Team building
By Suggar
@Suggar (3606)
Bulgaria
February 3, 2011 5:44am CST
Hello friends,
two years ago i was a manager of a shop for cell phones, before that i was a seller in the same company. When my company gave me the chance to have my own shop where i'll have people who will have to listen to me how to work, my boss suggested me a book "How to build a successful team". If i have to be honest, that book didn't help to me at all, because all the people who had to be under my orders in the shop, didn't respect me enough, because they were too surprised that i started to work in that company at the same time like them and in their opinion i didn't deserve to be their boss. For me their opinion was not so important - i was workaholic, i always was thinking how we can earn more sales and my own opinion was that if everyone participate enough, we will have success as a team, unfortunately they didn't think so. Their personal life was more important for them - for one of the girls was more important to hear her husband 5 times in a day (her husband was in the prison for an year and her phone calls were the most important), the guy from my team was working with his own strategy - not too much attention for the shop, not too much advertising and if the client comes in our shop we will sell him something, but if the client doesn't come - we will say to our bosses that there were no clients. The shop was new and when we had empty days without sales it was my fault for our bosses - that i didn't worked enough with the team, didn't point them goals or like that. How can i set goals for people who don't believe in the reputation of one company? I did my best, but soon after that i had to quit that job, because i couldn't wear the the fault of the others on my own shoulders.
So i am asking now for team building. Do you have such things in your company?
Here a lot of companies doesn't do it. Only one or two parties every year, but that is kind of celebration, not education.
4 people like this
8 responses
@RebeLotter (253)
•
3 Feb 11
If there's team building, then officemates would be tearing each other apart or compete with themselves not having an essence of team work.
1 person likes this
@RebeLotter (253)
•
3 Feb 11
Correction: If there's NO team building...even in the military team building is essential.
1 person likes this
@Suggar (3606)
• Bulgaria
3 Feb 11
Thanks for sharing Rebe, actually for the business here, specially when the salary depends on the sales, competitions are made all the time - which shop is better, which employee sells more and so on stuff.
Actually good team for me is if the people are friends. Because before that company to move me in the other shop as a manager, i was seller in one brilliant team. And we all helped each other as much as possible. If someone was too busy - someone else could finish his work and still the sale was for the first one who sold the product, just couldn't finish with the documents.
It happens that way, in my opinion, that if someone wants fake glory how good worker is he/she, it always finish with problems.
@zweeb82 (5653)
• Malaysia
3 Feb 11
Hey, don't take the blame as you've already done your best!~ Sometimes people just don't like to change....well, not sometimes but MOST of the time, haha~!
But those who do want to see progress in their lives will always make adjustments. The boss of that company must have seen something in you that the rest don't have. It's not about how long you work there but it's always about the attitude. Attitude determines altitude - how far we can go always depends on our attitude. Yup, I agree that just functions alone is not enough as team building will be more productive. We have a lot of that here in our country. Team building courses or more so events which are run by specialized people & they charge a lot of money for that. MNCs like Intel, Mototrola, etc ( we have a lot of factories here ) have lots of team building programs conducted for them by outside people. But as a leader, I should say earning 1st their trust is more important before you get to do anything, more so when they always perceive you as the rookie / newbie. Nevertheless, you can always shine when you have the leadership qualities & good PR skills.
But those who do want to see progress in their lives will always make adjustments. The boss of that company must have seen something in you that the rest don't have. It's not about how long you work there but it's always about the attitude. Attitude determines altitude - how far we can go always depends on our attitude. Yup, I agree that just functions alone is not enough as team building will be more productive. We have a lot of that here in our country. Team building courses or more so events which are run by specialized people & they charge a lot of money for that. MNCs like Intel, Mototrola, etc ( we have a lot of factories here ) have lots of team building programs conducted for them by outside people. But as a leader, I should say earning 1st their trust is more important before you get to do anything, more so when they always perceive you as the rookie / newbie. Nevertheless, you can always shine when you have the leadership qualities & good PR skills.
@Suggar (3606)
• Bulgaria
3 Feb 11
Thanks for sharing Zweeb, actually when i left that company, the guy who became manager after me was fired for low results, so i felt good appreciated after that. I mean not with the money, not with their attitude for me, but with the way they understood that even the little success of the shop was because of me. Before that menage of the same shop was another person, who were moved to another shop, before my going in his own.
I also think that team building is very very important. There are tricks and people who live far from each other is hard to share experience.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
20 Jul 12
Personally this is always an issue. There will always be people who never want to think about success and what will your actions do for the company. Especially when they are just a small peon on the work totem pole of life. I really feel that anymore until there are people out there that can see the advantage of what they are doing and want to do things as a team to help themselves and the company then things will change.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
3 Feb 11
I find that without a team there would not be an organized functioning business. There is no such thing as a Chief without Indians. At times drastic measures need to be taken, as hard as the decision is but when the "subordinates" are not cooperating they must be let go.
Too sad though as a wonderful business is one where as everyone chips in and works together, after all they have to live at a job for most of the day, may as well make it worthwhile.
1 person likes this
@Kalyni2011 (3496)
• India
3 Feb 11
I have never done job in any company, so no idea about all these, i worked as lecturer in govt colleges for few years, but because of transfers i had to give up it totally, in teaching job Team building is not necessary.
Thnxs for sharing your experience here, it will benefit many members..
kalyani
@hlgmdt (300)
• Philippines
3 Feb 11
Team building is getting to be recognized as integral in a company or institution. A lot of companies are conducting team buildings to promote better camaraderie among employees and to give the workers a break from the stress of work. In my experience, some companies outsource or they ask for help from other professionals (like educators or HR managers) to conduct or facilitate the team building. Sometimes, getting an external help is welcomed by the people because they see the 'external' person as an outsider and therefore is objective in looking at the company's issues or employee problems. There are already private agencies or they call themselves consultancy which handle team building.
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
8 Feb 11
In a previous life(job), I used to run a team. And althought they were young, my strategy was to go down to their level. I had team building activities with them, which was usually their choice. There was a time that we went to a singing bar, a time where we went to an amusement park, and a time that we went swimming. It was also a time that I loosened up a bit so that they could feel that I was just one of them. I think that from those activities I've gathered enough respect that when it was time to do our jobs, they know what I want. And they all worked hard for the goals of the team.
