Team Building

Team BuildingWhat is a Team?

The team is the centre of productivity in a workplace.  Teams that function well ensure the wellbeing of an organisation and its members.  Members of the best teams accept the need for difference and diversity, are mutually supportive of each person's strengths and can make up for people's vulnerabilities in times of personal or professional challenge.

Where a team member experiences any sort of disability or health condition, including depression, the best teams are mutually supportive, flexible around roles and provide backup as required.

Many businesses have recognised that it is worthwhile investing in strategies that enable a team to develop the above qualities.

A team is more than a collection of individuals working together.  It must have a unified sense of purpose and strong desire, commitment to a set of team values and accountability and trust. 

What is Team Building? 

Team building is a process of self-discovery giving each team member an opportunity to identify their personal strengths and their unique place in the team.

Team building is a combination of strategies designed to:

  •    - Build strong interpesonal relationships
  •    - Create a high level of cooperation
  •    - Need team members to rely on each other in ways not normally required in the everday work environment
  •    - Generate mutual respect, rapport and support beyond that commonly found in the workplace
  •    - Improve decision making
  •    - Aid effective communication
  •    - Improve problem solving
  •    - Value work/life balance
  •    - Respect and understand each other
  •    - Resolve conflict

 

Supportive team environments may encourage healthy work/life balance, pair workers to ensure more than one person knows what is going on, facilitate out of hours opportunities to celebrate achievements and strengthen interpersonal relationships (but only where team members are happy to participate), are inclusive of all team members, offer opportunities for flexible work arrangements, challenge myths about physical health conditions, cultural diversity or depression and mental illness and deter the use of stigmatising language or behaviours.

Benefits of Team Building

All team members will benefit from team building experiences.  Employees who are depressed, or less confident in the workplace, or less certain of their place in the team benefit significantly from involvement with a supportive team. 

It may be hard initially however a supportive team environment will support you on those days when you need support.  Many people experience increases in personal and mental wellbeing, increased job satisfaction and productivity which are all positive outcomes and can assist in the journey with depression.

 

Reference

Australian Government Job Access