Why Team Building?

How the Study of Group Dynamics Changed Attitudes to Team Work

Despite its popularity and its obvious success in industry, there are still a number of companies who are asking, "Why team building?" To be fair, they are the ones who have yet to see the value in fine tuning a team of workers to produce a more productive and efficient work force.

However, the situation exists and there are many businesses that could be enjoying greatly increased profits if they would just be open to the many possibilities that team building can offer.

Looking back at the history of industry it's easy to see how much we have progressed. There was a time when slaves were used for the hard work that no one enjoyed. Even when slavery was abandoned, the common worker still had few if any privileges and rights. Unions were established, which helped a great deal, but the workers were still seen as a group of individuals who had to be forced to work.

It isn't really surprising when you consider it. The bosses as well as their foremen and managers were often little better than tyrants. Rewards were virtually unheard of, working hours were long and unrelenting, and at the end of the day there was little pay to be offered for the effort put in.

As the situation slowly changed and improved throughout the 20th century, the worker was still seen in isolation. The work force was merely lots of individual workers and their only reason for being together was the nature of their work and the meagre pay it offered.

Studies involving the nature of group dynamics started to be conducted as early as in the 1920s. By the 1970s the theory and methods that could be used were fairly well understood, but it was the companies themselves who resisted the change. They still could not see the advantages of creating efficient teams. It wasn't a question of "Why team building?" It was more a statement of "Why bother!"

The USA led the way in team building on a wider scale starting in the 1980s. The new concept grew apace and prospered as industry started to see the encouraging results from well built and well developed teams. Not only did company profits increase with the increased efficiency of the work team, but the workers themselves gained more satisfaction and became happier workers. The result was a win-win situation that everyone could benefit from.

While it is relatively easy to understand why team building has become the big business that it now is, it might be less easy to understand why it works so well. When each worker stands alone and has to survive in a highly competitive environment it can be hard to succeed. When each worker is part of a cooperative team where there is help and support in the work performed, it is usually easier and less stressful for each individual.

Building up a work force to become a highly successful team has transformed industry from what it once was. Now companies can increase production and profits by simply turning the asset they already have into a more efficient unit. This is why team building is now so important to the continued success of businesses large and small.