“This in my opinion has to do with people working together. It is a collective of people working towards one common goal. It is also the getting involved and helping out each other to obtain it.”
This interview is reaching out to a broad audience to help me (and you!) get a better understanding of just what people actually think about teamwork and how it impact their lives. I hope you enjoy it and maybe gain an insight or two.
Interviewee Profile
1) What is your official job / position title?
Manager
2) What is your direct supervisor’s official job / position title?
Owner
3) What industry do you work in?
Retail
4) How many years have you been in your current industry and job?
2
5) What are 3 to 5 of your most important skills, specialties, or areas of expertise?
Attention to detail, good communication, patience
Interviewee Responses
01) Describe (in your own words) what you think ‘teamwork’ means.
This in my opinion has to do with people working together. It is a collective of people working towards one common goal. It is also the getting involved and helping out each other to obtain it.
02) Think about a person you feel needs team-building training. How do you think this training would help him/her?
One person I could see needing something like this is my boss. He could really use this concept to better the overall team. I feel he likes to take actions as the lone wolf and makes everything harder on himself.
03) How do you think teamwork could help a company or business?
By working towards a common goal, the team would grow. It could help increase the profits of the company as, with this everyone would be on the same page.
04) Describe a teamwork / team-building exercise or event you’ve been through at your work, school, or during training.
A time that is recalled is a week long seminar we went to at work. In this seminar we were all paired together and led through a bunch of different exercises. By the end of the course we felt that we were all a bit closer.
05) Explain at least 1 thing you’ve learned from a team-building exercise and how it has helped you.
The thing I take with me the most is. I learned how to listen to the ideas and proposals of the people around me. Before this I would have the it’s my way or the highway mentality, but after the seminar I really learned to listen.
06) Think back to a team-building exercise you did NOT enjoy. What do you feel could have been improved and why?
A bit after the seminar my boss tried to organize something similar.He did not know what he was doing, and this ended up being an uncomfortable experience for all of those involved. We decided to hire professionals for this from then on.
07) Describe what you like most about team-building efforts and training.
Team building exercises have a lot of positives, and the most positive thing I took out of it was. I really had an opportunity to get to know my coworkers. Everyone really opened up and shared their ideas.
08) What are a few things you like least about team-building efforts and why?
In the ones I have participated there is not really not much to not enjoy. If I had to be nitpicking and point something out it would be it took time away from my real job. I had to attend this and perform my job on top of this. Nothing really wrong with the program, it is just it took time out of my busy day.
09) When learning about team-building, would you rather read about it, listen to a trainer, watch training videos, or physically participate in an event? Describe why you feel that way.
I have participated in all the forms mentioned above, and I must say I found it most recommendable to actually take part in the event. Watching videos and listening does not convey the entire message, at least for me it did not. So physical participation is my pick on this one.
10) Pretend you are asked to give a quick team-building presentation at work. What are your first couple of steps to get prepared?
First of all I have to clear my schedule of any appointments I may have. The next step would be to get myself in the listening mode. I walk in take notes of what is being discussed, I participate fully in all the exercises and I take the positive with me and I leave the negative behind.
11) In your opinion, what type or personality of person do you think could benefit most from team-building efforts?
I have found that the ones that benefit the most are the reluctant. What I mean with this, is that those who think they can do it all themselves usually are the ones that benefit the most and take advantage of this. I have found these people get immersed in the ordeal and cannot get enough of it. It is if as though they did not know how to do it,and that are the most observant and participatory
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