New research shows that organisations who neglect team building may be missing out long-lasting and wide-ranging benefits.
62% say that team building increases communication in the workplace. 29% cite a positive long-term impact. 3 out of 5 also link the improvement in collaboration with 27% noting the change over time.
Gallup’s State of the Global Workforce Report reveals that 62% of workers are not engaged and 15% actively disengaged.
The research also revealed positive changes in mood at work (63%), team morale (62%), teamwork (62%) and trust between colleagues (61%). The research also revealed positive changes in mood at work (63%), team morale (62%) teamwork (62%), and trust among colleagues (61 %).
The survey of more than 1,000 UK office workers, conducted by Team Tactics (a corporate events company), revealed a positive attitude towards team building despite the “forced fun” and “cringe” narratives that are sometimes associated with this topic.
Over two thirds of respondents (67%) find team-building activities enjoyable. 65% also agree that they help improve team performance. 65% believe they improve relationships between generations at work.
The respondents also believe that team building helps them better understand their colleagues. 64% of them said it improved their knowledge of each individual’s strengths, and 62% agreed that it helped them discover their teammates’ outside-of-work interests.
While negative opinions about team building are a minority among younger generations, they are more prevalent in older generations. Only 13% of UK employees admitted that they did not feel comfortable taking part in team-building events. However, this number rose to 18% for Gen X and 22% for boomers. They are also more likely than other generations to think that team building events are a good way to spend company money and time.
The survey also examined how recent the employees’ attendance at events that allowed them to bond with their colleagues was. In the past two years, two thirds of employees (67%) reported that they participated in team-building activities. For work social events, this increased to three quarters (75%).
The results also show that colleagues are willing to spend time with each other, even if it is not at the instigation of their employers. 74% said they had attended a social gathering with colleagues in the past two years.
Nearly 1 in 5 employees surveyed (19%) said that they had never been to a team-building event. Another 10% claimed to have attended one, but it was over three years ago.
Tina Benson is the founder and managing director of Team Tactics. She said: “It’s encouraging to see businesses, in general, recognizing the many benefits that team building can provide. Organisations who have not invested in team building or haven’t for a while are missing vital opportunities to improve skills, team dynamics and relationships. Business leaders cannot afford to ignore these issues, as research shows that employee engagement and relationships have suffered.
It’s interesting that older generations are more likely to be hesitant about team building, even though attitudes are generally positive. As the range of team-building activities continues to expand, there are now more engaging, fun and meaningful ways than ever to bring together teams. Team building activities that are based on charity and purpose are increasingly popular. They help businesses achieve their CSR and team goals, while also creating positive changes for communities and deserving causes. .”
The first time this post appeared was on Human Resources News.
