Team building exercises that aren't crap?

[SnapD]

I do struggle being the boss

Atm my staff are all doing good work but independantly from each other, without considering each others action/duties/tasks

How can I make them into a team - I would really like them to be more considerate of each other and to think about how there action impact on the others

Any ideas...I wondered if a team building exercise would help

what www and custy said.
All the teambuilding stuff I have done in the past was pants. Like David Brent with tee shirts (seriously, and pens, alarm clocks, tote bags and brollies - cringe)

The best stuff I have done is to have a day away from the office with the team and throw ideas into the pot about how to work better (brainstorming?)

Goodness - this took off

We are off for a meal in April - so that's a start

So either team building stuff or not

Maybe reg 1-2-1's (can't be anywhere but at work)

Maybe weekly team meetings

I have brought to their attention stuff that needs doing

How do I delegate & trust them - when they aren't trust worthy & I have to fly in at the last minute to fix stuff

I think all of these points made about TB are valid, but it does also depend on the maturity and ability of the people in the team. Of course everyone needs clear personal objectives linked to team ones etc etc, but if you have a team of young admin staff working a repetivitve environment there can be a place for team bonding/building sessions. Ok they dont have to be David Brent style but to leave a team meeting feeling happy, motivated and having had a bit of a laugh is a good thing. If you like your working environment and know and at least have some professional respect for what your peers do you will do your job better.

You don't have team meetings?

You need that.

Some people will absolutely loathe being required to play any games, write things about themselves or others, etc. I would be one of them. Other people enjoy it. My brother is in management training and uses me as an example of a personality type that reacts very badly to all of this. However I think Myers Briggs type things give a reasonable insight into people, their ways of thinking and working and how other people might be different in their approaches. Whether that makes them more considerate ultimately I don't know as I haven't really seen the outcome in practice.

When??
in the am when the pm people can't come
in the pm when the am people can't come
in the evening - when no-one has babysitting

Why aren't they trustworthy?

Do they need training?
Do they need more direction on HOW to do something?
Do they need closer management short term?
Do you need to spend time being very clear about the results in order to help them?
Do you need to replace any of them?
Do you need to move any of them into more suitable roles?
Are there enough of them?
Are they doing what they should be doing when they should be?

So do you essentially have two teams? do they overlap at all?

Our boss suggested a team day out and the best suggestion we could come up with was a theatre trip, so we could sit in a darkened room and not have to interract. Sorry, that's no help....

Do they need training? They have been trained & agree that they are capable of doing the job
Do they need more direction on HOW to do something? No - they know how to do - they struggle with when
Do they need closer management short term? Yes - but I must be doing it wrong
Do you need to spend time being very clear about the results in order to help them? I don't know - maybe - they knew for 4 weeks that a job needed doing - yet I went in at 2pm on the last day & it hadn't been done.....I did it as they all finish at 3 and it would take them at least 3/4 hrs. It now needs doing again - I have pointed this out........and we are a week into the month & it hasn't been started (or considered or worked out the day that it is due)
Do you need to replace any of them? I really don't want to - they are good at the monotenous stuff
Do you need to move any of them into more suitable roles? There aren't any
Are there enough of them? Yes - maybe too many
Are they doing what they should be doing when they should be? NO

monthly team meetings rotaional then nboth am and pm staff must make time to come in for an hour 9 which they can have back) for the team meting, may be best to do it at the end of one shift begining of another.

weekly team meetings too much IMO in between you have 1-2-1s with each member of staff individually, - you cant go to local coffee hosue? for an hour?

give a title a sub title to divide your work up and delegate responsaility one to each member of staff.

that way you are probably seeing your staff more personally and holding them accountable personally once a fortnight.

you need deadlines. you need goals and timescales.

fixed deadlines for reports, feedback, data, exdpenditure, budgets etc make people work for a specific goal to a specific deadline

Shifts are
7:45-9:15
8:30-13:00
9:00-15:00 x2
14:30 -18:00

I work 7:30 to 18:00 & I'm knackered

pick up the phone regualrly. let them knwo your there your on top of things - tell them that they shouldnt hide behind e-mails.

No emails - little (if any phone)

Care industry- which is why not off site

Agree, given them deadlines, break the work down into chunks and tell them what to do and when. And then check they've done it. And tell them you will be checking and then do it. And if they haven't why not? Prioritise for them if you need to. So if you've told them to do X then they need to know what to do if Y comes up, - pass it on, decline it, ignore it, what?

They are good at the care

But unless I do rotas
Monday X
Tuesday Y etc

Nothing else is getting done

The time is there - 1 person does loads- but only the bits she wants

Too much stuff gets not done

Why are you doing such stupid hours?
Can't you trust them if you're not there?

OK then do you need a rota?
Each person HAS to do the stuff on their rota, no cherry picking the easiest jobs.

I guess - It just seems childish

But I'll give it a go

You can call it a task list, a plan, or sometihng else if it helps. But I think if you have to get certain things done at certian times and they're not doing it and YOU are measured on it then you just have to say "you are doing tihs and this and this in this order until it's done."

My dh does workshops in this area and charges a good deal of money for it. He is brilliant and I'd thouroughly recommend him. Of course you'd get a Mumsnet rate.

You can talk to them about it beforehand and ask if they have any other suggestions for managing the workload and getting things done. And if they have some good ideas, incorporate them and if they don't tell them you're doing it and why and when. (get their buy-in in other words, just stuck that in for Senora to take the piss!) Or maybe you don't want to approach it like that, maybe you break it down into smaller teams, put your most capable people in charge of those teams, give THEM the targets and tell them to do it and report back to you. Sometimes if you've got an obstructive person on a team you can find them useful and change their attitudes if you can give them some responsibility.

Lunchtime pub trips are always good

How much are they paid? Are you expecting too much from people working minimum wage jobs?

Good point Scummy. I think 1:1s are important too, you do need to know how each person feels/what they want to do next/what they want etc.

They work redused hours in the holidays & can bring there children to work with them

They get fed every day (as do their children in the holidays)

The do get paid significantly about the min wage (in our area) tho' not London wages

Their perks are many & their wages OK