A reflective article in the current issue of Training Journal looks at teambuilding and asks pertinent questions about managers' use of teambuilding activities:

"Winter is here, I can tell! Since the end of October, everyone seems to be talking about ‘teambuilding’. People talk with a new vigour and determination to ‘really make things work this time’.

The request for teambuilding programmes reflects that there’s something amiss in the organisation; the request is usually a symptom of something that is fundamentally wrong in the business. And if it is true that the need simply reflects a more deep-seated problem, then a quick-fix programme will not solve it.

If you are serious about sorting out your team issues then the good news is that you are not alone; hundreds of delegates pass through just such consultancy and training programmes every day, but maybe the real issue is about the effectiveness of such activity.

If you are serious about doing the job properly then you need to be systematic in your approach; decide your objectives and be clear about how you will determine whether the programme has been successful."

The article continues at: