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​In any organisation, the quality of relationships with your colleagues can determine the success of a team. Whether that is working in a project environment or conducting business as usual tasks, the support of your colleagues and your own support to them is of the upmost importance.

One way to improve the bond between team members is to socialise both at work and in your personal lives. Speaking of my own recent induction into Speller International, I can personally vouch for this. What may seem like an insignificant coffee break or an after work beer is actually extremely valuable in gaining a much deeper understanding of an individual’s style and communication type.

When a new team member joins a company, it’s not unusual for them to feel isolated compared to their colleagues who may have been in the company for quite some time. This makes communication and interaction with the new member difficult compared to the rest of the team. This scenario is easily overcome with team bonding. I strongly believe that team bonding is something you should explore to assist with the performance of a growing team.

Here at Speller International we meet regularly to discuss what we are working on, how we can assist one another, and how to be better equipped to handle situations going forward. The communication in these meetings is greatly assisted by having a strong understanding of each other’s personal requirements and goals, as well as business requirements and business goals.

ADVICE FOR EMPLOYERS

There are some simple things you can do to ensure the bonding of your team. Here at Speller we hold social business events during business hours and go through a number of performance statistics, future goal planning, recognising achievements, and key areas of development. Once completed we have a mandatory activity such as bowling, sporting activities, or competitions.

BENEFITS

It is during these more “casual” interactions that we learn about other team members, what drives them, what excites them, and generally what they’re like. It is also a great way to develop a sense of fun and a sense of camaraderie that further progresses into the working life. This certainly contributes to building a strong team understanding and team spirit.

ADVICE FOR EMPLOYEES

Make an effort to invite your colleagues to interact outside of working hours as well as business hours. Don’t be afraid to ask a colleague to lunch together, grab coffees during breaks, and attend milestone events in each other’s lives. Spending time together on a weekend often presents an even better opportunity to get to know each other as it takes away the stress and formality of work.

BENEFITS

Events, and what may seem like small gestures, go far in the development of personal relationships and again, gaining a strong understanding of each and every individual you are working closely with on a daily basis. This knowledge may give you the important insight you need to adapt your style and communication when dealing with different personalities in your team.

OVERALL AFFECT OF TEAM BONDING

Once you reach a level of understanding between your peers everything else follows. Communication becomes easier, understanding what may contribute to a colleagues mood, a personal level of respect to each other’s out of office lives and everything that comes with that. Most importantly from a business perspective, you will find that work becomes a more enjoyable place to be on a day to day basis which usually results in better performance and an even deeper layer of assistance from one another. All of which points to a more successful and effective team relationship.

So in short, if you have the opportunity to spend time with your team either on a one on one basis or as a complete unit – in the office or outside of work times – then you should grasp it with both hands and witness the benefit moving forward.

Have you had positive experiences when you have reached out to fellow employee’s?.