Business experts and managers say positive office dynamics add great strength to a business, while strained ones create strife. The say that as a manager you can not afford to leave such an important aspect of business that is team building to chance. However, observations of management circles in     Nigeria have shown that employees and management are usually at loggerheads, or a very high level of acrimony and distrust exist between them. Experts say there is no way a company would grow when such distrust exists. Others insist that the responsibility of maintaining a team building spirit among employees actually rests with the managers. A Director of a human resource firm Mr. Dominic Okoji said there were many ways for managers to bring a team together and foster the ability to work together as a whole.

He said employees were human, and as such, it was possible for acrimony to rise. He said managers could well manage such situations, if they apply certain management principles. It was necessary to communicate goals clearly, if the team building spirit was to be sustained. Employees look to management for basic company goals. When those goals are not clear disagreements will erupt as employees try to define goals themselves. By clearly laying out goals, everyone begins in the same place and understands where the business is going.’’

However, Okoji said defining a goal or communicating it was not enough. He said it was the duty of managers to communicate responsibilities clearly to employees so that the team building mentality could be sustained. He said, ‘’Offices run best and team spirit highest when everyone clearly understands their responsibilities. Provide each employee with a distinct definition of his or her own responsibilities, both individual and as relates to group projects.’’ By doing this, you are eliminating confusion over who is accountable for what, and allowing employees to relate without struggling over responsibilities’’  

The Assistant Director and Area Manager, Industrial Training Fund, Mrs. Folusho Samuel, said by providing equal training and growth opportunities for all, employees would work in harmony and team building spirit would be sustained. She said that rivalry amongst employees and destruction of team spirit in workplaces result from not making opportunities, including training, available to all. She explains, ‘’ Make sure that each member of your staff I trained and equipped to complete the task at hand; divisions surface when one member is unable to perform necessary duties.

’The provision of ongoing training is also very important. If additional time is needed, pair two employees to learn from each other. Make sure, though, that it is an equal teaching relationship where both employees are gaining new skills. This would benefit the business organization in the short and long- term.’’ Stakeholders say that despite theses ideas by experts on team building in the workplace, the reverse is always the case most time, as scheming, maneuverings and backstabbing remain the order of the day. An employee of a bank in Lagos. Mr. Matthew Waliki, said despite all the attempts of the management at building team spirit and camaraderie amongst staff, employees, for difference reasons, still find a way to go around creating bad blood and rivalry.

He said the office environment remained one of the places where team building would always be a mirage since all employees, including the management, were always scheming to get the top of their careers. He said, As much as team building in workplaces sound nice with the growth of the business in mind, it is always a case of do what I say and not what I do. All employees are potential politicians. They would gladly sacrifice their best friend and colleagues if that would advance their career cause. All employees know that. So, there is no too much pretence about that. ‘’ However, it is always good to know that despite all the shenanigans, the ability to work sincerely in a team, would not only benefit the individual, it would also uplift the organization.’’

The Director, Institute of Risk Management, United Kingdom, Mr. Joachim Adenusi, at a recent forum organized in Lagos by the Chattered Institute of Personnel Management, advised human resources practitioners to encourage relationships in the workplace, as this was also another way to build a team. He said this was necessary since no employee or organization, could lay claim to working or operating in isolation. He said, ‘’Most offices are busy places with many demanding deadlines. But allowing employees an occasional extended lunch to go out and relax together outside of the work environment, can build understanding that will transfer back into the office and improve working relationships.’’

He added that by empowering employees, and giving-making power to the people working on the project, team building would be assured. He said ‘’Give them the authority necessary to get their jobs done, but observe the process to make sure they are rising to the challenge.’’
(Culled from the Punch newspaper Wednesday July 16, 2008 pg 21)

Ofoegbuliwe Bella (BSC)
Audit Staff
Olajide and Associates Nig.
www.olajideassociates.com