Small Business Team Building

How to get employees to work together toward a single goal
By Tonya Vinas, Writer, Editor, Researcher Tonya Vinas Use of teams in business is widespread. In small business, the entire staff is one big team because work always seems to outweigh resources. Take advantage of this. If everyone in your business knows a little bit about what everyone else does, you've taken the first step to building teams. Formal teams can be organized in several ways:

1. Product teams: Taking a cue from cellular manufacturing, these teams are organized around products or services.
2. Short-term teams: Teams can also be project-oriented, with a definitive start and end date. These can be organized around the needs of customers or shorter-term business goals, such as a relocation or annual company picnic.
3. Long-term teams: Businesses use these to keep momentum and continuous improvement alive in ongoing needs, such as safety and health, technology needs, etc.

Train your team

A seminar, workshop or retreat may be the quickest way to kick-start your teamwork program.
Try:  TeamBuildingInc.com offers dozens of team training workshops. Find a variety of team-building training tools at The Richardson Company.

Make it fun

When implementing a team-building program, consider injecting a little fun into the mix. When employees are having a good time, it encourages interaction and fosters teamwork.
Try:  The Ant & The Grasshopper and Total Adventures specialize in team building programs that focus on games and play.

Use team-building exercises

Creating a team environment requires an ongoing commitment. Routinely engage your team in exercises that reinforce the team concept.
Try:  Find detailed descriptions of common team-building exercises, available free of charge courtesy of Wilderdom.com.

Take it outside

Getting your employees outside the office offers a great opportunity to strengthen your team concept.
Try:  Make it simple by planning a company picnic or going to a sporting event. If you want a full-scale outdoor adventure, check out the programs offered by the Leader's Institute. 

Reward teamwork

If building a team around results - units produced, cost reductions, meeting deadlines - include a monetary reward tied to the results. Money is a great motivator. Offer bonuses, compensation or other rewards for a great team performance.
Try:  Find employee recognition rewards at Terryberry.com or EliteCorporateGifts.com.

Use meetings to build teamwork

Include team-building elements in your meetings. Use a quick ice breaker to encourage workers to open up and interact, especially when bringing a new team together.
Try:  Find descriptions of several ice breakers that take only a few minutes at the Leader's Institute. 

Add team building to your holiday parties

Your annual holiday party presents a tremendous opportunity to promote team building. Having all of your employees together in a relaxed environment is the ideal situation for reinforcing your team concept.
Try:  TeamBonding.com presents dozens of ideas for holiday parties that promote team building.

• If your teams are organized around products, it's important for team members to be near one another. Some companies find that offices inhibit team development.
• How many people should be on a team? Some people advocate five. Some say eight to 10. A rule of thumb: the smaller the better. If you find the work is too much, add more people to the team later.
• Don't allow your teams to enter meeting-mania. Ask for a list of accomplishments or steps focusing on action at least once a month. Better - once a week.
• Make sure roles are clear within teams. Appoint a team leader only if needed, such as in cases that require direct accountability (product liability, finances, etc.). Don't appoint leaders just to do so. Some teams function fine without them.