I Love Team Building

We should all run our companies like AGM Container Controls. Check out their stats on employee retention!

http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2009/06/26/news/doc4a451f1e5e299274621765.txt

Increasing productivity, reducing absenteeism and increasing retention are all things that translate to a stronger bottom line. And there are no doubt many variables that affect these factors. I’ve heard of many, but here is a new one - sustainable offices:

“Employers are increasingly correlating their sustainable offices with increased work productivity, lower absenteeism and higher employee retention — significant advantages for businesses of all shapes and sizes.”

Unfortunately the article I read cites no source for this claim…I’d be interested to hear whether anyone can substantiate it. Here is the article.

Also…what do YOU think?

I’ve long been an advocate of the importance of happy employees. And happy employees meansbetter retention rates and even more importantly, engaged customers. PeopleMetrics has proven a connection between Customer Engagement and a company’s overall financial health. It underscores the paramount importance of investing in the happiness of your employees.

Read this: http://blog.people-metrics.com/costco-case-study-employee-passion-increases-employee-retention-and-customer-engagement/

Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, gives excellent insight in the value of a team in this recent article in Success Magazine.

Excerpt: “without effective teamwork, without a cohesive group of people leading an organization, a company cannot begin to tap into the potential that it has in any other areas.”

Enjoy!

Although salary is an important piece of what keeps an employee working for you, it is not necessarily a significant factor in what keeps that employee engaged and motivated. Excellent thoughts on this topic in this article by Ken Thomas.

http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3ia63351ea832b17bff55792cc22591fee

Excellent article that explains the importance of team building duing hard times. It is posted in our LinkedIn group for team building providers: Rallying the Troops

I’ve created a LinkedIn group for team building providers. http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1986719  It is a place where we, as providers of team building services (including business owners, staff and facilitators) can share ideas and resources, talk about industry-related issues and improve the offerings that we provide.

Please join & contribute.  Thank you for your interest!

The power of play for work teams is well described in this article, an interview with Kevin Carroll, author of The Red Rubber Ball at Work: Elevate Your Game Through the Hidden Power of Play

I always encourage corporate goups to clearly define their objectives before sourcing team building activities. This article is a clear example of a manager who needs to spend more time on this.

Here is a unique way that one company ensured their employees would be loyal and motivated. It is a story about Lance, Inc.  Read on…

How does a new manager impact the dynamics and effectiveness of a work group?  Read this article and find out.

Telecommuting is on the rise.  And it is also a great way to cut costs and retain employees. Check out this article for more information.

This is NOT the kind of team building program that is offered at Critical Pathfinders!  I wonder what Tony’s legal department would say about this activity!?!

If you are facing challenges with employee retention, then you need to read this posting.  There are great thoughts on why people leave, what to do when you’ve determined why they leave and ways to retain employees for longer. 

Team building is also a great way to retain employees and make them feel part of the team.

Anyone who leads a team should read this.

Testimonials for Leveraging the Power of Crisis:

“The session was brilliant.  I deepened my understanding of the phrase “As within, so without”.  I got exciting new tools on how to manage the within -  the state of being.   I had a number of A-Ha moments.  A wonderful experience.”
— Andrew Kaye, Century 21 Miller

I thought it was an excellent session and am now regularly using the techniques I learned.”
Mark Sharland, President, The Headway Partnership Inc.

Are you a senior manager that is making layoffs? Or maybe your layoffs are done. Some great tips for getting back to work.

Learn how your organization can gain a significant competitive advantage by proactively seeking opportunity and shifting mindset during recessionary times. Check out our video:

Want a taste of what our team building scavenger hunts look like? Just watch this short video:

Great article in today’s Globe about continuing to motivate employees during hard times.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090206.CAMOTIVATE06/TPStory/Business