Team Building

Companies in Europe are not necessarily a cluster of individualists. Many of them give emphasis on team building event. At an affiliate in Belgium (more than 300 employee) to which I belonged for 5 years, such event for all the managers is organized two times a year.

Each time we invite an expert externally (VIP from our customers, consultants, business school professors etc.) for lecture. After that session we enjoy a fun-game in a small group to learn what really teamwork is. The entire program is facilitated elaborately by HR department, with hands-on support of specialized HR development company.

Besides, on the first Friday evening of December, now all the employees (expect those on night shift) join Christmas party. A relatively large restaurant not so distant from the office is fully reserved for the event. It is not merely a dinner party; we have blast with mini-entertainments (comedy play, music etc.) planned and performed by the employees themselves.

The crucial point here is that the company do not spare expense and workload for such events, even when the company is somewhat underperforming.
Team building; don’t underestimate the importance for management of company.