The way in which relations between superiors and subordinates as well as team members are built and maintained has a direct impact on the effectiveness of the activities carried out. Employees often perceive representatives of the managerial staff as unavailable or demanding people, to whom a certain distance should be kept. An integration test is one way to unleash the potential of all relationships and get rid of limiting blocks.
Organization of corporate events it's not that simple. Each team is a collection of individuals. Therefore, the manager must demonstrate the ability to approach each person in a slightly different way. A properly selected integration test can help in this, which in the form of fun will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each unit.
Integration test - where to start?
Each integration test has a specific running order. We start by explaining the rules of the game. Then we motivate people to take part in a specific activity. Sometimes external encouragement is needed, sometimes additional gratification, but often the mere awareness of the value of the integration game is enough for everyone to join it with pleasure.
It is important to show participants some examples of right and wrong actions when translating the rules of the game. People better remember content given in the form of specific examples. Let the participants ask questions. An integration test should be clear and understandable.
When deciding on an integration test, we should start by obtaining answers to the following questions:
- What activities do we need to focus on to properly implement it?
- What are the main risks associated with the implementation of the test?
- What will it lead to?
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Integration test – the goals we can achieve thanks to it
Integration methods employees may be different. An integration test for a large group most often has the following goals:
- Improvement of cooperation between employees - if traders are in conflict with accountants on a daily basis, then we can gather them into one group and give them a task that requires cooperation. In order to take the test, they will have to overcome mutual prejudices.
- Improvement of communication between departments - by dividing participants into subgroups, we move them between departments. The test will put the accountant in one subgroup with the marketing and HR specialist. Each of them will meet people from different departments, and it is known that the better people from different teams know each other, the better communication between these teams will be.
- The level of energy and motivation in the entire company - the test carried out during the trip perfectly raises the morale of the crew: people have a chance to observe that they can cope with challenges, that they work with interesting colleagues, that the company cares about its people and invests in them.
4. Internal Promotion organizational culture, mission and vision of the company - often through the appropriate scenario of classes and selection of exercises, the management board tries to show what behavior it rewards (e.g. creative approach to tasks). The integration test unites the crew around a common mission, which in in the form of a wisely constructed analogy and metaphor is presented in a specific task.
- Integration around changes - a test designed to boost people's morale before presenting them with a difficult change or to raise the level of energy of the crew after the company has gone through a difficult period.
- Integration after a merger and acquisition – e.g. an integration test conducted on members of two sales teams who, while previously competing fiercely, now need to get over their prejudices and work together seamlessly.
Integration test as a tool for building an effective team
Understanding employee needs is crucial from the point of view of maintaining motivation and building the right relationships. The integration test can be conducted both outdoors and in the classroom. Indoor games usually provide the least adrenaline, but they carry the greatest educational value, apart from strategic ones. They not only serve group integration. They can also develop very specialized skills, such as communication, project or change management.
Typical examples of such tests are tasks in which groups build structures specified by the trainer from the material provided to them, or have to get from one end of the room to the other by walking for a period of time.obstacles that can only be overcome when the group works together. Other tasks involve solving a complex problem when each participant has a different piece of information needed. Modifications are also popularteam ports, e.g. five people tied by the legs with one rope play ball.
Rope and climbing exercises are the most popular form of outdoor training. The integration test in this form provides emotions and is also available to people without fitness or climbing preparation. Typical tasks are bridges and rope descents, crossing over precipices, exercises in caves, approaching simple rocks. Properly developed, they can have an integrating and educational value