Press Release

PEARLCATCHERS DO THE BUSINESS

Pearlcatchers' Director of Customer Operations, Sharon Young was pleased to be invited to contribute to a special feature on Corporate Events in the June-July 2003 issue of the Total Business magazine.

Said Sharon Young (Director of event and training consultancy Pearlcatchers Ltd.): "The theme of the feature was around making the most of corporate and teambuilding events and we were asked to provide some background on team development programmes and how these differ from standard teambuilding days. We believe passionately in the importance of getting the very best from teambuilding and team development activities and so were delighted to be involved."

The article reads: Team development - a brave new world? .. Or just another word for the same old teambuilding games?

The distinction between teambuilding and team development is becoming progressively more relevant to managers and trainers alike in the current business climate. Many businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce costs and increase profit margins - making it ever more difficult to justify expenditure on what can be seen as a flimsy excuse for employee entertainment.

Few would deny that effective teamworking is a key factor in high-performing businesses. With the changing shape of organisations today, individuals are increasingly being called upon to participate in many and different types of team, such as:

• Global teams spread across different locations and time zones
• Temporary teams set up for a specific purpose, such as projects
• Cross-functional teams, with different skill sets and priorities

However, the concept of team development programmes is still largely misunderstood. Mention team development and many people think of teambuilding activities, such as playing games, driving off road vehicles or making videos. Whilst these events are undoubtedly good fun and can contribute towards building team spirit, true team development is far more complex.

Sharon Young explains: "Team development is something that happens over a period of time, not as a result of one day of activities. It involves assessing the team, its members and their roles, forming an understanding of the team's purpose and the challenges it faces and designing a programme of activities to increase the effectiveness of the team."

So what makes the difference between a teambuilding day and a team development programme? According to Sharon, there are several key factors that will transform any event into a valuable development activity:

• Clear Objectives - the fundamental difference centres around the objectives for the event/programme. Teambuilding days often have basic objectives, such as to reward the team, get them working together or just have fun. Team development tends to be more specific with objectives such as:

• To work through the stages of team development.
• To introduce the concept of internal customers.
• To aid in the establishment and management of cross functional and virtual teams.
• To prepare a team for a time of change.

• Focus - although having fun is important, the focus throughout should remain on achieving the objectives specified for the event.
• The individual as part of the team - effective teamworking relies on the input of all team members. Therefore, some of the most useful activities revolve around the team identifying and utilising the strengths of different team members
• Observation - using trained observers who, as well as facilitating the session, can assess how well the team and individuals work together and then give feedback on what went well and what didn't
• Debrief - often missed on teambuilding days, this is the most important session of any team development session, as it changes the game from just a fun activity to a memorable learning experience
• Theory into Practice - using facilitators who understand the concepts of team dynamics, team roles etc and can apply such theories to the events of the day
• Variety - to maintain interest, it is essential to incorporate a wide choice of activities and techniques that will appeal to the team. This could be anything from short and simple team games to formal assessments and self-analysis to full day workshops incorporating theory, practice and a range of activities.

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