Top tips for building a successful team

by James Agate

There will more than likely come a time when your business grows to the point where you need to build a successful team in order to move your business forward. It is widely accepted that there are 8 components to building a successful team and these are known as the 8 Cs.

1. Clear expectations – do your team know exactly what is expected of them?
2. Commitment – is every member of the team dedicated to the overall aim?
3. Context – do team members see where they fit into the jigsaw?
4. Competence – are all members of your team willing and able?
5. Control – all teams need a clear leader, does yours?
6. Collaboration – is the team pulling together to achieve the one common goal
7. Communication – are you and your team able to communicate effectively?
8. Consequences – do you and your team understand the outcome (positive or negative) of the goal?

There is no right or wrong way to go about building a team because in reality it is more of an art than a science. Many organisations choose to invest in team-building activities in order to improve any areas of weakness within the team.

Team building events can help your team to bond, develop more effective communication and work together more effectively. So how do you go about investing in a team building event?

Here are our 4 top tips for creating a fantastic team building event:

Pick your venue carefully – the venue where the event is to take place is very important. You should tray to make it as interesting and as relevant to you and your team as possible. Venues like Alton Towers Resort offer a huge array of facilities but more importantly the venue is of interest to a wide audience meaning your team are all likely to find it an engaging place to visit.

Opt for a great service – poor service at a team building event will more than likely have a negative impact on your team. By investing that little bit extra in finding a venue and team building package it can make all the difference. Professional venue operators that understand your needs and offer a fantastic service as well as the facilities are worth every single penny.

Look for value – team building events don’t have to cost the earth but you should look for value in what you are paying for. Things to consider will be the actual venue, the facilities, the level of service being offered, refreshments and food on offer as well as any other perks.

See the bigger picture – Alton Towers Resort as a team building event might seem irrelevant, you could be thinking that you don’t want your team to ‘just’ have a fun day out at your expense HOWEVER don’t forget that fun is a great motivator and if you look at the bigger picture, the packages that operators like Alton Towers Resort offer can help to bring a team closer together, improve their communication and increase the overall morale.

Earlier this year Alton Towers Resort initiated a nationwide search for the UK’s ultimate ‘adrenaline junkies’ in order to promote the launch of their new ride TH13TEEN, the process started with a video application and after being shortlisted the fans were invited to the Resort where 30 other hopefuls fought it out for a place on the ride – the challenges included psychometric testing, orienteering, rollercoaster endurance and building an outdoor camp whilst being subjected to various scares!.

The event proved so successful at building a team and improving communication between the individuals that the programme is now being offered as a ‘bootcamp’ conference package. The corporate team at Alton Towers recognised the enjoyment that participants got from the experience and have now created a package that can help teams form close relationships with one another.

Nikki Williams 26, from Stoke-on-Trent became one of only 18 people in the UK to win a seat on the inaugural ride of the new ‘ultimate’ rollercoaster TH13TEEN. She said “The boot camp was tough but fantastic. I’ve been excited about TH13TEEN for the past year and I wanted to prove that I was willing to do anything to be one of the first riders! TH13TEEN was even better than I expected and I was so thrilled to be one of the first people in the UK to experience it with the people I’d bonded with during bootcamp!”

Dominique Sidley, Head of Corporate Events at the Alton Towers Resort said “The Alton Towers Resort prides itself on offering unique corporate facilities that will entertain guests from start to finish. We have created a unique, one of a kind event with the bootcamp package and believe the fun, challenging and interactive activities will benefit any group looking to build team relations.”

Useful links

Alton Towers Resort Corporate Events