Employee Team Building NYC

Despite it being 2013, America is still feeling the effects of the 2008 financial crisis. Though headed in the right direction, the economy is sluggish; hiring isn’t as robust as it needs to be, and people are still working really, really hard just to tread water, let alone advance in their careers. Here in NYC, team building activities such as ours are mostly conducted with a stated primary goal of “boosting morale” among stressed out, underpaid & stagnated staff.

A good deal of the companies I see are in transition, and regrettably, some are in crisis: recent/imminent layoffs, cost-cutting, restructuring, rethinking. Senior managers are understandable focused on righting the ship, and are in regular contact with each other both during and after work hours (probably a bit too much, I’m sure it feels like).

For the leadership of those companies in crisis, I have one question: have you been communicating with the rest of the staff as well?

Far, far too often, the answer is no.

If you think you’re stressed out during this difficult time, imagine what it’s like to be one of the rank-and-file staff – trust me, they know the company is facing challenges, and you’d better believe they are scared out of their wits. Now add onto that an informational blackout from the top: no communication, no updates, no nothing. How do you think that makes your people feel?

Maybe I’m wrong, but having produced so many employee team building activities in NYC and elsewhere – not to mention my fair share of personal office experience as well – I sometimes think that senior management just doesn’t care that much about how worker bees feel, if at all. Especially during times of crisis, there’s a sense that senior management is all that matters, and screw everybody else – we don’t have to tell them anything, and if they don’t like it, they can leave.

I think this is both unfortunate and incredibly short-sighted. Work is done by people, and people respond well to being treated like people, not cogs. During rough patches, your staff will want to understand what is happening, as well as what they can expect in the immediate as well as long-term future. Keep them informed, and they will come together in order to help lift the company out of the darkness; keep them in the dark, however, and that’s where they – and you – shall stay.