Team Building: A Leadership Tool to Promote Company Growth

Most people in leadership positions in manufacturing have not participated in a team building program. Still, these programs provide significant long-term benefits as leaders work with teams to achieve their business goals. It’s important for leaders to get out of their silos and collaborate with their teams so they can address key issues that are hindering their company’s advancement.

At Catalyst Connection, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization and part of the MEP National Network™, we have worked with leadership teams of small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) who rarely meet. When they meet, discussions often focus on financial updates or meeting production goals.

These teams are missing a significant opportunity to use team building as a powerful tool to drive business growth. During our Employer of Choice reviews – an intensive, two-hour discovery process with management and HR – we often ask about their team building practices. When we talk about “team building,” we don’t mean the traditional trust breaks, pizza parties, or going to a ball game. We’re talking about substantive interactions in which team members learn more about themselves and each other and how they can work better together. Top leaders often respond with, “We need that.”

That’s why we created a team building program around the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team model and the Everything DiSC personality assessment to build trust and accountability. The program provides information through a survey of company employees and individual personality tests for managers. The program includes a two-day workshop in which participants share personal stories and vulnerabilities to break down barriers. It helps participants understand their teammates so they can provide more effective leadership toward shared goals and strategic initiatives. Teams that use Five Behaviors training often see a 20 to 30 percent increase in productivity due to reduced conflict and better role alignment.

Why team building is a powerful approach for manufacturers

Team building is an effective strategic approach that can have a significant impact on your business. By fostering trust, improving communication, and improving collaboration, team building can lead to a more engaged, productive, and successful workforce.

In our experience, companies have found that team building has made them more productive and resilient in almost every area. Team building can have a significant impact on strategic initiatives. Individuals often have personal intentions in strategic planning sessions. But once a company has participated in team building, we find that the strategic planning exercises are much more coherent. Team building can be a good starting point for a new employer branding initiative, such as developing your employee value proposition.

The outcomes of a team building initiative often include:

• Improved corporate culture: Culture change starts at the top of every organization.

• Improved Conflict Resolution: Conflicts are inevitable in every workplace. Giving participants the skills to manage and resolve conflict constructively can help them turn potential obstacles into opportunities for growth.

• Improved engagement and morale: Employees who feel part of a cohesive team are more likely to be engaged in their work. When team members feel valued, respected and connected, morale improves.

• Increased productivity: A strong team can achieve more together than individuals working alone.

• Improved problem solving: Collaborative problem solving is a key skill that is fostered through team building.

• Reduced employee turnover: A positive and supportive work environment can help retain top talent.

How a team building program works

Once a company has committed to the team building process, we conduct an employee survey that highlights the team’s strengths and development opportunities based on the five behaviors. The Five Behaviors model, developed by Patrick Lencioni, is a validated, research-based assessment that measures performance through:

1. Trust

2. conflict

3. engagement

4. accountability

5. Results

Team building participants complete the DiSC assessments and receive a report that includes both their individual data and survey data. This rich information forms the basis for the two-day workshop, which is designed for seven or eight participants.

In the workshop we discuss how the team performs on the five behaviors. In almost all cases, the survey shows that employees see a lack of accountability as the biggest problem.

One of the goals is to build trust, and we often achieve this through questions and storytelling where participants can be open and vulnerable. Team members share personal stories and discuss DiSC disorders. The team also discusses how to engage in conflict and agree on behaviors that need to change to trigger productive conflict.

The results of this two-day program vary depending on each company’s goals. However, we are often asked to support the development of common goals across departments. We are sometimes asked to help them develop a team charter, which outlines areas such as the company’s purpose, values, opportunities and risks. It includes formal and informal rules and expectations.

After executive team building is complete, some companies expand team building across different departments. Some companies have implemented team building throughout the organization. This helps create a common language and shared expectations for effective teams.

When team building is a transformative force

Team building requires exchange. Generally, as humans, we hesitate to share confidential information about ourselves because anything we share can be used against us, and we are afraid of being judged. But showing vulnerability is easier when someone else has done it. When participants share their vulnerabilities through personal stories, team building can be transformative.

Sometimes people share deeply personal experiences, such as growing up in a difficult situation: struggling with poverty or overcoming an addiction. By being open and honest, we can create a stronger sense of connection. These shared experiences can help build trust and belonging, which are essential to building meaningful relationships. In our workshops we often find that people have more in common than they initially realize. This is an important part of how team building can lead to authentic and lasting connections.

In our conflict resolution sessions we often deal with the topic of not letting go of the resentment that comes up in the interview and assessment. This often leads to an intense discussion between two teammates, but this solution is a critical win in moving the team forward.

At the end of the workshop, team members begin to understand each other’s behavior and can move from judging to appreciating these differences. Sharing personal stories and vulnerabilities makes work-related challenges less intimidating. The team emerges stronger and confident from the next initiative.

How team building leads to sustainable improvements

The team building workshops are just the first steps towards significant business improvements. At Catalyst Connection, we will return to our manufacturing client companies once a month for the next year as an accountability partner for updates on goals and team interactions. As part of these consultations, we prepare and deliver a progress report one year after the first workshop.

For example, some of our customers have implemented metrics to compare their company’s performance before and after our team building sessions, including:

• Sales per employee

• Staff turnover rate

• Total costs per employee (labor, materials, energy, overhead costs)

• Employee satisfaction

Your local MEP center can help you with team building to create meaningful and genuine relationships between your leadership and employees, as well as with leadership development or other workforce training needs. Contact us to start the conversation.

About the author

David Rea

David Rea is managing director of organizational development at Catalyst Connection, part of the MEP National Network. He specializes in helping manufacturers optimize their workforce through hiring, development and retention best practices.