The Cost of Not Team Building
The question I am most frequently asked is “what does team building cost?” and while I am happy to answer, because Canvas Creek Team Building is fast, and affordable, I am more worried about what it costs a business not to do team building. Have you ever thought about it?
Imagine there is one complainer on your team. That complainer has a huge impact on your bottom line, your ROI and your employee turnover. Here is a mathematical way to look at it.
One complainer who earns $8 per hour and spends only one hour per day complaining costs you almost $90 per week. (wage, taxes, etc.) If that same complainer talks to two other people, each for 30 minutes, you are now up to $180 in useless costs, every week. I don’t think you want me to multiply that by 52 weeks, do you?
Seldom does it stop there.
If they are taking time to complain, they are simply not doing their work. Because each employee should be bringing in at least three times their cost in productivity, one complainer, talking to two people, costs approximately $540 every week.
Add to this the cost of the ‘visits’ to the manager, the HR reps, and you…all of which are earning more than $8 per hour, and you have a burden few bottom lines can afford.
When you ask for a team building exercise, you need to be clear exactly what is plaguing your team. You also need to clarify your company goals. A quality program will allow your team time to bond, time to discuss what they have learned and time to work out a new way of communication.
The next question is “does it really work?” I actually guarantee Canvas Creek’s premier event. When they come off the canvas I will ask them “are you a stronger team now?” if the majority don’t say “yes!” then I didn’t do my job. Here is a dramatic example of team building shutting down a problem.
Susan and Jaymee had been fighting- open mouth, loud, destructive fighting-at work. During the team building exercise Susan yelled “what the hell are you doing?” and we all stared in disbelief. (Well, myself and my staff stared, their fellow employees were apparently used to this type of thing.) They began painting in angry bold strokes, finally calmed down and finished the painting. Afterwards they sat and talked. Susan said “why do we do this to ourselves?” They worked it out, went back to work, and when they were stressed they laughed about the painting.
In another case, two weeks after the event I interviewed one woman who said “now I can talk to Jennifer without the taste of disgust in my mouth.” It’s not the kind of thing you put in a brochure…but it was worth the cost of the team building event!
Be sure to follow Karen via her Canvas Creek Team Building listing in the Synergy Station Directory.
