Intro: Welcome to the E6S-Methods podcast with Jacob and Aaron, your source for expert advice on Lean, Six Sigma, and performance improvement methods. In this episode number 36, “Team 10K – Push to Perform”, we discuss the value of team building to your project and debate my $10 thousand dollar recommendation for a team building budget. Here we go.

***Team 10K- (Team Building) Push to Perform***

Objection 1: We don't have the time or budget to develop the team. We need quick decisive action.

Counter 1: You will suffer the loss of time by the dysfunction your team goes through if you do not invest in them up front.

Objection 2: My team is all virtual. I cannot get them all in one spot.

Counter 2: Virtual teams need team building even more, since the team building event could be the only time they actually meet. People assign false motivations when conflict arises between people who never met.

Objection 3: I'm a high D high C on the DiSC model… team building really isn't my thing.

Counter 3: Hey high D, high C... Me too!, and it's no excuse. Team building is about the function of the team, and not about your comfort level as the facilitator. If you cannot facilitate, elect someone who can. ""Morale Officer."

I Why Team Building is Important:

a. Motivation, Influence & Persuasion

i. Team members are people, not cogs in a machine. You need to appeal to them as people to get the best from them.

1. Dale Carnegie -How to Make Friends and Influence People, Steven Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Holy Bible, Art of War…. Ancient philosophies all preach the same golden rule. This "treat others as …" requires developing a relationship.

b. Conflict

i. Conflict is natural, and much conflict can be surpassed or tempered if up-front team building is effective. Hosting a team building exercise can get people to know each other before the project conflict arises, establishing the foundation of respect beforehand, staving off the incorrect assumptions we make about each other.

1. Constructive Conflict brings out the best ideas.

2. Destructive conflict shuts the team down.

c. Cut through the rank

i. Building a team of people helps alleviate the tension and apprehension if execs and operators are on the same team. Team building events help level the playing field.

1. When we realize we're all people, the barriers of title and hierarchy don't seem so high, at least for a short time.

II Different Team Building Options – Ultimate Theme (Remove us from work, and let us bond over something else.)

a. Theme – Challenge with Common Goal or Common Enemy – Must behave as a team and trust each other to make it through.

i. Survival simulations

1. Desert Survival,

ii. LSS Simulations (Combine learning and team building)

1. Move-it or Lean Lego Simulation Challenge

2. Paper Airplane Design Challenge

3. DOE Challenge – Statapult, Mixology(my favorite),

iii. Physical Challenges

1. Actual Survival/Wilderness Exercise

a. Ropes Courses – (high & low)

b. Team Rafting

c. Orienteering

2. Team “Sport”

a. Bowling

b. “Whirley” Ball

c. Softball

d. Paintball

iv. Theme – Just Relax

1. Dinner

2. After Party

3. Barbecue/Team Picnic

III Rules:

a. Make it mandatory

b. Respect people’s “Non-work” hours.

i. Stick to the work-day unless the team is open to something else.

ii. Travel is a reasonable expectation for work functions

iii. Mandatory nights, weekends, etc, may be too much to ask.

Outro: Thanks for listening to episode 36 of the E6S-Methods Podcast. Stay tuned for episode number 37, “Let’s Talk Lean.” We encourage all our listeners to “Stop and Smell the NVA work.” It’s all around us, and it stinks! Subscribe to past and future episodes on iTunes or stream us live on-demand with Stitcher Radio. Follow us on twitter @e6sindustries. Find us on LinkedIn to join a discussion. Outlines and graphics for all shows are posted on our website, www.E6S-Methods.com. “Journey Through Success”