Incentive - September 2008 - (Page 72)

Action! Start Teambuilding Now! By Rob Carey lthough most everyone in business has lived for years by the mantra “do more with less,” it looks as if the time of reckoning has truly arrived. The most recent economic forecasts call for painfully slow growth and higher unemployment between now and mid2009, if not longer. So with employees especially mindful of the need to prove their own value to management to avoid layoffs, it’s unlikely that many of them currently harbor the spirit to assist and support coworkers in their duties. Nonetheless, some firms are making the considerable effort to implement team-building programs, complete with pre-event assessments of group dynamics as well as continuous post-event follow-up. And despite the extra work that teambuilding brings to all participants—plus the cost—these companies are counting on a return-on-investment through increased efficiency, productivity and innovation. They’re also seeking to make employees more satisfied, and thus more loyal. “Teambuilding in difficult times should be aimed at the most valuable people in the company,” says Shawn Dunning, a director and lead facilitator for Adventure Associates, based in San Francisco. “It’s about learning how to stay effective through all this change: downsizing, reorganizing, mergers and shrunken sales. But the longer you wait A Many companies find that tough times are the best times to motivate employees to work together

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - September 2008

Incentive - September 2008
Contents
Editor's Note: The Best of Times and...
Headlines
Cover Story: MetLife Rethinks Recognition
Incentive Interview: Russ Edelman
Case Study Orkin: The Presidential Treatment
Coca-Cola Bottling: The Sweet Taste of Success
Keep Cash Off the Hood: Auto Incentives
Handle with Care: Motivating After Layoffs
Start Spreading the News: PR Incentives
Planning: Got Lemons? Make Lemonade
Industry Veterans Speak: The President Slept Here
Motivation: Action! Start Teambuilding Now!
Incentive Primer: How To Reward Well
Motivation@Work: The Character Connection
Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do
Top Undiscovered Destinations: New Territory
Field Report: South Africa In Style
Field Report: Golf's Pilgrimage
Potentials Here and Now
In-Room Gift Ideas: Pillow Talk
Shopping Sprees: Shop Till You Drop
Gift Cards: Plastic Is Perfect
Advertiser Index
Last Word: Outsmart! Author James Champy
Special Supplement: Mexico

Incentive - September 2008