March 3, 2025 • 33 mins
Have you ever participated in a team-building event that felt like a waste of time? This episode explores how to make team building meaningful—with clear strategy, research-based approaches, and customized solutions. Plus, we update our insights to reflect today’s hybrid work reality and evolving employee expectations.
🎧 Listen in as we discuss:
✔️ The four biggest team-building mistakes
✔️ Why one-off events don’t work
✔️ How to make team investment last
✔️ The role of strategy, research, and customization
💡 Whether you lead a small team or a large organization, these principles will help you build stronger, more connected teams.
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Read the full blog post here!
CONTACT US
- email: connect@leadershipvisionconsulting.com
- Leadership Vision Online
ABOUT
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in discovering, practicing, and implementing a Strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. Contact us to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
At some point we've all been part of a team building
activity that felt like a wasteof time.
Maybe it was a trust fall gonewrong or an awkward escape room,
or maybe it was an expensiveoffsite that led to zero real
change but just spent a lot ofmoney.
But you know, when done right,investing in your team it can
actually create lasting impact.
(00:21):
It can build trust, it can justbe a lot of fun and actually
improve the way that your teamworks together.
That's why we're going tore-release here today an episode
from 2022, it's a little overthree years old where we
actually break down how to maketeam building meaningful,
purposeful and effective andmaybe a little fun.
The principles that we sharedthen are just as relevant today
(00:44):
Honestly, maybe even a littlemore so.
As you're probably aware, and asyour organization continues to
rethink how it engages anddevelops their teams, we just
thought we'd put this out thereas an additional resource.
Hello everyone, my name isNathan Freeberg and this is the
Leadership Vision Podcast, ourshow helping you build positive
team culture, and, if you stickaround to the end of this
(01:05):
episode, we'll actually sharejust some updates and
reflections, if you will, onthis conversation and some tips
about how you can apply theseideas to your team right now.
So let's jump in.
Brian Linda, happy new year.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Happy new year.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How long can you say that hey, we're still happy and
it's still happy new year, happynew year.
How long can you say that?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Hey, we're still happy, it's still a new year.
Okay, it's still the new year.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Brian has a cold of some kind.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I have some kind of head cold.
It's not COVID.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, do you feel the need because I do to like
always tell people oh, it's not,covid.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
We had some colds over Christmas.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
It's a very important distinction to make.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I don't want people getting COVID through the
podcast, but I'm glad Brian is.
I have a mask on my mic.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I don't think this wind, sock thing is medical
grade.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Do you know what a wind sock is?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, not wind sock.
It is not a wind sock.
Do you know what?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
a wind sock is, yeah, not windsock.
It is not a windsock.
Do you know what a windsock is?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, like that thing that you put on the top of your
barn.
No, that's a weather vane.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
No, that's a weather vane.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
All right, we're getting off topic really quick.
Here You're getting off topicTeam building.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I am.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Team building.
Don't invest in expensive trustfalls.
Wait, linda.
In Alaska was it Years andyears ago.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I thought it was at some camp.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I think it was at a camp.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
When were we staying next to a campfire?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Regardless never joke about doing a trust fall,
because Nathan will just fall onyou.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I thought, that we were all on the same page and I
just turned around, crossed myarms and my chest and did a
trust fall and Linda did notcatch me.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
But you landed.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
You work I did.
I did so.
All the examples I gave in thatintro uh, we were joking
because we've done all of thoseas different parts of, like, our
work at leadership vision.
But I really think that thepoint of this podcast is to talk
about, like, how do you, how doyou make something like that
purposeful, how do you make itmeaningful, how do you not make
(03:07):
it a waste of everyone's time?
Because I've also done allthose activities for different
non-leadership vision thingsthat I'm like, all right, this
is maybe fun, but it's pointless.
It's like has nothing to dowith anything.
We're paying way too much forthis.
I did this ropes course that Iwant to tell you where it was
not leadership vision, and wespent the majority of the time
(03:29):
trying to convince one of thepeople on the team just to go
across the first like low ropething, and then we went home and
like what was the point of that?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It was not it was not very much.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Do you guys have experience Obviously not
leadership vision of just liketeam building stuff that you're
like?
Why are we doing this?
Why do we spend money on this?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, oftentimes, no matter what it is, if it hasn't
been set up well, it hasn't beenframed, if you don't know the
objective or the purpose of it,then it just becomes this
activity that you could do with.
Maybe people you like a lotmore Right.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Right Like family or whatever else.
Totally, completely, and Ithink that's, that's what it's a
point, a point of frustrationfor me.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, for me, the one team building event that I was
at that is this horror story.
Memory of mine is it was awinter team building retreat in
northern Minnesota and it wasabsolutely freezing.
It was by one of the majorlakes here.
I hated every minute of it andmy takeaway memory was I went
(04:31):
running on the lake and fell inoh my gosh Up to my waist in ice
water.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Okay, as part of the team building, or was that your
own little no?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
that was my own little team building, but most
of the team building was spentat really bad diners eating food
.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So it was all food based.
It just seems pointless.
And kind of on the flip side is, sometimes I've done team
building activities that havebeen actually awesome.
They've been a lot of fun, it'sbeen meaningful, and it feels
like we're all rah, rah, gung ho, ready to go back and, you know
, conquer the world, and thenget back to the office on Monday
and it's almost like nothing atall has happened and that feels
equally as pointless.
(05:11):
So where do we go from here?
Brian?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Well, one of the things that I'd like for us to
briefly talk about is some ofthe fears and concerns that I
think anybody is facing whenthey're contemplating whether or
not they should do some teambuilding.
And over the years that we'vebeen doing this, we hear these
all the time, and I think thatif we just mention a few of
these, maybe our listeners canidentify or connect with some of
(05:33):
those fears themselves.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
So, briefly, we've got these four things we've
identified.
One is just, it's a waste oftime.
The second one is that peoplelike don't even know where to
start.
Maybe they're like team issuesare so complex and just
multi-layered they just don'tknow what to do.
The third one is aroundaccountability, and so there's
no real way to keep peopleaccountable to some of the stuff
(06:00):
they're doing.
And then the fourth one isaround like actually making
change stick and making kind oflasting long term cultural
transformation beyond some sortof you know rah rah experience.
So the first one here iswasting time, which I think we
(06:20):
know is everyone's first thoughtwhen they hear the word team
building or, you know, teamoffsite.
Talk more about that.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Brian, wasting time is everyone's concern.
You have the person who iscreating this opportunity and
they're wondering to themselvesam I wasting people's time?
And I'm going to guarantee youthat everybody who gets the
invite in their calendar thatthere's a team building day
coming up is thinking tothemselves this better not be a
waste of time, so I can think ofall the ways to use my time
differently than going to dosome team building.
(06:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Unless there's been a proven, you know, activity that
hasn't been a waste of time.
But I think that's how peopleevaluate.
Is this will this waste my timeor will this lead to something
else?
Speaker 3 (07:04):
And it's hard to know .
It's hard to know how much timeto spend, whether you should
spend an hour, six hours andvirtually what is the capacity.
Time is really a difficultchallenge.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yeah, it's a very valuable commodity.
Which brings us to our secondone, that leaders.
I've talked to a lot of leadersthat they don't even know where
to start.
Like their team's, issues,problems, whatever you want to
call it are just so complex.
They just feel even before theyget to the idea about wasting
time.
Linda, unpack that one a littlebit more.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Well, yeah, I think when you don't know where to
begin, you say, okay, how do weget a trust ball in here?
And sometimes knowing where tostart is getting clear with the
purpose of what the teambuilding exercise or event or
conference will be.
And so sometimes knowing whereto start is getting that purpose
(07:54):
statement, getting clear aboutthe objective or what you
actually want from a takeaway,and then reverse engineering it.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, and then the third hurdle or issue is around
accountability.
I mean, kind of like my example, how many of us have gone to
stuff and then you get back andnothing changes.
So what is the, I guess, thecrux of this issue?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I think accountability is someone's fear
that the person organizing thisis going to have to do all the
work to keep the change going.
And there's oftentimes fewpeople that are thinking through
how the change is actuallygoing to last, because the
ongoing change, that level ofaccountability, is internal.
So how do you keep the changesustained?
(08:39):
That's a person's real bigconcern.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Which then leads us right to the fourth hurdle is
needing that change to six.
So you know, if I think about Iwant to do a team building
activity that's going to lead totransformation, beyond this
kind of temporary mountaintoprah-rah thing, I'm like, oh man,
that seems like too much work,that's not going to happen.
I don't even start.
So how do you address that,Linda?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I start to think about the levels of engagement
between people.
And so if people in a teambuilding event are saying, okay,
well, I need to get to know mycolleagues and I'm going to let
them get to know me, we've seenpeople come to us and say I need
(09:24):
this to be sustainable.
And what they're saying is Iwant something that will
transcend the actual day ormoment when we're together, so
that people just don't ride ahigh, people don't just rely on
the facilitator, but rather theytake the components that
(09:46):
they've learned and can make itapplicable right away.
And so if you just want to feelgood event, that's one thing
and maybe that is an objectivefor some people, but if you want
some lasting change, there'ssome maybe different questions
or different objectives totackle and to name.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Oftentimes a person's fear isn't around.
Can we sustain the change it'sif the change is too big, and
sometimes the ability for aperson to really understand how
change is going to stick is alsogoing to be determined by their
ability to break that changedown into smaller steps that can
be accomplished in shorterperiods of time.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
People rely on something or some external event
or project that just by doingit like having a dinner together
, will promote some kind ofinvestment in the team.
But if you haven't seatedpeople appropriately, you
haven't given them a topic tothink about, to talk about, to
(10:43):
interact with, or given themroles and responsibilities.
A lot of times this justbecomes an effort that people
forget or are frustrated by.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah, that's very true.
And what I want to do with therest of our time, and spend most
of our time here talking about,is the three things that I
think we have found that maketeam building activity, that
make, you know, real change,that make accountability, all
that actually stick.
And we're going to talk,obviously, about leadership
(11:14):
vision, but these are reallythings that I think, whatever
sort of team building you do, ifit's you know, find a book at
the bookstore, find a differentconsultant, like sort of
independent from us, but I alsothink we do a really really good
job at it.
Those the three things areclear strategy.
You got to have a clearstrategy.
You know what you're doing.
(11:34):
Going in.
It's got to be based inresearch and it has to be
customized to meet the needs ofyour team.
So, linda, I see that hand, youwant to go first.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yes, I do, cause this clear strategy is at the heart
of everything and it, linda, Isee that hand.
You want to go first.
Yes, I do, because this clearstrategy is at the heart of
everything and it's what I'vebeen saying as we've started,
and that is how do you engageyour team around some specific
content and how is it not just aone-shot deal, but it's
consistent over time and theactivities lead to teams
(12:07):
aligning more on purpose, teamsreally getting to know each
other, and sometimes thestrategy emerges and sometimes
it is just following a map.
What would you say about clearstrategy?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
I'm thinking of many levels here.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Okay, go for it.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Team development isn't a strategy.
Team development or teambuilding is part of a larger
strategy, and so when you thinkabout strategy, lean back and
look at the whole board, Look atthe entire playing field.
What's actually going on andhow does team development fit
within that larger strategy?
Development fit within thatlarger strategy, Because many
people don't understand how theteam development is going to fit
(12:47):
in, because it may have justbeen on their calendar or we're
going to do 14 development daysin this next calendar year, one
per quarter, but it isn't tiedin anywhere and there's no
greater shortcuts of failurethan team development.
That's not cut into the largerstrategy of the organization.
I was just talking to one of ourclients this morning about the
strategy that we're creating forthem for the next two years and
(13:09):
it's and our work is clearlycut into the strata of the
larger organizational strategy.
So we know where it fits, weknow how it fits, we know how
it's part of theirorganizational change.
And that's where the claritycomes from, Because sometimes I
believe that we're looking intothe teen development for the
clarity itself and I'm asking usto step back and say where does
(13:31):
a teen development fit into thelarger organizational strategy?
Because teen development isgoing to last if it's part of a
larger fabric.
It's not the golden thread thatpeople are looking for that's
going to lead them to thisgolden end.
That's just not how this works.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Well, and in a lot of our work, our strategy is that
it is helping people over time.
So stretching out eight hoursover the course of a month or
two months so that people dipback into the content.
Two months so that people dipback into the content, they dip
(14:09):
back into the cadence oflearning how to interact and
talk with each other.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Because when you understand all that, where it
fits in the larger strategy andhow to cut it in, then you can
begin to think about whatspecifically needs to happen
within the teen development.
Because we're not downplayingthe importance of karaoke or any
kind of like ropes course oranything like that.
That is very tactile.
We're not downplaying that.
But what we are saying is let'sthink into how those activities
(14:33):
can fit into the largerstrategy and then that will
determine how we're going tomake the applications within any
team building event becausewhen we hear people say what's
the point of this?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
we better, better have an answer.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
We have to have an answer.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yep, and a lot of times it's.
Maybe it's this part is justthe relational part or this part
is the intentional part.
This part links back to a goalof you just getting to know each
other better, so that you aretalking about conflict in the
absence of conflict and not whenyou know the pressure is on.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
It's just a great question to ask when does this
and by this I mean where doeswhat we are doing today or what
we're planning on?
How does that fit into thelarger strategy of either my
area, my department, my company?
How does it fit?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Right, because, I mean, I think about how many
times we've been contacted bysomeone said, hey, we want to do
team building.
It's like, okay, well, what'swhat's the point?
Yeah, why?
Versus hey, we want to have ateam that embodies you know XYZ
characteristics and then youbuild you know a team building
strategy out of those things.
(15:41):
Out of those things?
I was recently listening to apodcast with author James Clear
talking about habits, and ratherthan saying you know, I want a
fitness goal, so I'm going to doX, y, z, it's like, well, what
would the type of person that Iwant to become?
What would they do?
Well, they would probably eatthis way or move this way, or
whatever, and not just this way.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, exactly, thank you.
I appreciate that, brian.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
But you're right.
I like what you said, brian,because team building is not an
end in itself.
It has to fit as a part of alarger organizational strategy.
The consistently over timepiece of it, too, I find
interesting because, much likehabits, for whatever your end
goal is, you're not going to doa team building Again I'm using
(16:25):
a lot of air quotes for thoselistening and then be done and
you're solved right.
You're not going to have a 30day fitness goal and then just
be done and be fit for the restof your life.
You have to.
You know the end date isforever, which which can be
daunting.
But how do you, how do you getpeople into that mindset?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It is introducing new habits and you don't just keep
doing the same habits.
That's why it's just our brainseven want to take us back to
that point that makes us feelcomfortable.
This is just what I do, andit's almost like you have to
give people a compelling reasonto get beyond it, to say I want
(17:06):
a habit that will lead me to bethat fit person or whoever I'm
imagining.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Or the trusting team member, the clear communicator,
the patient, you know, coworker.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, so good, so something that we've done.
So number two is is researchbased.
Your team development effortsneed to be based in some sort of
research.
I don't remember the number, itwas in the quintillions.
If you Google team building, ifyou Google team, building
(17:37):
there's a lot of research and Iresearch might be loose, because
some of the stuff I found wasnot research, but it came up
into that.
We've worked with a team or twoover the years, and what is
some of the research that we'vefound?
Or well, let me back up.
Why is it important to beresearch-based in your team
(17:59):
building efforts and strategies?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I want to address two different things here, nathan.
I'm not sure how it's going tofit, but on this topic of
research-based, there are twothings I like for us to talk
about.
One is our approach to beingresearch-based and also our
client, because with our client,I ask questions about what do
they know about their owncircumstance, and so the
(18:22):
research is focused onthemselves.
What do you know to be true?
How long has this challengebeen going on?
What do you know about yourindividuals?
What do you know about how ateam responds to time-oriented
change?
How much do you know about yourown context?
Because that's only going to behelpful information for
yourself as to know what type ofteam building or team
development you actually need.
(18:43):
It's also going to helporientate us to the types of
team building activities or thedepth to which a client might go
based upon your own research.
Many times, people look to usand ask us the questions about
what do we know about them?
Well, we don't know anythingabout you.
That's the kind of research orlearning or curiosity-based
(19:04):
questions that we'll be askingyou to have the answers for.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
When I look at all the teams that we have worked
with, as teams have beenconfigured and then reconfigured
, it's thousands of teams thatwe've worked with, actually,
because every time there's a newperson, or every time someone
leaves, there's a new teamdynamic new person.
Or every time someone leaves,there's a new team dynamic.
(19:28):
And the research that we dowith our clients is we gather
all these different data pointsand we keep track of them and we
start to notice some of thethemes that are emerging with
teams, and some of it is.
Maybe it's a really emotionallycharged culture, Maybe facts
and pieces of data are reallyimportant for this group to make
decisions.
(19:48):
So we start to pay attention towhat we're picking up from all
these different teams and thenwe're saying, hey, you know what
you sound like, a differentteam that we worked with, wow,
and we start to pay attention tothat.
So we have this dearth ofresearch that we have done, and
then I think you know, brian,and I, nathan, you too like we
(20:12):
are always reading, payingattention to what are the new
trends, what are the pieces ofresearch that other
professionals researchscientists, people that are
practitioners, what they areseeing in the world.
And then it's what Brian wassaying too.
It's the have you done researchon your own organization, on
(20:34):
your own team, on your ownfamily, to know what is it that
you need, and does that fit into, maybe, a category that we have
seen and identified andaddressed in our history at
Leadership Vision?
Speaker 1 (20:50):
And I think that flows into the third one here,
this idea of creating customsolutions, because you're right,
we do research on our clientsbefore we say, oh, this is what
we suggest you use.
You know if anyone's had, likeyou know, custom cabinets built
(21:10):
or some sort of custom somethingbuilt and you get to, you know,
design it to yourspecifications in the way that
you actually use the thing.
A number of years ago my wifeand I were going to redo our
basement and we presented likehere's what we want to do, and
then a designer came in andtotally customized it for us and
realized, oh, wow, cause helike sat down and was like, well
(21:32):
, what do you want to do here?
What are your goals?
How are you going to be livingin this space?
And so many times we'll look ateach other and be like I cannot
believe we thought that thiswall should have been here.
Blah, blah, blah.
So we didn't know what wedidn't know.
But had he not researched ourfamily, talked with us, asked us
all these questions and thenbrought his education and his
(21:54):
experience, and I think we do agreat job of that.
So maybe talk a little bitabout that, from both how we do
it.
But then also, if you're goingto kind of do your own thing,
how do you find a customsolution for your team?
Linda?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Well, I start to think about yeah, we have a
strategy and after we, you know,talk to our clients, we name
that strategy and it's based onthe research we are able to draw
from our work on all theseteams and the 50,000 individuals
that we've had conversationswith and all of a sudden, we
realized sometimes they need acustom solution and sometimes
(22:31):
they need us to be adaptive insome ways.
Like everything is changing nowwhat can you do?
Oh, like we were all in person.
Now we're all remote, so whatcan you do?
Virtually, and there'softentimes ways that we will
present and provide customsolutions that are just they're
(22:52):
minor adaptations and they stilllink to the strategy, but they
don't necessarily look the same.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
And, like in your example, nathan, that's a great
one with remodeling, becausethat is the exact approach that
we take.
We are not advocating that webring the custom solution.
We are arriving at the customsolution based upon your desire,
based upon your dream, whatyour outcome is.
We spend so much of our timeasking clients to be clear with
themselves on what it is thatthey want to accomplish, what
(23:21):
their expectations are, and thenwe can help design something to
become custom to what it isthat they want to accomplish,
what their expectations are, andthen we can help design
something to become custom towhat it is that they
specifically need.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I remember talking to a client that we had, that we'd
done work with, and then shewas doing some reflection and I
said I know it kind of feelslike we're reactive sometime and
she said, linda, you are notreactive, you are responsive,
and so, exactly so you're givingus what you need.
And so oftentimes it's like wehave all the tools, we have all
(23:49):
the data, we have everythingthat we need, we have the
strategy, the objectives, butthen the point in time of, okay,
what is it that you really need?
What does this group reallyneed to achieve the goals?
Speaker 3 (24:08):
this group really need to achieve the goals.
We want the people that ask usfor help to dream into the best
possible solution that they candream up, and we want to be a
collaborator in helping makethat dream a reality.
That's part of what I reallyenjoy about our work is some of
those first conversations with aclient when we're just dreaming
into what a solution couldpossibly look like, because we
(24:28):
know that that's one of thethings that we excel in is the
ability to create somethingunique and specific just for
that individual client, built ona platform that we've tried and
tested for years now.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
And, you know, if you think about the title of this
podcast or I think it's going tobe wondering if your team
investment efforts are effective.
You know, I'm sure we can allthink about that time in our
life when we have, you know,wanted to make a purchase of
something and we just go withthe off the shelf option that
really doesn't meet our needs.
You know, maybe for a time itwas great.
(25:02):
You know, we buy the cheapestcomputer and then realize, oh, I
actually needed more hard drivespace.
Or we get the custom cabinetsfrom, you know, or Ikea or
whatever, and realize, oh, I'vegot this huge gap now in the
kitchen.
And sometimes I think, if wejust sit down and think through
all of these things, while itmight be more of an investment
(25:22):
initially, ultimately it gets towhere you want to be and I
think if I could help encouragepeople or challenge people or
thinking about, you know, soit's the beginning of 2022, we
want to invest in our team, butlike, what is your ultimate
outcome?
And then kind of plan aroundthat.
Sometimes it drives me crazywhen someone we talk to someone
and they're like I have thismuch money, what can I get for
(25:45):
that?
It's like well, you might bebetter off spent just buying
donuts in the break room becauseyou know you haven't even
thought through how you want touse that in any meaningful or
productive way.
Don't just burn through it toburn through it.
So I don't know if that'shelpful or even whatever, but I
have donuts on the mind,apparently it.
So I don't know if that'shelpful or even whatever, but I
have donuts on the mind,apparently.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Go get some donuts, we'll send you some donuts after
this, I hear that and I alsoyou know, I think that there are
so many pressures right now inbusiness and on organizations
that they don't have thecreative energy because they're
just trying to do all theseother things that this is
sometimes investment in peoplefeels like an afterthought or
feels like all right, what can Ido with that?
(26:27):
So here's the money and we'lldo that.
And I think that's where we,where we excel, where we can say
, okay, well, what is it thatyou want to see?
And you start dreaming aboutthat and we'll do all the back
end work to bring about donutswith a purpose or what your
strengths based application.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
I read something recently that here in Oregon,
for every seven unemployedpeople, there are 10 jobs
available.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
I thought you're gonna say 10 donuts.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Oh, 10 donuts no.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
I mean, donuts are big here, yeah, and there's a.
I don't want to get into thistoo much.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Yeah, and there's a.
I don't want to get into thistoo much, but there's a million
reasons why, why that is.
But I can't help but wonder ifyou know employers and team
leaders spent more timeinvesting in the people in you
(27:22):
know ways that were purposeful,would be more inclined to take
jobs, would be happier, would bemore fulfilled, would have a
greater sense of meaning in whatthey're doing.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
And I think sometimes they have to be given the
appetite for it or help remindpeople that their best resource
is their people.
So start with them, make theinvestment there and see what
great things can come from that.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
All right.
So, as we revisited thisconversation back from January
of 2022, it's very obvious, it'sclear, that the core principles
of effective team building theyremain the same it needs to be
intentional, it needs to beresearch-based and it needs to
be integrated into a largerstrategy.
But you know, in the littleover three years since we first
recorded this, the way thatteams work together has
(28:13):
continued to evolve.
So here's just a couple ofupdates, some reflections on
what's changed and what stillholds true today.
I would love to know if youagree with this, if you don't
agree, or maybe what did weforget from this list?
So, the first thing is just theidea of hybrid and remote work.
In 2022, as you may remember,maybe this applied to your team
(28:34):
directly, but so many teams werestill trying to figure out this
whole post-pandemic return tooffice thing with vaccines.
And do we experiment with alittle hybrid work here?
Maybe two days at home, threedays in the office, fully remote
.
What do we do?
Well, today, largely theorganizations have figured this
out.
Hybrid work isn't just anexperiment, it's kind of the
(28:56):
norm for many, manyorganizations and the shift
means that team building if youdo that at all, which you should
be.
It must be more flexible andintentional.
You know that random virtualhappy hour that's just not going
to cut it.
Leaders, you have to createmeaningful ways for people to
connect.
You know whether that's in thesame room or across time zones.
(29:17):
I talked to a woman recentlywho said she was at her former
job for three years and neveronce met her team members Some
of them they worked in the sametown.
So the need for asynchronousteam building efforts like
structured reflection, sharedlearning experiences and digital
collaboration.
That has grown significantlysince 2022.
(29:37):
The second reflection here isthat people expect more from
their workplaces.
We've seen a major shift in howpeople approach work.
Employees today are well.
They're more focused on purpose, belonging and well-being, and
they want that from their jobs.
Team building isn't just aboutfun activities.
It's about creating anenvironment where people feel
valued, connected and alignedwith the organization's mission.
(30:00):
So if your team buildingefforts aren't addressing
psychological safety,communication and shared goals,
well, you might be missingsomething.
The third reflection here isthat team building needs to be
more than an event.
One of the biggest takeaways, Ithink, from the original
conversation with Brian andLinda is that team building
isn't a one-time event.
It's an ongoing process.
(30:21):
This is actually something thatwe've been talking about since
we started the podcast back in2017.
The best teams don't just quote, unquote do team building once
a year.
They embed it into theireveryday interactions.
Leaders that can prioritizeconsistent check-ins, structured
team discussions andopportunities for ongoing growth
and fun.
(30:41):
Well, they create stronger,more resilient teams.
The fourth and final reflectionhere is that investing in your
team, that's a retentionstrategy.
Right?
We've probably all seen thearticles and podcasts that just
the job market has continued toshift and organizations that
fail to invest in their people,they risk losing them, and
(31:01):
that's a lot of money out thedoor when you think about
rehiring and all kinds of stuffthat goes into that.
Employees, they risk losingthem and that's a lot of money
out the door when you thinkabout rehiring and all kinds of
stuff that goes into that.
Employees.
They stay where they feelsupported and connected.
Team building you know when wedo it well, it contributes to
better retention, higherengagement, better job
satisfaction, a stronger senseof loyalty and the employees
they just feel more connectedand often some research is
(31:23):
showing that not often, quiteoften their home life, their
personal life, is better as aresult of it.
So this is not just an expenseteam building, it's a
competitive advantage.
So, okay, what does this meanfor you, whether you're a team
leader, whether you are a25-year-old, you know, recent
college grad, as you think aboutyour own team building efforts
(31:43):
here in 2025, or maybe threeyears into the future, here's
just a couple of key takeawaysor things to consider.
Maybe ask yourself these things, or ask your supervisor,
manager, boss, these things asyou think about team building
efforts.
So, number one, are youcreating consistent
opportunities for connection anddevelopment rather than just
relying on one-off events?
(32:03):
Number two, are your teambuilding efforts aligned with
your organization's largerstrategy and goals?
Number three, are you adaptingyour approach to fit the
realities of this new hybrid orremote work or whatever that
looks like?
And the fourth one is just thisidea of investing in team
culture and relationships as away to improve retention.
(32:25):
What does that look like inyour organization?
Now?
We believe that team building,when done with purpose, it has
the power to transform the waypeople work together.
So, whether you're leading ateam of five or 500, now right
now and I'm recording this atthe end of February 2025, that
is the perfect time to revisityour approach and ensure that
(32:45):
your investment is truly makingan impact.
Let's build better teamstogether.
If you have questions about thisor anything related to team
building, we would love to helpyou, so reach out to us.
You can send an email toconnect at
leadershipvisionconsultingcom orvisit us on the web,
leadershipvisionconsultingcom.
Thanks so much for listening.
(33:05):
This is the Leadership VisionPodcast, our show helping you
build positive team culture.
If you found value from thisepisode or any of our other
material, we would appreciate itif you would follow us on the
socials, leave us a reviewwherever you listen to podcasts,
or just pass this on to someonethat you think could benefit
from hearing this information aswell.
You can learn more about usfrom the link in the show notes.
(33:27):
I'm Nathan Friberg.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
I'm Linda Schubring.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
And I'm Brian Schubring and on behalf of our
entire team, thanks forlistening, thanks for listening.
I think we need to spend alittle more time team building.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
A little bit of Barry White, that's good, that's good
, that's good.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Camera stop.
At some point we've all been part of a team building
activity that felt like a wasteof time.
Maybe it was a trust fall gonewrong or an awkward escape room,
or maybe it was an expensiveoffsite that led to zero real
change but just spent a lot ofmoney.
But you know, when done right,investing in your team it can
actually create lasting impact.
(00:21):
It can build trust, it can justbe a lot of fun and actually
improve the way that your teamworks together.
That's why we're going tore-release here today an episode
from 2022, it's a little overthree years old where we
actually break down how to maketeam building meaningful,
purposeful and effective andmaybe a little fun.
The principles that we sharedthen are just as relevant today
(00:44):
Honestly, maybe even a littlemore so.
As you're probably aware, and asyour organization continues to
rethink how it engages anddevelops their teams, we just
thought we'd put this out thereas an additional resource.
Hello everyone, my name isNathan Freeberg and this is the
Leadership Vision Podcast, ourshow helping you build positive
team culture, and, if you stickaround to the end of this
(01:05):
episode, we'll actually sharejust some updates and
reflections, if you will, onthis conversation and some tips
about how you can apply theseideas to your team right now.
So let's jump in.
Brian Linda, happy new year.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Happy new year.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
How long can you say that hey, we're still happy and
it's still happy new year, happynew year.
How long can you say that?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Hey, we're still happy, it's still a new year.
Okay, it's still the new year.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Brian has a cold of some kind.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I have some kind of head cold.
It's not COVID.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Yeah, do you feel the need because I do to like
always tell people oh, it's not,covid.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Yes, I do.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
We had some colds over Christmas.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
It's a very important distinction to make.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I don't want people getting COVID through the
podcast, but I'm glad Brian is.
I have a mask on my mic.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
I don't think this wind, sock thing is medical
grade.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Do you know what a wind sock is?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Yeah, not wind sock.
It is not a wind sock.
Do you know what?
Speaker 3 (02:03):
a wind sock is, yeah, not windsock.
It is not a windsock.
Do you know what a windsock is?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, like that thing that you put on the top of your
barn.
No, that's a weather vane.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
No, that's a weather vane.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
All right, we're getting off topic really quick.
Here You're getting off topicTeam building.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I am.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Team building.
Don't invest in expensive trustfalls.
Wait, linda.
In Alaska was it Years andyears ago.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
I thought it was at some camp.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I think it was at a camp.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
When were we staying next to a campfire?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Regardless never joke about doing a trust fall,
because Nathan will just fall onyou.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I thought, that we were all on the same page and I
just turned around, crossed myarms and my chest and did a
trust fall and Linda did notcatch me.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
But you landed.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
You work I did.
I did so.
All the examples I gave in thatintro uh, we were joking
because we've done all of thoseas different parts of, like, our
work at leadership vision.
But I really think that thepoint of this podcast is to talk
about, like, how do you, how doyou make something like that
purposeful, how do you make itmeaningful, how do you not make
(03:07):
it a waste of everyone's time?
Because I've also done allthose activities for different
non-leadership vision thingsthat I'm like, all right, this
is maybe fun, but it's pointless.
It's like has nothing to dowith anything.
We're paying way too much forthis.
I did this ropes course that Iwant to tell you where it was
not leadership vision, and wespent the majority of the time
(03:29):
trying to convince one of thepeople on the team just to go
across the first like low ropething, and then we went home and
like what was the point of that?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
It was not it was not very much.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Do you guys have experience Obviously not
leadership vision of just liketeam building stuff that you're
like?
Why are we doing this?
Why do we spend money on this?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Well, oftentimes, no matter what it is, if it hasn't
been set up well, it hasn't beenframed, if you don't know the
objective or the purpose of it,then it just becomes this
activity that you could do with.
Maybe people you like a lotmore Right.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
Right Like family or whatever else.
Totally, completely, and Ithink that's, that's what it's a
point, a point of frustrationfor me.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yeah, for me, the one team building event that I was
at that is this horror story.
Memory of mine is it was awinter team building retreat in
northern Minnesota and it wasabsolutely freezing.
It was by one of the majorlakes here.
I hated every minute of it andmy takeaway memory was I went
(04:31):
running on the lake and fell inoh my gosh Up to my waist in ice
water.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Okay, as part of the team building, or was that your
own little no?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
that was my own little team building, but most
of the team building was spentat really bad diners eating food
.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
So it was all food based.
It just seems pointless.
And kind of on the flip side is, sometimes I've done team
building activities that havebeen actually awesome.
They've been a lot of fun, it'sbeen meaningful, and it feels
like we're all rah, rah, gung ho, ready to go back and, you know
, conquer the world, and thenget back to the office on Monday
and it's almost like nothing atall has happened and that feels
equally as pointless.
(05:11):
So where do we go from here?
Brian?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Well, one of the things that I'd like for us to
briefly talk about is some ofthe fears and concerns that I
think anybody is facing whenthey're contemplating whether or
not they should do some teambuilding.
And over the years that we'vebeen doing this, we hear these
all the time, and I think thatif we just mention a few of
these, maybe our listeners canidentify or connect with some of
(05:33):
those fears themselves.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
So, briefly, we've got these four things we've
identified.
One is just, it's a waste oftime.
The second one is that peoplelike don't even know where to
start.
Maybe they're like team issuesare so complex and just
multi-layered they just don'tknow what to do.
The third one is aroundaccountability, and so there's
no real way to keep peopleaccountable to some of the stuff
(06:00):
they're doing.
And then the fourth one isaround like actually making
change stick and making kind oflasting long term cultural
transformation beyond some sortof you know rah rah experience.
So the first one here iswasting time, which I think we
(06:20):
know is everyone's first thoughtwhen they hear the word team
building or, you know, teamoffsite.
Talk more about that.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Brian, wasting time is everyone's concern.
You have the person who iscreating this opportunity and
they're wondering to themselvesam I wasting people's time?
And I'm going to guarantee youthat everybody who gets the
invite in their calendar thatthere's a team building day
coming up is thinking tothemselves this better not be a
waste of time, so I can think ofall the ways to use my time
differently than going to dosome team building.
(06:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Unless there's been a proven, you know, activity that
hasn't been a waste of time.
But I think that's how peopleevaluate.
Is this will this waste my timeor will this lead to something
else?
Speaker 3 (07:04):
And it's hard to know .
It's hard to know how much timeto spend, whether you should
spend an hour, six hours andvirtually what is the capacity.
Time is really a difficultchallenge.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yeah, it's a very valuable commodity.
Which brings us to our secondone, that leaders.
I've talked to a lot of leadersthat they don't even know where
to start.
Like their team's, issues,problems, whatever you want to
call it are just so complex.
They just feel even before theyget to the idea about wasting
time.
Linda, unpack that one a littlebit more.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Well, yeah, I think when you don't know where to
begin, you say, okay, how do weget a trust ball in here?
And sometimes knowing where tostart is getting clear with the
purpose of what the teambuilding exercise or event or
conference will be.
And so sometimes knowing whereto start is getting that purpose
(07:54):
statement, getting clear aboutthe objective or what you
actually want from a takeaway,and then reverse engineering it.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, and then the third hurdle or issue is around
accountability.
I mean, kind of like my example, how many of us have gone to
stuff and then you get back andnothing changes.
So what is the, I guess, thecrux of this issue?
Speaker 3 (08:18):
I think accountability is someone's fear
that the person organizing thisis going to have to do all the
work to keep the change going.
And there's oftentimes fewpeople that are thinking through
how the change is actuallygoing to last, because the
ongoing change, that level ofaccountability, is internal.
So how do you keep the changesustained?
(08:39):
That's a person's real bigconcern.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Which then leads us right to the fourth hurdle is
needing that change to six.
So you know, if I think about Iwant to do a team building
activity that's going to lead totransformation, beyond this
kind of temporary mountaintoprah-rah thing, I'm like, oh man,
that seems like too much work,that's not going to happen.
I don't even start.
So how do you address that,Linda?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
I start to think about the levels of engagement
between people.
And so if people in a teambuilding event are saying, okay,
well, I need to get to know mycolleagues and I'm going to let
them get to know me, we've seenpeople come to us and say I need
(09:24):
this to be sustainable.
And what they're saying is Iwant something that will
transcend the actual day ormoment when we're together, so
that people just don't ride ahigh, people don't just rely on
the facilitator, but rather theytake the components that
(09:46):
they've learned and can make itapplicable right away.
And so if you just want to feelgood event, that's one thing
and maybe that is an objectivefor some people, but if you want
some lasting change, there'ssome maybe different questions
or different objectives totackle and to name.
Speaker 3 (10:03):
Oftentimes a person's fear isn't around.
Can we sustain the change it'sif the change is too big, and
sometimes the ability for aperson to really understand how
change is going to stick is alsogoing to be determined by their
ability to break that changedown into smaller steps that can
be accomplished in shorterperiods of time.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
People rely on something or some external event
or project that just by doingit like having a dinner together
, will promote some kind ofinvestment in the team.
But if you haven't seatedpeople appropriately, you
haven't given them a topic tothink about, to talk about, to
(10:43):
interact with, or given themroles and responsibilities.
A lot of times this justbecomes an effort that people
forget or are frustrated by.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Yeah, that's very true.
And what I want to do with therest of our time, and spend most
of our time here talking about,is the three things that I
think we have found that maketeam building activity, that
make, you know, real change,that make accountability, all
that actually stick.
And we're going to talk,obviously, about leadership
(11:14):
vision, but these are reallythings that I think, whatever
sort of team building you do, ifit's you know, find a book at
the bookstore, find a differentconsultant, like sort of
independent from us, but I alsothink we do a really really good
job at it.
Those the three things areclear strategy.
You got to have a clearstrategy.
You know what you're doing.
(11:34):
Going in.
It's got to be based inresearch and it has to be
customized to meet the needs ofyour team.
So, linda, I see that hand, youwant to go first.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Yes, I do, cause this clear strategy is at the heart
of everything and it, linda, Isee that hand.
You want to go first.
Yes, I do, because this clearstrategy is at the heart of
everything and it's what I'vebeen saying as we've started,
and that is how do you engageyour team around some specific
content and how is it not just aone-shot deal, but it's
consistent over time and theactivities lead to teams
(12:07):
aligning more on purpose, teamsreally getting to know each
other, and sometimes thestrategy emerges and sometimes
it is just following a map.
What would you say about clearstrategy?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
I'm thinking of many levels here.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Okay, go for it.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Team development isn't a strategy.
Team development or teambuilding is part of a larger
strategy, and so when you thinkabout strategy, lean back and
look at the whole board, Look atthe entire playing field.
What's actually going on andhow does team development fit
within that larger strategy?
Development fit within thatlarger strategy, Because many
people don't understand how theteam development is going to fit
(12:47):
in, because it may have justbeen on their calendar or we're
going to do 14 development daysin this next calendar year, one
per quarter, but it isn't tiedin anywhere and there's no
greater shortcuts of failurethan team development.
That's not cut into the largerstrategy of the organization.
I was just talking to one of ourclients this morning about the
strategy that we're creating forthem for the next two years and
(13:09):
it's and our work is clearlycut into the strata of the
larger organizational strategy.
So we know where it fits, weknow how it fits, we know how
it's part of theirorganizational change.
And that's where the claritycomes from, Because sometimes I
believe that we're looking intothe teen development for the
clarity itself and I'm asking usto step back and say where does
(13:31):
a teen development fit into thelarger organizational strategy?
Because teen development isgoing to last if it's part of a
larger fabric.
It's not the golden thread thatpeople are looking for that's
going to lead them to thisgolden end.
That's just not how this works.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
Well, and in a lot of our work, our strategy is that
it is helping people over time.
So stretching out eight hoursover the course of a month or
two months so that people dipback into the content.
Two months so that people dipback into the content, they dip
(14:09):
back into the cadence oflearning how to interact and
talk with each other.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Because when you understand all that, where it
fits in the larger strategy andhow to cut it in, then you can
begin to think about whatspecifically needs to happen
within the teen development.
Because we're not downplayingthe importance of karaoke or any
kind of like ropes course oranything like that.
That is very tactile.
We're not downplaying that.
But what we are saying is let'sthink into how those activities
(14:33):
can fit into the largerstrategy and then that will
determine how we're going tomake the applications within any
team building event becausewhen we hear people say what's
the point of this?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
we better, better have an answer.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
We have to have an answer.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yep, and a lot of times it's.
Maybe it's this part is justthe relational part or this part
is the intentional part.
This part links back to a goalof you just getting to know each
other better, so that you aretalking about conflict in the
absence of conflict and not whenyou know the pressure is on.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
It's just a great question to ask when does this
and by this I mean where doeswhat we are doing today or what
we're planning on?
How does that fit into thelarger strategy of either my
area, my department, my company?
How does it fit?
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Right, because, I mean, I think about how many
times we've been contacted bysomeone said, hey, we want to do
team building.
It's like, okay, well, what'swhat's the point?
Yeah, why?
Versus hey, we want to have ateam that embodies you know XYZ
characteristics and then youbuild you know a team building
strategy out of those things.
(15:41):
Out of those things?
I was recently listening to apodcast with author James Clear
talking about habits, and ratherthan saying you know, I want a
fitness goal, so I'm going to doX, y, z, it's like, well, what
would the type of person that Iwant to become?
What would they do?
Well, they would probably eatthis way or move this way, or
whatever, and not just this way.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Yeah, exactly, thank you.
I appreciate that, brian.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
But you're right.
I like what you said, brian,because team building is not an
end in itself.
It has to fit as a part of alarger organizational strategy.
The consistently over timepiece of it, too, I find
interesting because, much likehabits, for whatever your end
goal is, you're not going to doa team building Again I'm using
(16:25):
a lot of air quotes for thoselistening and then be done and
you're solved right.
You're not going to have a 30day fitness goal and then just
be done and be fit for the restof your life.
You have to.
You know the end date isforever, which which can be
daunting.
But how do you, how do you getpeople into that mindset?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
It is introducing new habits and you don't just keep
doing the same habits.
That's why it's just our brainseven want to take us back to
that point that makes us feelcomfortable.
This is just what I do, andit's almost like you have to
give people a compelling reasonto get beyond it, to say I want
(17:06):
a habit that will lead me to bethat fit person or whoever I'm
imagining.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Or the trusting team member, the clear communicator,
the patient, you know, coworker.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Yeah, so good, so something that we've done.
So number two is is researchbased.
Your team development effortsneed to be based in some sort of
research.
I don't remember the number, itwas in the quintillions.
If you Google team building, ifyou Google team, building
(17:37):
there's a lot of research and Iresearch might be loose, because
some of the stuff I found wasnot research, but it came up
into that.
We've worked with a team or twoover the years, and what is
some of the research that we'vefound?
Or well, let me back up.
Why is it important to beresearch-based in your team
(17:59):
building efforts and strategies?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
I want to address two different things here, nathan.
I'm not sure how it's going tofit, but on this topic of
research-based, there are twothings I like for us to talk
about.
One is our approach to beingresearch-based and also our
client, because with our client,I ask questions about what do
they know about their owncircumstance, and so the
(18:22):
research is focused onthemselves.
What do you know to be true?
How long has this challengebeen going on?
What do you know about yourindividuals?
What do you know about how ateam responds to time-oriented
change?
How much do you know about yourown context?
Because that's only going to behelpful information for
yourself as to know what type ofteam building or team
development you actually need.
(18:43):
It's also going to helporientate us to the types of
team building activities or thedepth to which a client might go
based upon your own research.
Many times, people look to usand ask us the questions about
what do we know about them?
Well, we don't know anythingabout you.
That's the kind of research orlearning or curiosity-based
(19:04):
questions that we'll be askingyou to have the answers for.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
When I look at all the teams that we have worked
with, as teams have beenconfigured and then reconfigured
, it's thousands of teams thatwe've worked with, actually,
because every time there's a newperson, or every time someone
leaves, there's a new teamdynamic new person.
Or every time someone leaves,there's a new team dynamic.
(19:28):
And the research that we dowith our clients is we gather
all these different data pointsand we keep track of them and we
start to notice some of thethemes that are emerging with
teams, and some of it is.
Maybe it's a really emotionallycharged culture, Maybe facts
and pieces of data are reallyimportant for this group to make
decisions.
(19:48):
So we start to pay attention towhat we're picking up from all
these different teams and thenwe're saying, hey, you know what
you sound like, a differentteam that we worked with, wow,
and we start to pay attention tothat.
So we have this dearth ofresearch that we have done, and
then I think you know, brian,and I, nathan, you too like we
(20:12):
are always reading, payingattention to what are the new
trends, what are the pieces ofresearch that other
professionals researchscientists, people that are
practitioners, what they areseeing in the world.
And then it's what Brian wassaying too.
It's the have you done researchon your own organization, on
(20:34):
your own team, on your ownfamily, to know what is it that
you need, and does that fit into, maybe, a category that we have
seen and identified andaddressed in our history at
Leadership Vision?
Speaker 1 (20:50):
And I think that flows into the third one here,
this idea of creating customsolutions, because you're right,
we do research on our clientsbefore we say, oh, this is what
we suggest you use.
You know if anyone's had, likeyou know, custom cabinets built
(21:10):
or some sort of custom somethingbuilt and you get to, you know,
design it to yourspecifications in the way that
you actually use the thing.
A number of years ago my wifeand I were going to redo our
basement and we presented likehere's what we want to do, and
then a designer came in andtotally customized it for us and
realized, oh, wow, cause helike sat down and was like, well
(21:32):
, what do you want to do here?
What are your goals?
How are you going to be livingin this space?
And so many times we'll look ateach other and be like I cannot
believe we thought that thiswall should have been here.
Blah, blah, blah.
So we didn't know what wedidn't know.
But had he not researched ourfamily, talked with us, asked us
all these questions and thenbrought his education and his
(21:54):
experience, and I think we do agreat job of that.
So maybe talk a little bitabout that, from both how we do
it.
But then also, if you're goingto kind of do your own thing,
how do you find a customsolution for your team?
Linda?
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Well, I start to think about yeah, we have a
strategy and after we, you know,talk to our clients, we name
that strategy and it's based onthe research we are able to draw
from our work on all theseteams and the 50,000 individuals
that we've had conversationswith and all of a sudden, we
realized sometimes they need acustom solution and sometimes
(22:31):
they need us to be adaptive insome ways.
Like everything is changing nowwhat can you do?
Oh, like we were all in person.
Now we're all remote, so whatcan you do?
Virtually, and there'softentimes ways that we will
present and provide customsolutions that are just they're
(22:52):
minor adaptations and they stilllink to the strategy, but they
don't necessarily look the same.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
And, like in your example, nathan, that's a great
one with remodeling, becausethat is the exact approach that
we take.
We are not advocating that webring the custom solution.
We are arriving at the customsolution based upon your desire,
based upon your dream, whatyour outcome is.
We spend so much of our timeasking clients to be clear with
themselves on what it is thatthey want to accomplish, what
(23:21):
their expectations are, and thenwe can help design something to
become custom to what it isthat they want to accomplish,
what their expectations are, andthen we can help design
something to become custom towhat it is that they
specifically need.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
I remember talking to a client that we had, that we'd
done work with, and then shewas doing some reflection and I
said I know it kind of feelslike we're reactive sometime and
she said, linda, you are notreactive, you are responsive,
and so, exactly so you're givingus what you need.
And so oftentimes it's like wehave all the tools, we have all
(23:49):
the data, we have everythingthat we need, we have the
strategy, the objectives, butthen the point in time of, okay,
what is it that you really need?
What does this group reallyneed to achieve the goals?
Speaker 3 (24:08):
this group really need to achieve the goals.
We want the people that ask usfor help to dream into the best
possible solution that they candream up, and we want to be a
collaborator in helping makethat dream a reality.
That's part of what I reallyenjoy about our work is some of
those first conversations with aclient when we're just dreaming
into what a solution couldpossibly look like, because we
(24:28):
know that that's one of thethings that we excel in is the
ability to create somethingunique and specific just for
that individual client, built ona platform that we've tried and
tested for years now.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
And, you know, if you think about the title of this
podcast or I think it's going tobe wondering if your team
investment efforts are effective.
You know, I'm sure we can allthink about that time in our
life when we have, you know,wanted to make a purchase of
something and we just go withthe off the shelf option that
really doesn't meet our needs.
You know, maybe for a time itwas great.
(25:02):
You know, we buy the cheapestcomputer and then realize, oh, I
actually needed more hard drivespace.
Or we get the custom cabinetsfrom, you know, or Ikea or
whatever, and realize, oh, I'vegot this huge gap now in the
kitchen.
And sometimes I think, if wejust sit down and think through
all of these things, while itmight be more of an investment
(25:22):
initially, ultimately it gets towhere you want to be and I
think if I could help encouragepeople or challenge people or
thinking about, you know, soit's the beginning of 2022, we
want to invest in our team, butlike, what is your ultimate
outcome?
And then kind of plan aroundthat.
Sometimes it drives me crazywhen someone we talk to someone
and they're like I have thismuch money, what can I get for
(25:45):
that?
It's like well, you might bebetter off spent just buying
donuts in the break room becauseyou know you haven't even
thought through how you want touse that in any meaningful or
productive way.
Don't just burn through it toburn through it.
So I don't know if that'shelpful or even whatever, but I
have donuts on the mind,apparently it.
So I don't know if that'shelpful or even whatever, but I
have donuts on the mind,apparently.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
Go get some donuts, we'll send you some donuts after
this, I hear that and I alsoyou know, I think that there are
so many pressures right now inbusiness and on organizations
that they don't have thecreative energy because they're
just trying to do all theseother things that this is
sometimes investment in peoplefeels like an afterthought or
feels like all right, what can Ido with that?
(26:27):
So here's the money and we'lldo that.
And I think that's where we,where we excel, where we can say
, okay, well, what is it thatyou want to see?
And you start dreaming aboutthat and we'll do all the back
end work to bring about donutswith a purpose or what your
strengths based application.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
I read something recently that here in Oregon,
for every seven unemployedpeople, there are 10 jobs
available.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
I thought you're gonna say 10 donuts.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Oh, 10 donuts no.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
I mean, donuts are big here, yeah, and there's a.
I don't want to get into thistoo much.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Yeah, and there's a.
I don't want to get into thistoo much, but there's a million
reasons why, why that is.
But I can't help but wonder ifyou know employers and team
leaders spent more timeinvesting in the people in you
(27:22):
know ways that were purposeful,would be more inclined to take
jobs, would be happier, would bemore fulfilled, would have a
greater sense of meaning in whatthey're doing.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
And I think sometimes they have to be given the
appetite for it or help remindpeople that their best resource
is their people.
So start with them, make theinvestment there and see what
great things can come from that.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
All right.
So, as we revisited thisconversation back from January
of 2022, it's very obvious, it'sclear, that the core principles
of effective team building theyremain the same it needs to be
intentional, it needs to beresearch-based and it needs to
be integrated into a largerstrategy.
But you know, in the littleover three years since we first
recorded this, the way thatteams work together has
(28:13):
continued to evolve.
So here's just a couple ofupdates, some reflections on
what's changed and what stillholds true today.
I would love to know if youagree with this, if you don't
agree, or maybe what did weforget from this list?
So, the first thing is just theidea of hybrid and remote work.
In 2022, as you may remember,maybe this applied to your team
(28:34):
directly, but so many teams werestill trying to figure out this
whole post-pandemic return tooffice thing with vaccines.
And do we experiment with alittle hybrid work here?
Maybe two days at home, threedays in the office, fully remote
.
What do we do?
Well, today, largely theorganizations have figured this
out.
Hybrid work isn't just anexperiment, it's kind of the
(28:56):
norm for many, manyorganizations and the shift
means that team building if youdo that at all, which you should
be.
It must be more flexible andintentional.
You know that random virtualhappy hour that's just not going
to cut it.
Leaders, you have to createmeaningful ways for people to
connect.
You know whether that's in thesame room or across time zones.
(29:17):
I talked to a woman recentlywho said she was at her former
job for three years and neveronce met her team members Some
of them they worked in the sametown.
So the need for asynchronousteam building efforts like
structured reflection, sharedlearning experiences and digital
collaboration.
That has grown significantlysince 2022.
(29:37):
The second reflection here isthat people expect more from
their workplaces.
We've seen a major shift in howpeople approach work.
Employees today are well.
They're more focused on purpose, belonging and well-being, and
they want that from their jobs.
Team building isn't just aboutfun activities.
It's about creating anenvironment where people feel
valued, connected and alignedwith the organization's mission.
(30:00):
So if your team buildingefforts aren't addressing
psychological safety,communication and shared goals,
well, you might be missingsomething.
The third reflection here isthat team building needs to be
more than an event.
One of the biggest takeaways, Ithink, from the original
conversation with Brian andLinda is that team building
isn't a one-time event.
It's an ongoing process.
(30:21):
This is actually something thatwe've been talking about since
we started the podcast back in2017.
The best teams don't just quote, unquote do team building once
a year.
They embed it into theireveryday interactions.
Leaders that can prioritizeconsistent check-ins, structured
team discussions andopportunities for ongoing growth
and fun.
(30:41):
Well, they create stronger,more resilient teams.
The fourth and final reflectionhere is that investing in your
team, that's a retentionstrategy.
Right?
We've probably all seen thearticles and podcasts that just
the job market has continued toshift and organizations that
fail to invest in their people,they risk losing them, and
(31:01):
that's a lot of money out thedoor when you think about
rehiring and all kinds of stuffthat goes into that.
Employees, they risk losingthem and that's a lot of money
out the door when you thinkabout rehiring and all kinds of
stuff that goes into that.
Employees.
They stay where they feelsupported and connected.
Team building you know when wedo it well, it contributes to
better retention, higherengagement, better job
satisfaction, a stronger senseof loyalty and the employees
they just feel more connectedand often some research is
(31:23):
showing that not often, quiteoften their home life, their
personal life, is better as aresult of it.
So this is not just an expenseteam building, it's a
competitive advantage.
So, okay, what does this meanfor you, whether you're a team
leader, whether you are a25-year-old, you know, recent
college grad, as you think aboutyour own team building efforts
(31:43):
here in 2025, or maybe threeyears into the future, here's
just a couple of key takeawaysor things to consider.
Maybe ask yourself these things, or ask your supervisor,
manager, boss, these things asyou think about team building
efforts.
So, number one, are youcreating consistent
opportunities for connection anddevelopment rather than just
relying on one-off events?
(32:03):
Number two, are your teambuilding efforts aligned with
your organization's largerstrategy and goals?
Number three, are you adaptingyour approach to fit the
realities of this new hybrid orremote work or whatever that
looks like?
And the fourth one is just thisidea of investing in team
culture and relationships as away to improve retention.
(32:25):
What does that look like inyour organization?
Now?
We believe that team building,when done with purpose, it has
the power to transform the waypeople work together.
So, whether you're leading ateam of five or 500, now right
now and I'm recording this atthe end of February 2025, that
is the perfect time to revisityour approach and ensure that
(32:45):
your investment is truly makingan impact.
Let's build better teamstogether.
If you have questions about thisor anything related to team
building, we would love to helpyou, so reach out to us.
You can send an email toconnect at
leadershipvisionconsultingcom orvisit us on the web,
leadershipvisionconsultingcom.
Thanks so much for listening.
(33:05):
This is the Leadership VisionPodcast, our show helping you
build positive team culture.
If you found value from thisepisode or any of our other
material, we would appreciate itif you would follow us on the
socials, leave us a reviewwherever you listen to podcasts,
or just pass this on to someonethat you think could benefit
from hearing this information aswell.
You can learn more about usfrom the link in the show notes.
(33:27):
I'm Nathan Friberg.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
I'm Linda Schubring.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
And I'm Brian Schubring and on behalf of our
entire team, thanks forlistening, thanks for listening.
I think we need to spend alittle more time team building.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
A little bit of Barry White, that's good, that's good
, that's good.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Camera stop.
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