With A Team Building Exercise Baltimore MD Employers Aim To Help Their Employees Grow

By Betty Foster

Most progressive companies have long moved away from the management approach where managers make all the decisions and the rest of the employees simply obey instruction. The modern approach is to allow smaller groups of employees to make decisions themselves, to implement new procedures and to take responsibility for their performance. With a team building exercise Baltimore MD companies hope to improve the efficiency of their teams and to motivate their employees to improve their productivity.

It has become fashionable to arrange special excursion for smaller groups of employees that work together. During these excursions the groups is supposed to learn how to work better as a group, they are encouraged to get to know each other on a more personal level and to have fun together. This is normally done over a few days at a venue away from the office environment.

This field has shown tremendous growth. There are numerous contractors advertising their services as human development professionals that specialize in developing groups. Then there are motivational speakers and a host of others that offer special activities such as white water rafting, drumming, fire walking, nature outings and many others. They all promise that they can help the group to work together more productively and grow individually.

Companies should be very careful when hiring a facilitator. There are, unfortunately, many operators that are neither qualified nor experienced. Companies should insist on several valid references and they should be investigated. If a previous client says that the group truly enjoyed themselves, for example, then that should not be seen as necessarily positive feedback. The question is whether the group grew as a group and as individuals.

It is also vital to arrange an information session with prospective contractors prior to inviting quotations. During this session the client needs to make the objectives that it wishes to achieve very clear. Other matters such as the budget available and time constraints must also be discussed as well as the number of participants and special needs such as facilities for disabled people. Only with this information in hand can any reputable contractor prepare a quotation.

Quotations should clearly indicate how the intended objectives will be achieved and a selection of possible activities and lectures should also be submitted, the value of each clearly indicated. If sub contractors will be used, reasons should be provided why they are deemed necessary. Facilitators should preferably present their proposals personally. The participants should then have input in the program before a final decision is made.

In order to gain maximum benefit from an excursion it is vital to obtained feedback from the participants as soon as possible after the event. The feedback should ideally be both individually and as a group. The feedback should address strong points and shortcomings in the program and facilities and the extent to which the objectives were achieved. The report and individual feedback should be treated in a confidential manner.

If groups of employees are to take responsibility for their efforts, their productivity and their contribution to the vision of the employer, then they need to be empowered to grow as a group. Group development excursions can play a valuable role if it is properly planned. This requires an experienced and qualified facilitator.

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