- Do you see value in the EcoSeagate team development process?
- Why would something like this be necessary in a high-performing organization?
- Could your organization benefit from a similar activity?
"This week's not about who you are, but who you can become."
"Trust does not mean we are in agreement."
"A lot of us come from a lot of different backgrounds. We have all these cultures, different people; what's fundamental is learning to listen to each other, learning to appreciate the other person's view."
"One of the things that commitment requires is clarity."
"You are better than you think you are. You are better as a team than you think you are."
Seagate highlights in their videos that everyone is responsible for success; trust, commitment and respect for each other is the difference between a high-performance team and a group of people forced to work together.
"Trust does not mean we are in agreement."
"A lot of us come from a lot of different backgrounds. We have all these cultures, different people; what's fundamental is learning to listen to each other, learning to appreciate the other person's view."
"One of the things that commitment requires is clarity."
"You are better than you think you are. You are better as a team than you think you are."
There is a plethora of value in the Seagate team development process. Teamwork is advantageous most of the time, as long as the people within the team are dedicated to adding quality opinions, care and product to the end goal.
According to researcher Bruce Tuckman, in both group dynamics and the four stages of team development he popularized (forming, storming, norming, performing), leaders must retain the motivation of team members in order to successfully overcome the challenges of the storming and norming stages (Molnau). Team building allows for team members to appreciate the multifaceted talents of individuals regardless of position within a company; the best person at a task may very well be a lower-level employee!
According to researcher Bruce Tuckman, in both group dynamics and the four stages of team development he popularized (forming, storming, norming, performing), leaders must retain the motivation of team members in order to successfully overcome the challenges of the storming and norming stages (Molnau). Team building allows for team members to appreciate the multifaceted talents of individuals regardless of position within a company; the best person at a task may very well be a lower-level employee!
Seagate highlights in their videos that everyone is responsible for success; trust, commitment and respect for each other is the difference between a high-performance team and a group of people forced to work together.
As I discuss in another blog post, High Performance Teams are:
- Self-Directed
- Encompass a Shared Vision
- Time-Oriented
- Deliberately Communicative
- Involve Everyone
- Reviews Quality
- Care About Member and Team Growth (Denning, 2011).
The activities Seagate engaged in occurred in Queenstown, New Zealand in the dramatic Southern Alps, one of New Zealand’s most scenic regions. They backpacked, rappelled, whitewater rafted and biked throughout the scenery throughout the week of their stay, leading back to a very nice hotel for wrap-up every night. It seems like a pretty ideal team-building experience.
Watkins, while on one such trek, became emotional about the physical exhaustion he was experiencing, whining and complaining about the weather. A lady alongside him had been listening to him for a while, then stopped Watkins and told him, “Bill, right now, you can be cold and wet and miserable, or you can just be cold and wet.” Watkins noted that this statement changed his outlook towards life forever.
What Watkins and I have in common is a passionate apathy for the outdoors, and an epiphany. My reaction for facing discomfort is impacting everyone around me. It is clear I hate being outside, but I joke about it and move forward. Humor and happiness can get us through life's challenges, and that attitude spreads to others. I actually commend Watkins on going through the training with the team; my director does not and certainly does not sleep outdoors with us! I have learned how to make the best out of the experience - having fun and learning about people takes my mind off of the bug bites, the heat and the freezing long night in the car - and to realize that if the trip is the worse experience of my year, that is still a darn good year!
After partaking in the exercises during the day, Seagate employees would gather in the evening hours and discuss the days activities. They would then share what they learned in regards to leadership, interpersonal styles and how to improve their team work back on the job. It also looked like they had some decent speakers from within the company. I believe my department would greatly benefit by adding on this conclusive discussion to really hit home about the purpose of the trip.
Team building allows employees to return to the office reinvigorated and with a new set of problem-solving skills (Magloff).
Denning, S. (2011). The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative (Revised and updated edition). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons/Jossey-Bass
Molnau, Daniela. High-performance Teams: Understanding Team Cohesiveness. i Six Sigma. Accessed at http://www.isixsigma.com/implementation/teams/high-performance-teams-understanding-team-cohesiveness/
KUMAR, ABHASH. 5 lessons by Bill Watkins, CEO, Imergy Power & Ex-CEO Seagate
Molnau, Daniela. High-performance Teams: Understanding Team Cohesiveness. i Six Sigma. Accessed at http://www.isixsigma.com/implementation/teams/high-performance-teams-understanding-team-cohesiveness/
Magloff, Lisa. (n/d). What Are the Benefits of Team Building? The Chronicle of Higher Education. Accessed at http://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-team-building-1979.html
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