In business, as in sports, teams aren't hired. They are built. No matter how talented individual players are, they have to learn to work together in order to succeed. They have to know and trust one another.
Business experts say companies that create ways for their employees to interact positively at work and outside of work find enormous payoffs in employee productivity, motivation and morale.
 LEITA COWART/Special |
| Carl Cohen (right), a sales manager with Hadco, discusses Viking appliances with Dina Gundersen (from left), Kari Shepherd and other employees of Monte Hewett Homes during a company retreat at Château Élan. |
 LEITA COWART/Special |
| UPS employees Susan Fletcher check the expiration dates on medical supplies that they are preparing for shipment to Ethiopia from the MedShare International offices in Decatur. |
 LEITA COWART/Special |
| UPS employees Julie Morgan and James Rowe (from left) check the expiration dates on medical supplies that they are preparing for shipment to Ethiopia from the MedShare International offices in Decatur. |
 LEITA COWART/Special |
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Elizabeth Rasberry, a public relations employee at UPS, says employees can learn a lot about one another in team-building and volunteering situations. |
Fifteen months ago, Kari Shepherd took a job as sales manager and broker at Monte Hewett Homes, a builder of luxury custom homes in Atlanta. She knew she was facing a formidable challenge. "The housing market was tougher than any market had been in a long time," she said.
Instead of pushing the agents to work longer hours, she listened to their concerns and concentrated on building a stronger team.
"They wanted to meet less and get more value from the meetings. Instead of just commiserating about the market and comparing sales numbers, we decided to shift gears and focus on what we could do," she said. "Productivity isn't only about numbers, but about contacts made, the attractiveness of the model [homes] and referrals between [Monte Hewett Homes] communities."
Sales agents meet twice a month and start by discussing an inspirational book, such as "Who Moved My Cheese?" or "The Secret," or by doing a team-building exercise.
Sales, construction and administrative teams meet monthly at one of the company's neighborhoods to share ideas or hear a vendor speak about a particular product. Builders get better information about what incentives buyers want, and agents learn more about the houses they are selling.
In June, the whole company went to an Atlanta Braves game.
"This month, two of our vendors, Wells Fargo and Viking [appliances], suggested a meeting of agents at Viking's showroom at
Château Élan," Shepherd said. "We'll have
a sales meeting beforehand, do a little wine-tasting, cook a meal together and spend the night. This is a delightful treat for our sales agents, and everyone's excited."
By taking a positive approach, Shepherd said that new friendships formed and employees were building one another up.
"Everyone has the sense that 'we're all in it together.' People are committed and care about each other. We've created a safe place in a not-so-safe environment," she said.
'Let off steam'
Ray Bouléy always wanted a company that would nurture its employees and help them stretch professionally and personally. As president of Full Circle Real Estate Marketing, he's building that culture with a variety of team-building activities.
Every Friday afternoon, the 40 employees are invited to a "Family Therapy Meeting."
"There's no formal agenda. It's not mandatory. It's just a great way to let off steam. People were skeptical at first, but when they heard the laughter, they all started showing up," Bouléy said.
Once a quarter he passes a "Minister of Magic" baton to an employee, who is charged with coming up with a new company activity.
That's how employees ended up at WhirlyBall Atlanta in Roswell. WhirlyBall is a five-member team sport. Players in electrically powered bumper cars with jai alai-type rackets pass a whiffle ball down court and attempt to shoot it into the other team's goal.
"We had four different teams, each choosing its own team name and costumes, and competition was fierce," Bouléy said. "Everyone was concentrating on that silly little ball, and it was so much fun."
Employees also went sky diving together, had a karaoke night and attended a ballet performance.
"One of our employees is married to a dance master, so we got a backstage tour that made the ballet approachable and a fun experience. No one felt it was too high-brow," Bouléy said.
He said that the team-building activities let everyone bond on a personal level. He sees evidence of bonding when workers share inside jokes at the office about things they've done together.
"I consider it part of human resource management — looking after the health of the company — and the return on investment is exponential," he said.
Uniting for a cause
On the more serious side, Bouléy's employees also give back by working with CHRIS Kids, which serves abused and homeless children in Atlanta.
"When people are nurtured, they want to give back, and we help them find ways to do it," Bouléy said. "What that does for the heart and soul is amazing."
Volunteering together as co-workers helps the community and also breaks through the cubicle walls of a large corporation like United Parcel Service, said Jim Schaechter, project manager in industrial engineering.
He started working at a UPS center in a small Illinois town 22 years ago and got involved in volunteer efforts. In larger cities, the needs are greater, the population is more spread out, and it's harder to coordinate people's schedules for volunteering.
UPS overcomes the obstacles through its Neighbor-to-Neighbor network of departments that adopt local charities and through the UPS Foundation. Initiatives such as UPS's "100 Days of Caring," to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary in 2007, and its annual Global Volunteer Week further its efforts to give back to the communities it serves.
"I learned early on that, when you can get people involved and focused on a volunteer effort, it brings a sense of community back to the workplace," Schaechter said.
A group of UPS packaging-operations experts recently used their skills to improve operations at Open Hand/Atlanta, which provides freshly cooked meals and nutrition services to people with HIV/AIDS, homebound seniors and others.
"As industrial engineers, we can't watch someone emptying pallets without counting steps and figuring out a more efficient way to do it. I think [Open Hand] appreciated us and our help," Schaechter said.
He knows that the activity helped the UPS workers have fun and bond outside the office, while supporting a worthy cause.
"When you're sorting food with all levels of co-workers, you get to know them on a more personal level. You learn things about them that you wouldn't ordinarily know," Schaechter said. "Knowing someone's specialties and interests helps you to know who to call for a work project."
With four generations of people in the work force, volunteering opens up new ways of communicating.
Elizabeth Rasberry in UPS public relations remembers a conversation about workers' first concerts.
"For some, it was New Kids on the Block; for others, it was the Rolling Stones or Ike and Tina Turner. That's something you'd never discuss in a business meeting," she said.
While working on a Habitat for Humanity build, Rasberry was surprised to find that one of her female co-workers knew her way around tools and drywall very well.
"She's a Web designer for us, so who knew she was rebuilding her home?" Rasberry said.
In a company that prides itself on a diverse work force, getting employees together in a non-work environment allows people to see one another in a new light, said Stu Sutliff, department manager of customer information management. "That's team-building, because you are enhancing business relationships."
Volunteering is a great equalizer, said Shellie Olds-Johnson, supervisor for customer information management and Neighbor-to-Neighbor coordinator for her department. "When you're all pulling weeds, everyone is on an equal level," she said.
Her department adopted the Drake House, which provides emergency housing and services for homeless women and children in north Fulton County.
"They had purchased a house for the center's programs, and we provided the sweat equity to renovate it. We ripped out carpet, put down new floors, shoved furniture around and did a lot of yard work. It was work but a joy to help this organization," Olds-Johnson said.
She likes volunteering with people she doesn't see every day and learning about their different skills and personalities.
"It gives you another point of reference for sharing," she said. "We're a stronger work team, because we give back together."