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Small teams can arguably benefit most from team activities when they are carried out properly and with clarity of purpose. Large teams have the problem of possibly becoming unwieldy with too many potential leaders, all vying for position.
Teamwork activities within a small team are easier to manage and assess. A group of four or five people can quickly find its feet, deciding on who does what without the confusion often found within large teams. This alone gives the them an advantage.
Team building activities for a small team work best if they are kept simple, straightforward and are not overly complex. They should not be generic in nature, but rather highly specific and completely relevant to the work place environment. There should be a clearly defined goal that all team members understand and are dedicated to working towards achieving.
These activities for small teams should always incorporate clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each team member. The team itself should decide democratically who does what, when, where and how. In this way team members can see where they fit in. They can then easily appreciate their individual contribution to the team's activities. Before engaging in any kind of group team work, members should be made aware of the essential difference between a group and a team. In this way they will know what they have to become in order to achieve their goals.
A group is merely several people who chooses to be together, while a team is a similar group, but one with clearly defined objectives and goals that each member is committed and dedicated to working towards. It is this commitment to a goal that every member shares that makes the essential difference between a group and a team.
The main reason for engaging employees in team building is to increase motivation and productivity in the work place. Small teams can benefit from such activities through becoming re-focused on their work goals. Working together as a team can break down distracting barriers between people.
Barriers may be political, racial or merely personal. Engaging in team activities can help enormously to create a closer bond between individuals that forces them to reassess their position within the team. When they have the chance to evaluate the overall picture properly, they can see more clearly where they fit in, thereby better appreciating their true worth and value, as well as that of others.
Many companies, corporations and organisations have found team building to be of immense importance and value. In many cases they have incorporated team based activities into their training programmes. It has been demonstrated that taking part in structured team activities has multiple benefits for small teams. These include a significant improvement in individual leadership skills, as well as a significant improvement in overall team morale.
Barriers that can be a block to creativity are broken down, and organisational productivity increases. Additionally, the strengths and weaknesses of the team are exposed, allowing them to focus on the areas they need to build up. Overall, there are many real benefits to be gained from ensuring small team's have access to team building activities.
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