Why Managers Need To Participate With Team Building Activities

For a company to succeed, it’s crucial to build a team that works well together.

However, it can be a daunting task ‒ especially bringing together various individuals with different personalities and skill sets all working towards a common goal.

Managers are not exempt from participating in team building activities. After all, every member of the company must rise to the challenge of working together effectively as a team.

Here are some of the top reasons why managers play a crucial role in team building activities:

People Need Leaders

People need someone to step up and lead the pack.

As leaders, managers are there to create a vision for the team. It’s their goal to paint a picture for each member of what they see possible, and engage them to turn that vision into reality. They know that high-functioning teams can accomplish more if everyone works effectively together, rather than as individuals working autonomously.

Same as with a team-building activity. Whenever a problem arises, managers need to step up, lead their team accordingly, and beat the odds to succeed.

The Team Needs Empowerment

Empowerment is crucial for team-building activities. Every member should have the encouragement that they need to finish a goal.  

Essentially, it’s a manager’s job to inspire everyone to become part of something bigger.

As leaders, they provide the team with the right amount of support and encouragement, as well as help them gain more confidence and courage to accomplish the task at hand.

Leaders Can Provide Clarity

Managers have charismatic qualities, have a positive and focused mindset that can help people understand the team’s vision and embrace it.

Once everyone has a clear vision of the goal, managers lay out the groundwork for influencing others, as people join them in heading towards that future.

During team building, managers ‒ being effective leaders that they are, have to communicate efficiently with everyone on the team, letting them know the importance of their specific roles in the given task.

Usually, when leaders speak, people listen because they know that the information they’re going to get is valuable.

Thus, a team can make use of the clarity and direction managers can provide. As a result, they help their members carve out a path and put them in a better position to succeed.

Leaders Need To Become Members

Everyone knows what it’s like to become a team member.

Team building activities not only requires people to lead, but everyone must also put in their efforts and win it for the team.

Managers must go back to the role of understanding the team’s dynamics and character and should use it to their advantage to be acquainted and establish meaningful relationships with their members.

Leaders Build on The Strengths of Others

Truly great leaders are quick to recognize the skills and expertise of each member of their team.  

They seek out knowledge and wisdom of each member and acknowledge their value. Whatever task the team is facing, most likely, leaders know what each team member each tick, and what motivates them to achieve more.

Leaders Can Make It Fun

Many companies out there encourage the ‘work hard, play later’ approach.

However, a study at the  University of Warwick shows that people who were happier and had more fun with their work are 12% more productive than their counterparts.

It might be counterintuitive, but having fun is the very is the core of every company’s success. In fact, it’s one crucial factor in generating employee engagement.

Truly great leaders and managers know this, so they help inject fun in whatever task the team is currently facing. It also helps everyone better understand the structure they have put together for the team.

Every task, including the ones in team building activities, takes an extra ounce of energy for members to perform. But when the whole team is having fun and deeply enjoying the work they do, it helps create more energy.

As a result, it influences people to give more of themselves because they actually feel good about it.

In Summary

Team-building enables better communication and relationships among the team which ultimately increases productivity and growth of the company.

A manager’s participation is a critical part to have more engaged team members ‒  they know what truly influences and motivates their team to succeed.

Managers need to participate in team building activities because they can positively make an impact, and has the power to propel their team to greater heights.