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ABC of Team Building – W is for Wonder

ABC of Team Building – W is for Wonder

If you look at a list of the top corporations from five years ago and now you will notice a big change. The companies that many of us grew up with (i.e Kraft etc) have disappeared from the list and others known as disruptors are on it (i.e AirBnb). How do these companies grow so fast while the once dominant ones in their fields die? Have you ever wondered if it’s just the product or service, or is it the leadership and the employees, or a combination of both? The real answer is the last one, but there is much more to it than that.

The traditional workforce functioned as we know it hierarchically with the leader at the top. The expectation was that if he “did his job” he would be rewarded with a raise and possibly a bonus, and every x number of years could expect a promotion. In my opinion, what has changed dramatically in the way we do business is what I will call “wonder”.

I wonder if we could do this more effectively. I wonder if I really need to work in an office five days a week. I wonder why we’ve done it this way for years but haven’t really achieved the results we want. I wonder why the phrase “we’ve always done it this way” is not only outdated but boring. I wonder why an element of fun cannot be incorporated into the workday.

These moments of wonder are what are changing the business landscape. The problem is that some leaders and team members are concerned. Part of this worry is due to fear and part to complacency. However, I think the real problem is that once we grew up we no longer knew how to ask ourselves. When we were children we dreamed all kinds of things. One day we may be slaying dragons with cardboard swords and towels as capes. Other days we may be shooting into space. Our imagination always led us to a new place to explore. So how do companies inspire their employees to ask themselves?

One way is by brainstorming. Pick a topic and let each team member write their ideas on sticky notes. Each idea has its own sticky note. It fuels outrage even if practically speaking it couldn’t happen. The idea is that one crazy idea can trigger other ideas that eventually lead to one that could be implemented.

Here is an example. I was conducting a training session on team building for managers of a government agency. There were many restrictions on how to reward your team members. No half days off, no external events, etc. By doing this brainstorming activity, ideas came up that were not only doable but made everyone realize that they were being too narrow in their thinking, not only about a reward system but also about other things that they felt about. they had no control. They came up with several ideas that they could implement right away, but they also felt empowered, which made them feel better about their workplace in general.

The thought of wondering “what if” could bring a lot more satisfaction to your workplace, as well as help with retention issues. Ask yourself what the possibilities might be.

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