Team+Building

'Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.' ~Henry Ford~

= Introduction =

Team building is a philosophy of job design in which employees are viewed as members of interdependent teams instead of as individual workers. Team building refers to a wide range of activities, presented to businesses, schools, sports teams or nonprofit organizations designed for improving team performance. Team building is not to be confused with 'team recreation' that consists of activities for teams that are strictly recreational. Team building can also be seen in day-to-day operations of an organization and team dynamic can be improved through successful leadership. Team building is an important factor in any environment, it's focus to bring out the best in a team, to ensure self development, positive communication, leadership skills and the ability to work closely together as a team to problem solve. The concept of team building has been growing in popularity since the 1970s, but it really took off as a phenomenon in the 1990s.

= Background Information =

More and more businesses are realising the benefits of incorporating teams into their work place. For this reason, I chose to discuss in more detail about the advantages of team building. These advantages include the following:
 * Improves morale and leadership skills
 * Encourage both individual and team development and improvement
 * Clearly defines objectives and goals
 * Generating a diversity of ideas
 * More beneficial in times of organizational change

=Principal Concepts = = = **Teamwork**- coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a __team__ or in the interests of a common cause. ** Leadership- ** the position or function of a __leader__, a person who guides or directs a group. The leader may or may not have any formal authority **Team Member-** successful teams are made up of a collection of effective individuals. These are people who are experienced, have problem solving ability and charismatic personal style. **Team Relationships**- for a team to be successful the members of the team must be able to give and receive feedback. **Team Problem Solving**- an effective team depends on how focused and clear the goal of the team is. A relaxed, comfortable and accepting environment and finally, open and honest communication. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Organizational Environment-** the climate and culture of the organization must be conducive to team behavior.

= =

=<span style="background-color: #ff7200; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Topic 1-2 etc =

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Team Building Theory <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Below are 9 team building theories covering relevant team building research. If you want to read more information about these teories, please access the links.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Belbin ([])
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Abraham Maslow ([])
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">John Adair ([])
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Myers Briggs-MBTI ([])
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Strength Deployment Inventory ([])
 * 6) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Theory X and Y ([])
 * 7) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The Social Identity Theory ([])
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Tuckman, Farming-Storming-Norming-Performing ([])
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The Colour Works ([])

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Twelve Tips For Team Building: How to built successful work teams <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">People in every workplace talk about building the team, working as a team, and my team, but few understand how to create the experience of team work or how to develop an effective team. Successful team building, that creates effective, focused work teams, requires attention to each of the following... <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">If you want to read more about this topic, please access the link below []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Clear Expectations:** Do team members understand why the team was created?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Context:** Do team members understand why they are participating on the team?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Commitment:** Do team members want to participate on the team?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Competence:** Does the team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Charter:** Has the team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Collaboration:** Does the team understand team and group process? Do members understand the stages of group development?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Control:** Does the team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Communication:** Are team members clear about the priority of their tasks?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Creative Innovation:** Is the organization really interested in change?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Consequences:** Do team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Coordination:** Are teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Cultural Change:**Does the organization recognize that the more it can change its climate to support teams, the more it will receive in pay back from the work of the teams?

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Fun and Funny Ice Breakers <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Some ice breakers are fun and funny and their goal is to help your participants enjoy meeting each other. Fun and funny ice breakers generate laughter which contributes to a genuinely relaxed meeting environment. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Here are sample funny ice breaker questions for you to use in meetings. Your feedback about how the funny ice breakers worked is always welcome. =<span style="background-color: #ff7200; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Current Issues =
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, what animal would you choose to be and why?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">If you could live anywhere on this planet, and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live? Tell the group about your choice.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">If you were to change your name, what would you change your name to? Why?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Are you spring, summer, fall, or winter? Please share why.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">What's your favorite material object that you already own?

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Team Building Risks

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The major risk of team-building is the team member may become cynical of the organization. This could happen as a result of the organization holding team building events outside of the normal context in which the organization usually functions under. For example, if an organization hosts team building events when individual goals and efforts are the norm with the organizational culture, the team building event will have no lasting impact. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">It is crucial to follow up a team-building event with meaningful workplace practice. If the team members do not see an improvement within an organization as a result of team-building events, members may view such events as a waste of time. This may lead to loss of trust in the organization, harm motivation, as well as decrease employee morale and production

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">References
On this wiki we shall use the APA citation style. There is an example for each below.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Appropriate documentation is extremely important in all areas of scholarly work. Not only are there laws prohibiting unauthorized use of a borrowed source, but it is morally necessary to give credit where credit is due.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> When creating a wiki page, each source from which one gains information //must// be cited--and cited properly. Citation is required when summarizing, quoting, or paraphrasing a source. If unsure about whether or not citation is necessary, cite it anyway. It is better to over-cite rather than under-cite. Also, too, be careful about citing images. It is not sufficient to reference Google images as a source just because Google was used to locate the image. Instead, go to the site that provides the image, and cite that.
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Citation for the wiki pages should be treated in the same manner as though writing an English paper. Proper APA formatting involves in-text parenthetical citation as well as a reference section at the end of the page. Each source cited in the final "References" section should be listed alphabetically, too. In addition, when citing titles, italics are preferred to underlining. It is more aesthetically cohesive in a web document.
 * ====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Books ====

[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn


 * ====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Journal Articles ====

[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn


 * ====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Electronic Sources ====

[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn


 * ====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Images ====




 * ====<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Video ====
 * media type="custom" key="15410926"

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Contributors
<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Petrice Diana-Laura