Team Building

Debbie Jenkins discusses the importance of team building in the office...

Team building does not always have to involve taking employees away from the office or investing in events involving tough challenges of a physical or mental nature. Although these events clearly have their place in the corporate world, at Fasset we have become involved in a number of local sporting events with excellent team building results both during the training sessions, during the actual event and beyond when returning to the workplace.

Often Corporate team building events can be inflicted on employees or management led, and by allowing staff to get involved voluntarily in charitable and sporting events, this can lead to teams being formed from different backgrounds and from different areas of the business who would not normally work together. This brings its own benefits of course when returning to the workplace when strong bonds have been formed outside of work.

In the last 12 months we have had teams in the Great South Run (10 mile run around Southsea), 10k Race for Life (10 kilometre race around Southsea), The Wight Challenge (cycle/canoe/running race on the Isle of Wight) and Hayling 5 Mile Race (held on Hayling Island).

Yesterday, four of the Fasset team (Emma Bray, Debbie Bannister, Suzi Whitehill and myself) completed the 10k Race For Life around Southsea for the fourth consecutive year. Luckily we have an MD who appreciates the benefits of sport and competition and allows employees to train partly during working hours (it also helps that Langstone Technology Park have excellent shower and locker rooms allowing staff to return to their desks feeling suitably refreshed).

Our team of Fasset runners can be seen pounding the pavements around Langstone and a disused railway line twice a week in our Fasset branded running tops. The camaraderie that exists within the team is evident as we have runners of varying ability and age, and as we approach this challenge as a team, we all help each other out (and this extends to when the team are back in the office environment). It can be quite humbling being the oldest and slowest in the team!

I am a firm believer that by allowing staff to take the time to pursue a healthy hobby/interest/sport, the Company reaps the benefit due to increased morale and better team working.

Could your organisation benefit from a sporting or team event?!