Teambuilding

No matter if the team has been newly formed or has been working together for years. There is always fluctuation and new members challenge the team structure. In order to enable smooth cooperation it is therefore important to regularly strengthen the cohesion, mutual understanding and trust within the team.

Especially in light of the fact that many teams are currently working remotely or in a hybrid way, leadership takes place at a distance and colleagues hardly have the opportunity to meet spontaneously in the hallway or at the coffee machine, it is particularly important to invest in exchange and personal relationships.

Workshop content:

• "Breaking the ice", getting to know each other better
• Kick-off for new or remote teams / project groups
• Role clarification and task distribution in the team
• Establish working agreements
• Individual strengths of each team member, their contribution to the team & personal motivators
• Develop Team Canvas
• Retrospective with regard to a project or the collaboration of the last weeks/months
  
• Developing self-image and building trust within the team
• Forster a "We"-Feeling/ a sense of togetherness

Example: Frequent retrospectives to strengthen "team health"

A retrospective is a review of the collaboration in relation to a recent project or generally the collaboration in a certain past period of time.
The key questions are:

• What is already going well?
• What should be improved?
• What ideas do we have for cooperation in the future or for new projects? How can future processes be optimized

The aim here is to look again and again, sometimes in detail, at where things did not run smoothly, where coordination did not work, where goals or tasks were unclear, where unplanned obstacles torpedoed the achievement of goals, etc.

The main objective is to learn from past experiences and improve team dynamics and working methods. The participants reflect on successes, challenges and opportunities for continuous improvement.

Conducting regular retrospectives in teams offers a number of advantages:

1. Continuous improvement: Through reflective feedback, teams can continuously improve the way they work. By finding out what worked well and what didn't, they can take targeted measures to optimize.
2. A stronger team: Open discussion about successes and challenges promotes a positive team culture. Team members feel heard and can work together on solutions, which leads to a stronger sense of togetherness.
3. Effective communication: Retrospectives promote open communication within the team. The opportunity to regularly share opinions and concerns builds trust and helps to identify and resolve conflicts.
4. Early detection of problems: Regular reviews allow teams to identify potential problems early before they become major obstacles. This enables a proactive approach to challenges.
5. Adapt to change: Teams can better adapt to change by continuously reviewing and adapting the way they work. This is particularly important in rapidly evolving environments, as is often the case in software development.
6. Increase motivation: Celebrating successes, smaller milestones and positive developments during the retrospective can increase the motivation of team members and help to maintain a positive working atmosphere.

Overall, retrospectives help to create a learning organization that focuses on continuous improvement and adaptation to changing requirements.

Why is it advantageous to bring in an external moderator to moderate a retrospective?

1. Neutrality and impartiality: An external moderator is generally not directly involved in the internal affairs of the team and is therefore more objective and neutral.
2. Focus on the process: Especially if a team member or even the team lead moderates the retrospective, there is a risk that the roles become mixed up and the clear view is distorted too much by the team's own view of the problem areas. An external moderator can lead the process more effectively and focus on the structure and success of the retrospective.
3. Professionalism, experience & new perspectives: External moderators often have experience and are professionally trained in moderating retrospectives. This ensures that the session is well structured and conducted effectively. They also often bring a wider perspective and different experiences as they have worked with different teams and organizations. This can help to develop innovative solutions to challenges and bring fresh ideas to retrospectives.