Team building - everything you need to know about it

In most definitions, team building is a process of motivating a team to achieve its goals by improving interpersonal relationships.

But we know that team building is actually more than that. Its success involves several aspects: perfect organization, good communication and activities suited to the team profile.

Looking back over the last few years, we have seen how companies have evolved from competitive environments to ones where cooperation and collaboration between teams is the key to business success.

But what are the benefits of team building for my team?

• Increasing productivity - one of the most important objectives. Behind the team activities should be the improvement of the 3Ps: processes, policies and procedures, i.e. improving team productivity.
• Increasing motivation - when a team returns from such an event, it creates momentum. The well-being, the energy of the whole group, the confidence in the company's purpose and management grows, and people see more clearly the support provided by the organization.
• Collaboration - It goes without saying, collaboration is the essence. We don't believe that there are team building activities without a collaboration component. But what is collaboration? Knowing who to turn to for certain information, trusting and being able to rely on people and vice versa. We are happy to see teams where collaboration goes further and turns into friendships outside the office.
• Creativity - The greater the diversity of personalities in the team, the more beneficial it is for the company. Different perspectives, experiences and expertise help the organization become a pool of new ideas. Workshop tasks give teams the opportunity to let their imagination run free and come up with creative solutions.
• Positivism - Events organized for your team can be an excellent opportunity to show recognition for your efforts and results. By including reward & recognition activities, you also convey a strong message about what success means in your company.
• Improving communication - Perhaps the key benefit is improved communication between your colleagues. Activities, as well as being fun, give colleagues the opportunity to get to know each other better, build trust and encourage commonalities.
• Moments of achievement - So-called “aha moments” are a major benefit of team building, helping participants to make important links between theory and practice.

Team-building activities are a powerful tool to develop collaboration and trust, to increase motivation and to emphasize the strengths of a team. But before you can choose from the myriad of ideas, you need to have a well-defined goal and detailed planning. Otherwise, it will just result in a trip out of the office.

Team building = Team drinking?

Gone are the days when a team event was just a trip to a cabin somewhere in the mountains, with parties and barbecues.

We are not saying that these things have disappeared, but that they have evolved and have turned into indoor or outdoor team building activities, in Bucharest, near Bucharest, in the mountains, at the seaside or even abroad.

Fun has not disappeared, on the contrary: it has taken on a different form. All the activities and ideas in the Universum portfolio have a fun component, and this is where the positivism mentioned above comes back into play.

Most important in this evolution is the objective of such an event. As a rule, the briefing given to the agency mentions the reality of the team, good and bad. Based on this, the business development team builds a series of activities to support the team's reality.

The red thread of experience for the participants starts when they first make contact with the event, through a teaser or internal newsletter, and continues with the identity of the event: from the name, depth and concept (e.g. “Conquering new frontiers”, “Road to excellence”), to details related to the journey to the location, the welcome, what they find in the room, the event agenda, to specific needs. All these little details, in the end, make the difference. And the experience continues after the participants leave the event: follow-up, photos, a final product resulting from the event.

As for the impact of digitalization in the context of team building, it is high, because it eases certain aspects of an activity, especially when it comes to large groups, and it also has a familiarizing role with technology for some participants. We have and are developing more and more concepts with a digital component, either through iPad/smartphone apps or complex online polls. At the same time, the non-digital or “hands-on” component remains important.

The icing on the cake is debrieful. It is the direct discussion between the facilitators (or the main facilitator) and the team, in which the experienced activities are concluded.

How do you know if it was useful for your team?

An event that has not achieved its goal may just be a drain on resources. Therefore, when you look at your team at the end of the event, you should be able to clearly answer whether it was a success.

Efficiency can be measured in this way:

• Set a baseline and long-term goals for your team.
• Visualize what a successful team looks like (how it works, not just how it “looks”).
• Ask for feedback from participants.
• Think of it as a long-term investment for your team.

How do I know what suits my team?

In the Universum portfolio you will find over 100 activity ideas. If you went through each one, you'd be sitting with an old almanac in your arms for hours.

After an event, our joy, as an organizing team, is the happiness we receive from participants and companies, and this can be expressed in the following words:

“Working with the Universum Events team has been of the highest standards. You are professionals in the truest sense of the word and what you do is a benchmark in the industry. Keep it that way!” - Xerox

“I liked the way we interacted and the involvement of the facilitators throughout the team building, not just during the activities. They were new, dynamic and engaging exercises and the props provided were very comprehensive.” - Coca-Cola HBC Romania

“It was my first time working with the Universum team and the experience itself was very pleasant. They responded promptly to all sorts of requests, for which they had very little time, and they realized them successfully. They identified solutions to reduce costs but kept everything they delivered to the same high standard. I would highly recommend them for any corporate event and beyond.” - Rompetrol