Bpp learning Media is an acca approved Content Provider

 
 
6
Building a team 
In Section 5, we suggested that teams have a natural evolutionary life cycle, and that four stages can be 
identified. Not all teams develop into mature teams and might be stuck, stagnating, in any one of the 
stages.
So, it often falls to the supervisor or manager to build the team. There are three main issues involved in 
team building. 
Issues 
Comments 
Team identity
Get people to see themselves as part of this group 
Team solidarity
Encourage loyalty so that members put in extra effort for the sake of the team 
Shared objectives
Encourage the team to commit itself to shared work objectives and to co-operate 
willingly and effectively in achieving them 
Team development can be facilitated by active 
team-building 
measures to support team identity, 
solidarity and commitment to shared objectives. 
We can now discuss some of the techniques for building team identity, team solidarity and the 
commitment to shared objectives. But first try the question below. 
QUESTION 
Team-building exercises
 
Why might the following be effective as team-building exercises? 
(a) 
Sending a project team (involved in the design of electronic systems for racing cars) on a 
recreational day out karting. 
(b) 
Sending two sales teams on a day out playing 'War Games', each being an opposing combat team 
trying to capture the other's flag, armed with paint guns. 
(c) 
Sending a project team on a conference at a venue away from work, with a brief to review the 
past year and come up with a vision for the next year. 
(These are actually commonly used techniques. If you are interested, you might locate an activity centre 
or company near you which offers outdoor pursuits, war games or corporate entertainment and ask them 
about team-building exercises and the effect they have on people.) 
ANSWER 
(a) 
Recreation helps the team to build informal relationships: in this case, the chosen activity also 
reminds them of their tasks, and may make them feel special, as part of the motor racing 
industry, by giving them a taste of what the end user of their product does. 
(b) 
A team challenge forces the group to consider its strengths and weaknesses, to find its natural 
leader. This exercise creates an 'us' and 'them' challenge: perceiving the rival team as the enemy 
heightens the solidarity of the group. 
(c) 
This exercise encourages the group to raise problems and conflicts freely, away from the normal 
environment of work and also encourages brainstorming and the expression of team members' 
dreams for what the team can achieve in the future. 
 
BPP Tutor Toolkit Copy

---

CHAPTER 14
//
INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS AND TEAMS