|
|
|
|
|
|
Building Successful Work Relationships--Playing In The Same Sandbox
Remember playing in your childhood sandbox? If you enjoyed being outside for most of the day, you could play in the sandbox for hours on end—shaping and pouring the sand or mixing it with a little water to form a castle or hill. Children enjoy playing with sand or dirt and learn at an early age how to make the most of this play time activity.
Playing in a sandbox usually starts out as a solitary exercise; however, smart parents know that in order to develop their child’s ability to relate to others, another child or two must be introduced into that same sandbox. This is when the fun truly begins.
When children play together in the same sandbox:
- They learn to trust each other.
- Their ability to be gentle, kind and considerate is developed.
- Friendships are initiated and nurtured.
- Positive interaction increases and selfishness decreases.
- They find creative ways to work together, satisfying their curiosity and increasing their enjoyment and fun.
You’re Never Too Old for the Sandbox
There’s a tremendous amount of pressure as we grow older to learn to act our age (whatever that means). In fact, most people consider age a number not an indication of vitality, health or maturity.
Nevertheless, too many of us leave the things of childhood behind us. This is both good and bad. It is good to leave childish behavior behind, but bad when we discard many childlike behaviors that can make us successful adults.
One such childlike behavior is learning how to develop reliable relationships with others through experiences in the same sandbox that teach us how to cooperate, exchange ideas, and communicate.
When we play together in the same sandbox at work:
- It is important to know and understand the rules and limitations of play; but when we take the time to do so, we find that it is fun to mix with others, develop positive peer relationships naturally, and to encourage a spirit of lighthearted camaraderie.
- We learn to practice balanced self-control—the right combination of expressing our opinions and feelings when facing difficult or unexpected events. Our sensitivity to and concern for others is demonstrated as we attempt to understand
their perspectives.
- We willingly let down our guards and shift our mindsets to try new and fresh ways of doing old tasks. We bask in the energy boost that results from experimentation, creativity, innovation, and learning new skills.
- Our communication skills are stimulated and enhanced. Bridges are built between people who were once estranged. Conflict surfaces and is resolved.
How to Have More FUN in Your Work Sandbox
- Think of yourself playing with your co-workers in the same sandbox (Don’t turn into a skeptic on me now).
- Share your creative ideas for improving your team’s effectiveness with the entire team; then together select one on which to experiment.
- Make sure to include every member of your team in some part of the experiment. Develop receptiveness and tolerance of others.
- Solicit their feedback on a regular basis and bring any challenges or obstacles to the entire team for resolution. Don’t be afraid to proactively exchange differences in opinion. These are healthy if allowed to surface early. They can be destructive if allowed to fester.
- Celebrate every accomplishment—no matter how small. Little wins recognized as they occur communicate a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, build confidence and turn an average team into a highly motivated one.
- Play dynamically and interact enthusiastically with each other. It has been said that a burden shared is a burden halved. So, have some fun in your work together.
- Select another experiment and begin the process all over again.
If you’re not having fun at work while playing in the same sandbox with co-workers, you’re not doing it right. Give it another try. I think you’ll be pleased that you did.
About the Author
Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur & seasoned human resources executive, has helped people achieve their career goals for more than 30 years. She is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career transition & development strategies in a way that compels action. To discover how Althea can help you take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/
|
|
|
|
|
| Team Building - A Complete Guide & Online Resources |
| Team building exercises, articles, online questionnaires, practical tips and other printable resources. |
| www.teamtechnology.co.uk |
|
| The Basics of Team Building |
| The Basics of Team Building: The difference between teams and groups, and why 'team building' with groups can be counter-productive. |
| www.teamtechnology.co.uk |
|
| Team Building |
| Team Building: Communications of Informal Work Groups (The Grapevine) ... Team Building: Changing Informal Work Group/ Team Norms ... |
| www.managementhelp.org |
|
| Team Building Activities, Initiative Games & Problem Solving Exercises |
| Descriptions of team building activities, initiative games & group problem solving exercises which are designed to help train a group's effectiveness in ... |
| wilderdom.com |
|
| Teambuilding, Inc., Team Building, Consultants, Tools, Training ... |
| Team building services, bookstore, catalog, discussion, articles, links, and team problem solver. |
| www.teambuildinginc.com |
|
| Teambuilding Inc. Articles |
| Team building articles and more from Teambuilding, Inc. |
| www.teambuildinginc.com |
|
| Team Building / Teams / Employee Empowerment / Employee Involvement |
| Employee involvement, teams, and employee empowerment enable people to make decisions about their work. This employee involvement, teambuilding approach, ... |
| humanresources.about.com |
|
| Twelve Tips for Team Building: How to Build Successful Work Teams |
| People in every workplace talk about building the team, working as a team and my team, but few understand how to create the experience of team work or how ... |
| humanresources.about.com |
|
| Team building exercises, employee motivation, employee training ... |
| Team building exercises, employee motivation, activities, human resource managment, employee training. productivity, improve productivity, ... |
| www.accel-team.com |
|
| Fun Team Building: Team Building Exercises & Activities | Staff ... |
| Team building success coache who turns participants into powerful, cohesive teams. |
| www.funteambuilding.com |
|
| Conflict Resolution in Team Work - Teambuilding Adventures |
| Teambuilding Adventures utilizes experiential activities to build and bond local and global high performance teams. Outdoor adventures add impact to team ... |
| www.teambuilding.com |
|
| team building games ideas, exercises, business games and ... |
| Free team building games ideas and tips for business exercises, games, activities for team building, training, management, motivation, kids activities, ... |
| www.businessballs.com |
|
| team building games, business games and activities for team ... |
| Free team building games, exercises, business games and activities for team building, training, motivation, kids activities and children's party games. |
| www.businessballs.com |
|
| Team Building |
| The resources displayed here have been carefully selected to enable you to customize an exceptional team-building environment for your next conference. ... |
| www.teambuilding.co.nz |
|
| Team building Exercises and Corporate Event planning UK |
| Specialises in producing customised company days and team building events throughout the UK. Offers video of past events, descriptions and job ... |
| www.actiondays.co.uk |
|
| Team building - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| For a notorious recent example of team building run amok, ... The term 'team building' can refer generally to the selection and motivation of teams, ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Corporate Team Building, Teambuilding, Activities, Catering |
| Team building west offers services corporate team building, activities, catering, rentals. |
| www.teambuildingwest.com |
|
| Team Building: Developing a Productive Team, CC352 |
| This publication looks at the steps necessary to build a productive team. |
| ianrpubs.unl.edu |
|
| Team Building Activities that encourage people to work together as ... |
| Team Building Activities demonstrate different aspects of team behaviors and get team members to think about what is essential for high performing teams. ... |
| www.businessfundamentals.com |
|
| Team Building - Australia's Premium Teambuilding Company |
| Dimensional Thinking designs and delivers the highest quality experience-based learning programs for the conference market. We provide an exciting, ... |
| www.teambuilding.com.au |
|
|