INTHEBLACK May 2022 - Magazine - Page 60
F E AT U R E
// T E A M B U I L D I N G
widen cracks or fissures in working relationships that
haven’t been addressed.”
DON’T FORCE IT
Pollack and his team have found that, when it comes
to team building, participation in activities should
not be compulsory. Employees should be encouraged
to take part, but have the ability to discreetly opt out
without invoking the displeasure of their managers.
“Ethically, we shouldn’t force people to do things
that they don’t want to do,” he says. “And from a
management outcome side, we shouldn’t put people
in a compromising position, because they’ll resist –
and they won’t get any benefit from it.”
Bethan Winn is a critical thinking consultant and
team building facilitator who uses self-disclosure as
a way of ensuring that participants are comfortable
during her sessions.
“There is a growing body of evidence that suggests
that self-disclosure is a really powerful way to build
trust, empathy and understanding,” says Winn. “It is,
essentially, giving small bits of information about yourself
– and often, in a natural conversation, the listener will
then parallel it. For example, if I was to mention my pets,
the other person might mention theirs.”
Self-disclosure typically starts off factually, and
then progresses to opinions and, potentially, emotions.
Winn helps participants get started by providing
colour-coded questions that indicate the depth of
questioning.
“It could be red, amber, green – with green a kind
of safe, more superficial question to start with. It
could be ‘What made you smile in the last 24 hours?’
People can choose to talk about something at work, or
something more personal.”
The colour-coded questions are stuck onto anything
from lollipop sticks to wooden blocks or flowers.
“It makes it tactile and gives them something to
play with in their hands – because often, when it’s just
two people facing each other, it can almost feel a bit
combative,” she says. “It’s a bit like, ‘It’s not me asking
the question, it’s the flower stick’.”
Pollack agrees that self-disclosure is an effective,
trouble-free approach to encouraging people to open up.
60 ITB May 2022
Above: Talan Miller, Sabre
Corporate Development
“AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S NOT ABOUT BECOMING
BEST FRIENDS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES, BUT
DEVELOPING A PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP AND
APPRECIATION FOR EACH OTHER, SO THAT YOU CAN
BE PRODUCTIVE AS A TEAM.”
BETHAN WINN, TEAM BUILDING FACILITATOR
“Some people rely on a barrier between their home
and work life, and construct a work persona that is
different from how they behave at home,” says Pollack.
“Any kind of exercise that forces you to breach that
boundary raises ethical concerns.”
Pollack has also found that smaller, targeted groups
are preferable to large ones. In the latter, colleagues are
likely to stay close to those with whom they already
have a strong relationship.
“Some people may feel that they are on show in big
groups and cement the face that they always present
to the masses,” he says. “In pairs, there’s a privacy and
intimacy in the environment, and you can develop a
real connection.”
Ultimately, Winn believes that team building
shouldn’t be seen as a box-ticking exercise that is
trotted out once a year.
“I think it’s important not to come in with ‘jazz hands’
and spend just a day on team building and then forget
about it. It’s good to do it frequently – it could involve
small shares at the beginning of a team meeting.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about becoming
best friends with your colleagues, but developing a
professional relationship and appreciation for each
other, so that you can be productive as a team.”