Forging a stronger team

Singapore – Companies are now opting for more than the run-of-the-mill teambuilding programmes.  

Organisations are doing so to motivate employees, strengthen the bonds, discuss and solve challenges or simply, to celebrate a job well done. But more importantly, companies also want their employees to have fun.

Recently, Intercontinental Hotel held a team building event called “Amazing Race” with a CSR spin. Comprising of 110 staff from different departments, staff were put into teams of eight and sent off to complete a series of challenges around Singapore over four hours.

Some of the tasks include donating blood, getting a massage from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped and building bicycles from scratch and donating them to a Boys Home afterwards.

Nadine Coronel, director of talent management, IHG Asia Pacific said that the teambuilding manages to give employees a chance to get to know each other.

“People traditionally think of team building as getting people to abseil off buildings and doing ropes courses where everyone puts their life in the hands of their colleagues and learn to trust each other,” Coronel added. “But a lot of the time, just making time for people to socialise together is just as important.”

Although team building plays an important part in forging the identity of the organisation and gaining the employees’ commitment, one key factor for successful team building is sustainability. Julia Russell, principle facilitator, Ogilvy Phuel Singapore says, “Sustainability needs commitment from the organisation. The lessons learnt during the team building need to be repeated. Team building should compliment the activity in the workspace.”