With the European Commission predicting that the British economy will go on to shrink until mid 2010 at the earliest, the next eighteen months will be a challenge for many small, medium and large firms. Keeping a motivated and connected workforce in such uncertain times may seem impossible, but that isn't the case. The IPA reported recently that KPMG have received plaudits from their workforce for introducing shorter hours and restructuring internally, rather than making redundancies to cut overheads. Car firms have followed suit introducing new working hours or having shut-downs. All this change in the work place however can lead to negativity amongst the workforce. A study by YouGov, on behalf of Investors in People UK found that 69 percent of employees expected to experience some degree of change in their working environment over the forthcoming year. These adjustments can lead to a workforce feeling unsure, concerned and concerned about their future. This leads to a drop off in performance and a lack of motivation. This is where corporate team building events can play a significant role in lessening the stress felt by the workforce, while increasing motivation and productivity levels. The days when such events were viewed by many as an excuse for a paid day off and little else, have been confirmed to be wildly inaccurate as plenty of research has shown that team building activities have a wide-ranging, positive effect on the workforce and in the office. A successful company team building activity can help the workforce in many ways. It increases the feeling of teamwork and being a valued part of the team, it strengthens the bonds between employees, it allows employees to be adaptable and respond positively to changing scenarios, something which is especially useful in the current economic circumstances. It allows workers to develop a greater sense of identity amongst the workers, allowing them to identify where the strengths of other workers members lie, as well as their individual strengths amongst the workers. The events promote a greater sense of team identity, enhances the notion of sharing a shared aim and achieving that amongst the team and fosters better self-esteem, respect towards others and increases motivation levels. The knock on effect of all these positives once the team returns to the office is that your team will work in a more connected way and on a task for longer, be more productive when they are working, they will be empowered to deal with problems effectively, they will be more aware of who to approach with a specific issue so that it may possibly be resolved quickly and efficiently. All this leads to better productivity for your business. It also means that when changes are implemented, the workforce has some frame of reference to use to enable them to cope with these adjustments, adapt accordingly and continue being productive in their new role, rather than simply stress about the adjustments being implemented and allow their motivation levels to deteriorate and productivity fall.
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