Team activities help build a better business
Nearly two dozen administrative assistants and legal secretaries milled around a law firm library, searching for a colleague who had a December birthday, loved reading mystery novels or was allergic to a medication.
That's how office manager Kim Maxwell kicks off her monthly staff meeting: an icebreaker game that sets the tone for the hourlong discussion that will follow.
Support staffers talk about office equipment changes, problems with workflow and difficulties with health-care coverage. The topics could lull many employees to sleep, but these meetings at Heyl, Royster, Voelker & Allen in Rockford, Ill., are a lively affair. So lively, in fact, that a partner pokes his head into the room and asks the secretaries to keep it down.
When he shuts the door, the 18 women and two men crack up like an unruly classroom after the teacher leaves.
"We like to joke around. It kind of relieves our daily pressures," legal secretary Amy Huber says. "We're a huge team here, even with the attorneys."
It's the tight-knit cohesion and fierce loyalty of a team forged in the fires of interoffice Olympics, holiday bake-offs and downtown scavenger hunts. The games may be silly, but their purpose is serious. Maxwell wants to build a group that works well together amid the fast pace of one of the largest law firms in Illinois.
"Everything runs smoother, everybody's happier, the environment's healthy and cohesive," Maxwell said. "You ultimately have a better problem-solving team, creative team and hardworking team."
Turning an office or shop of individual workers into an integrated team can be a difficult task, but it's one that's becoming even more important as companies compete not only in the marketplace, but also for top talent. Getting workers to bond makes the organization stronger, said Luis Flores, associate professor of management at Northern Illinois University.
"The nature of business has changed and is changing more and more because of globalization," Flores said. "And competition has become so strong that you need all that you can get from everybody to be successful."
Team building is important because it helps institutionalize knowledge, Flores said. If an office is filled with individuals completing tasks, when one leaves, the knowledge of the job goes with him or her. But when workers understand each other and communicate well, the company can retain that know-how. Like an individual, an organization "learns," he said.
But while sociologist Flores looks at organizational behavior on the theoretical level, it's a matter of individual relationships for Maxwell.
When she brings in a new employee, she does very little training the first day. Instead, every new worker spends time meeting the rest of the staff and learning what each department does. Maxwell tries to get to know her employees on a personal level - beyond just their birthdays and anniversaries - and welcomes them to visit her office any time to talk.
"It's a passion of mine. From a manager standpoint, I get to know my employees, get to know their lives. At that point they get comfortable enough to come talk to me about the workplace issues."
Getting a team together also requires motivating workers. Praise and rewards are essential, but ditch the Employee of the Month program, experts say. It's a cliche, and it's usually too vague to be useful.
Instead, for the motivation to work, praise must be specific and rewards tied to a specific task.
"It is a way to engage employees in the day-to-day and long-term strategies of the company," said Christina Kamer, an independent human resources consultant. "It's to get them to understand their role, their individual and collective role in accomplishing the goals of the organization."
Ultimately, building a team is good for the company as individual members find their fit and plug away for the group. But a tight-knit group of workers has fringe benefits beyond the organization's bottom line.
"We've had a lot things happen to people in their personal lives, and it's amazing to see people step up to help the person's family, make sure the work gets done," Maxwell said. "It's amazing what people are capable of doing."
Staff writer Nate Legue may be reached at 815-987-1346 or nlegue@rrstar.com .
7 steps to motivating your employees
- Be specific. Vague praise means little. Let employees know exactly what action was appreciated.
- Be timely. Show your appreciation as soon as possible after the employee does a good job. The more time passes, the less impact your praise will have to motivate.
- Be fair. Use clear, consistent criteria for giving recognition so that employees know what actions garner praise.
- Be pure. Don't muddle your praise with calls for corrective action. That diminishes the motivational power of your comments.
- Be on the lookout. Once you get in the mind-set of looking for good work, you'll find it easier to praise employees.
- Be public. Show appreciation during meetings, in front of co-workers and especially in the presence of management.
- Be rational. Make sure to relate how the work you are commending helps the team, department or organization.
Source: The Sykes Group, a Virginia training and consulting firm