Managing Smart: The Great Resignation; The Importance of Team Building in Phase 4
ShareThursday, August 19, 2021
By Jaclyn Taylor, Coordinator, Employee Development
Human resources and business researchers have finally agreed on one thing: these next 12 months are going to be a time of transition for many companies. Being called “The Great Resignation,” Microsoft has predicted that more than 41% of those in the workforce will be looking to leave their current company or change industries in the next 12 months. While this may sound scary as a leader, this is really due to a combination of factors, including back-logged movement that didn’t take place during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This research furthers the message shared with supervisors constantly: Team building matters. Why? Because trust matters.
As we continue through Phase 4, the trust within a team can make all the difference on whether or not employees stay engaged. With teams in various locations, including virtually, remote or hybrid, finding ways to connect can feel like a struggle. But committing to consistent, and fun, team-building can help keep team members engaged throughout this transition.
Pat Olsen from the Harvard Business Review writes about Team Building for Tough Times, saying, “Used wisely, [team building exercises] can improve morale, foster cohesiveness, increase motivation and focus a team on a problem.”
While some classics, like building the spaghetti bridge, the human knot, or the team birthday line-up may feel silly, they all put everyone in the room on the same level. Put simply: working together to solve a challenge builds trust. As we round out 2021 with a time of transition, having a team filled with trust brings ease to a time of uncertainty.
Here at Valencia, we are blessed to have a myriad of resources at our disposal. Consider the following steps if you are looking for team building and engagement ideas:
Linkedin Learning – Check out the curated content just for supervisors, updated weekly.
Employee Development Schedule – Keep an eye out for the fall Employee Development schedule release, which will be released on the Valencia EDGE during the week of August 23, 2021.
Virtual Engagement Resource – This resource highlights ways to engage teams throughout the course of any virtual meeting.