Query re team building

Premier_2

debt4evernot wrote: »

...There certainly won't be any catering as we have a blanket ban on even tea,coffee, etc for meetings so imagine it will be either held at work or at work outside hours. Some of us have a huge workload and have been doing unpaid overtime to help clear it so a day away from work is going to have a massive impact. Oh joy!

You are entitled to be paid whilst attending such training (unless the company tell you it is entirely voluntary)

I doubt the company will pay you all o/t to attend training if they can't afford to pay you o/t for the work that is required to be done, or even spare the price of a cuppa.

DVardysShadow

Premier wrote: »

...or they simply run out of money to pay for such training to improve performance ... usually shortly followed by money to pay the employees wages.

If it is that bad, the team building exercise is most likely to hasten the demise of the company.

It would be hypocritical, if you think about it, for a company to put on a team building day without having got everyone involved to buy into it to some extent. If they just compel everyone to go, without selling the idea, this is the complete antithesis of team building.

Unfortunately companies do get themselves into a pickle where they recognise things are wrong and they need everyone on side to put things right. Often the people who have the most constructive input are those at the bottom. You start putting things right by listening - not by getting their backs up by ordering them to go on a team building exercise before you have gained some measure of confidence from them. The first hurdle to cross is getting everyone's agreement to go.

Unless it is the army.

debt4evernot

Thanks again everyone - interesting replies. What I can't understand is why the whole Dept is not doing it - just a small group of people?

jimbms

We have a team building exercise every Friday, the way it works is the last one to log off and get across the road buys the first round and the last one standing several hours later has the challenge of getting the rest home in taxis, seems to work fine for us and there is loads of enthusiasm when people join in which is optional.

Evilm

debt4evernot wrote: »

Thanks again everyone - interesting replies. What I can't understand is why the whole Dept is not doing it - just a small group of people?

It seems to be weird targeting a small portion of the department. I would say unless it is in work time then you have the right to say no.

I would talk to some of the others that have been invited quietly and see what their take on it, its easier to refuse if you are not the only one!

Zazen999

debt4evernot wrote: »

Thanks again everyone - interesting replies. What I can't understand is why the whole Dept is not doing it - just a small group of people?

Have you asked why they are only sending a small number of the team on a team building exercise? Isn't that defeating the object?

However - it is bad management that causes bad departments; I suspect they have ulterior motives in this.

debt4evernot

Once again thanks for all your replies and I agree with nearly everything and thanks for all your input.

I am the type of person that just sits and gets on with work and doesn't normally question anything except to myself but it is becoming increasingly difficult. 18 months ago we were a well oiled department and then 3 managers came in and we're not well oiled anymore!

I know there are already another couple of staff not happy but think I might have to be brave and ask why the whole dept are not doing it as it doesn't make sense to me!

LittleVoice

What constitutes a department?
How many people in the department?
How is the department organised?
Are the administrators a team within the department?
Would working smarter help sort out the problems in the long term?
What have the 3 managers done or not done which you think affects the outcome?
Did you have managers in those positions before?
What changes have happened over the last 18 months (other than simply 3 new people arriving)?