn’t there yet. While it may be challenging and unforeseen your team has the capacity to tackle the move. And still…

We Want To Support You. While we have never lived through a pandemic quite like this one, with over 30 years of work and experience in the Teambuilding and Group Dynamics world, Signature Teambuilding is here for you and your companies. Keeping your team connected, energized, and on the same page working towards the same goals is about to become more challenging than ever before.

Consider these four tips for helping your team manage the change:

1) Check-in with your team regularly. While focusing on the work at hand is important, take the time to check in with the people behind the staff member. How are Kelly’s kids responding to the closure of schools? Did Andrew ever find that ground beef he was searching grocery stores for? Connect with your people.
2) Consider participating in or running virtual challenges for your staff. These can mirror your daily work or responsibilities, they can branch out into the wellness needs of your team, or they can be simple, silly, and fun- like theme days!
3) Express gratitude and appreciation for your team members whenever possible. Shout them out and celebrate their wins. And, more importantly, encourage them to do the same for others in their lives.

4) Consider exploring Signature Teambuilding’s newest program… Virtual Teams! via Zoom! At just $25 per person, this online-based teambuilding program is a terrific way to reenergize your team and reconnect with colleagues to solve challenges, work collaboratively (distantly) and have A LOT of fun.

Virtual Teams!

Virtual Teambuilding is here. Just because we are all working remotely these days, doesn’t mean you can’t connect with your team in a fun, productive, and challenging way!

How It Works: Each participant will join a ZOOM video conference from their own office or device. Once a participant has entered the meeting, they will be sent a unique PDF and team member identifier that will contain everything needed for the activities in the Virtual Teams! event. A seasoned facilitator will guide your group through the activities on the PDF while facilitating the learning process and outcomes. Your team will work together for some activities, and in several different “breakout rooms” for others. There are more than 10 different challenges, however, the number completed will depend on the team’s performance.

Click Here To Request More Information on Virtual Teams!

Test Drive Your Teambuilding

Our FOUR Open House Programs offer a “Free Trial” for your Teambuilding Program.

Before making a large purchase or investment, we often employ the powers of the internet to research all the ins and outs before we make our move. We look up rates and reviews, scour our online resources for pictures or stories; basically ensure we have done our due diligence before committing to a product or service. We test try cars, we try on clothing, we take advantage of free trials- we like to know exactly what we are getting ourselves into, and that it will be worth both our hard-earned money, and, our precious time and energy. Making sure that we will get value out of what we experience or purchase is part of our nature. The power of technology makes it that much more doable.

At Signature Teambuildng we value your time, money, and energy. These resources are limited. We know that and want to help you feel comfortable with your decision to trust us with your team, group, or staff. Our staff also understand that until you do what we do until you have the experience for yourself, it can be hard to understand what exactly you are signing up for. We want to be able to offer you the test drive, the try-on, the free trial.

So this year, for the first time, we are opening our doors to the RVA community for a series of four Program Open Houses. Each event will be modeled after one of our four signature teambuilding programs to allow you the chance to experience it first hand before booking a company day with us. Afterward, enjoy lunch on us and chat with Greg about how we can make your team work for you- and each other.