Note: This article is provided by Stef du Plessis as a service to decision-makers planning to launch an initiative aimed at improving the performance of their people, whether to develop individual employees, or building more effective teams. South African spelling conventions have been used throughout.

Prospective clients who want to improve the performance of their people often approach me for advice. More often than not, it's with the hope that I have some a magic formula to cure the symptoms of whatever slump they happen to find themselves in.

At the very outset, here's the bad news: there are no quick fixes. Yes, you can improve the performance of your people. But personal and team effectiveness is the reward that lies at the end of a long, and oft arduous journey. And it costs.

ONCE-OFF INITIATIVES VS. LONG-TERM INTERVENTIONS

Whilst once-off events do have merit, but human behaviour and team performance cannot be addressed, let alone improved, in a single intervention. In order to experience sustained improvement, you need to invest in ongoing, long-term initiatives – but this paper does not address these solutions (browse my website to find information on long-term solutions).

Before we start: What qualifies me to voice an opinion on the various people development and team building methodologies? Here's some background...

The Institute for International Research has billed me as "one of the world's leading practitioners when it comes to teams and team leadership".

‘The EPIC Group’, which is the company that I have built together with my Australian-based business partner, has conducted some of the most comprehensive people development interventions ever undertaken in South Africa, and a few pretty sizeable interventions around the world. I have facilitated programmes around the globe, with teams from some 20 countries. Over the past decade, I have worked with teams from across the broad spectrum: from small entrepreneurial start-ups, through to "Top 100" companies from most industries - ranging from aviation to agriculture. I've worked at all levels of the organisation: with the workforce, supervisors, managers, executives, and often all the way up to the board and its directors. I have worked with organised labour: from shop stewards to the national leadership of the most powerful unions in SA.

I've also worked with the police and military, and with government; with educational institutions ranging from schools to universities. With hospitals and with sports teams at international level. Through the years, I have employed all of the techniques discussed in this article.

Some of our interventions have been measured and assessed by leading organisational behaviour assessment specialists (employed independently by the client to determine the effectiveness of the intervention, and to measure their return on investment). Based on these assessments, we were able to evaluate the potential success rates of the various commonly used performance enhancement and team-development methodologies.

Based on all of the above, it would be fair to say that this is a well-informed opinion (even in spite of the disclaimer which appears at the foot hereof).

HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT ENHANCING PERFORMANCE?

There are as many ways to grow your people and build effective teams as there are facilitators and practitioners who are willing to sell their time. There are far too many philosophies and models to provide you with any meaningful insight on the full spectrum within the limitations of this document. All I hope to accomplish in this short overview is to provide some understanding of the most prominent people development and team building methodologies – bearing in mind that, as I’ve said, not too much can be accomplished in a once-off session:

• Fun Events
• Adventure Based Team Building
• Experiential Learning
• Keynote Speeches
• Structured Team Development and Outcome-Based Team Development

FUN EVENTS

These provide good, clean fun, through events like mini olympics, corporate games, go-cart racing, paint-ball war games, and the like. These events are normally undertaken as an in-house initiative, "catered" by hotel staff (of the hotel where you are holding your conference) or by the operators of theme parks and activity centres where your event is being held. ("In-house" means that you run the event without having to contract in the services of someone like myself).

Of course it is true that a good facilitator will be able to use a "Fun Event" as a vehicle to mobilise both individuals and teams - but since there are far superior methodologies at our disposal, it is unlikely that this will be my vehicle of choice. The fact of the matter is that those facilitators who are in the business of facilitating interventions that bring about real organisational development, and who commit themselves to delivering measurable results, are unlikely to busy themselves with running "Fun Evens". And in the absence of a good facilitator, no real learning outcome can be expected.

Whilst participants are sure to have fun – after all, that’s the point, isn’t it? - no real learning takes place, and it would be unrealistic to expect any behavioural change whatsoever.

These events do however have a place: as reward, or as social outings - in which case the event should be aimed at producing pure fun and creating an environment for social interaction - but not under the guise of team building.

I’m not in the entertainment business, so I do not facilitate this type of event (which is not to say that my programmes are not entertaining!). I’m in the business of helping individuals, teams, and their leaders to become more effective, and to improve their workplace culture – and this cannot be accomplished with a fun event as the vehicle.

ADVENTURE BASED TEAM BUILDING

The key ingredient here is risk - whether real or perceived. There are a myriad of methodologies, ranging from adventure experiences like white water rafting and abseiling, to high-ropes courses. Although not strictly speaking and "adventure activity", fire walking would fall into this category.

These activities have two main outcomes: building personal confidence; and igniting a feeling of camaraderie among participants.

On the down side: the obvious physical risk (that’s why you are going to have to sign an indemnity). Before you embark on an Adventure Based event, ask yourself what the outcome will be should a participant suffer serious injury or death? Or how you'll cope if one of your people are emotionally traumatised?

Consider the liability that your company may face - and contemplate the risk that you run in terms of personal liability should an employee, or their estate, be successful in bringing a lawsuit against you. Also be sure to look at the extent of the Public Liability and Personal Indemnity cover carried by the service provider - and check to see whether your medical aid and group scheme covers self-inflicted injuries (because that's how injuries sustained as a result of voluntary participation in and adventure activity would be classified). While you're at it, you may want to also check out the safety standards of the operators and their equipment - be sure to check that their equipment is maintained and serviced according to manufacturers specifications - failing this, their insurance won't pay out either... that’s if they are insured to start with. Perhaps you want to inspect the logbooks and records for their equipment (assuming again that they have any): again for insurance purposes, and also because most materials and equipment used in adventure based activities have limited lifespan and very specific stress exposure guidelines. Ensure that the operators and their aides are amply qualified. Ask to see their certification. And keep good records of all of your enquiries and inspections - after all, you'll have to present these in court. Oh yes, also be sure to read the small print on the indemnity that you and your staff will be asked to sign - in particular, check whether the operators are indemnifying against negligence (doesn't this make you wonder why?). And don't forget to check that an amply equipped, medically qualified person will be hand, and that there is a medical evacuation plan in place.

From a more practical perspective, many participants resent such activities (but participate through sheer peer pressure). The result is that quite the opposite of "team building" is achieved – in addition to which no behavioural change is facilitated, and there is no long-term benefit.

In my view, this type of event has no application when it comes to the development of people and teams in a corporate environment. With my back against the wall, I would concede that adventure events could possibly be used as a part an executive breakaway. Application should then be limited to small executive teams, with the proviso that all participants are in peak physical condition, and that they all also participate in adventure activities in their own time anyway (this excludes the individual who used to participate in these activities "once upon a time" - even if s/he is still in good physical shape). Furthermore, it should only be attempted by well-established, very mature teams, and only where high levels of trust are evident. But the truth is that there simply aren't many teams who meet all of these criteria. So, as a general rule – in my personal opinion, at least - these activities have no place in the corporate environment, and should be avoided at all cost.

Just so you know: My opinion is based on first-hand experience. I have facilitated Adventure Based Activities extensively in the past, and through years of experience have come to realise that these activities present an inherent risk (apart from the obvious physical dangers), and that there is a grave potential for "team demolition", rather than “team-building”. As a result I no longer involve myself with these activities.

What further validates my opinion is the fact that, as a retired career soldier, I served with highly specialised units where I was trained as an instructor in the application of processes designed to "motivate and achieve personal growth through exposure to risk and through the use of --fear motivation--” (if such a thing exists!). My final posting was that of commanding officer of an elite Parachute Battalion with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, where I experienced firsthand the merits of "bonding through hardship". Whilst this concept does have merit in the context of the military, its application is not suited to the corporate environment.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES (ELA)

Real-world situations are simulated, thus creating learning opportunities whereby participants can "learn by doing". Through the application of ELA, an experienced facilitator can create a non-threatening environment, thus allowing participants to have fun, whilst experiencing firsthand the effect of their behaviour. The team can now determine whether they are pulling together, or pulling apart - and they can identify, understand, and learn the core competencies that will ensure effective teamwork. Through the acquisition of new skills, participants are able to change their behaviour, and teams can bring about lasting change.

Experiential Learning is a recognised adult learning methodology, and as such it is one of the techniques that I make use of in some of my programmes. But it constitutes only one dimension of an effective team development intervention, and cannot achieve real results in itself.

KEYNOTE SPEECHES

As a speaker who has made thousands of paid presentations over the past 20 years to more than 500 000 people on 5 continents, and who is recognised as one of South Africa's most influential speakers by peers, associations and clients alike... and with the benefit of a solid academic background (namely, a Masters degree in leadership), I can also speak with authority (if you'll excuse the pun) when it comes to the effectiveness of one-hour speeches on personal or organisational effectiveness.

No matter who the speaker may be: no one-hour speech will have a strategic impact on your organisation. Period. There is no debate to be had here.

The speaker worth their fee will no doubt inspire, inform and enlighten their audience in an entertaining manner. Perhaps even educate. And for a very, very (very!) small fraction of audience members, listening to a speaker can indeed be a life-changing event.

But no speaker can bring about lasting results across an entire audience. As speakers, we simply create the platform from which a people development initiative can be launched, and we boost the initial momentum. Don't ever employ a speaker who promises more than this. Not ever.

That said, there is a distinct place for motivational speakers and what they have to say in the corporate world (thank heavens!). No conference or corporate breakaway should be without one: the right speaker will set the tone and cement your message. Listening to an eloquent and well informed speaker is indeed tonic: and your people deserve this privilege. But have realistic expectations, and employ the right speakers for the right reasons. A caution: you only ever get what you pay for, so don’t shop in the ‘bargain basement’ for your speaker.

A well-structured, content rich presentation, followed by ongoing reinforcement will however result in measurable transformation. I have developed a comprehensive series of online programmes to help your people to entrench what they learn at the event – let me know if you’d like more info.

FINDING THE RIGHT SPEAKER, PRESENTER OR FACILITATOR

I am frequently contacted by prospective clients who are simply shopping for the lowest bidder or the cheapest solution – and, where clients are driven primarily by this need, it normally doesn't take long for us to agree that I’m not who they are looking for.

My solutions are not “cheap”. Cost effective, yes. Great return on investment, yes. Effective, yes. Cheap? No.

Without doubt, the single most important decision that you will be faced with when it comes to developing your people will be your choice of speaker, presenter or facilitator. And if there were one piece of advice that I can offer, it would be this: Employ the very best resources that you can find. In fact, I would go as far as to say that you are better off not running any intervention at all, rather than going with the cheapest available solution.

Here’s why: Sustainable change and organisational development calls for a multi-disciplinary approach, and thus demands a highly skilled facilitator: the right one will be informative, while being entertaining and funny; they will inspire confidence; be articulate; have a solid academic background, honed through hands-on practical experience (both in business and as a facilitator).

Don’t become the testing ground for anyone! Your facilitator should come with an impressive track record (preferably with case studies of successes from within your own industry, and definitely at the level of seniority which you want them to function at within your own organisation). Beware of both the purely academic, and of those who rely wholly on street smarts. Mostly, beware of the cheap ones - there is a reason why they're cheap.

Remember that a failed "teambuild" doesn't leave you where you were - it puts you back - sometimes so far back that you may never repair the damage done.

You need someone who is versatile, and skilled enough to facilitate, rather than just train. This means that s/he should be equipped to go where the team leads them, rather than to work from a pre-determined programme. This in itself is an acid test: whilst team-builders and facilitators are to be found everywhere, there is literally only a handful - if that many - who are skilled enough to function in this manner. That's why they are in high demand, and also why they command serious fees.

Don't shop for a bargain - the results will be discounted. Buy the best you can find.

REMEMBER THIS WHEN SELECTING YOUR FACILITATOR

• The past predicts the future - ask for references.
• There are no quick fixes - organisational development is a process.
• Executive buy-in is a must - the top team must be the custodians of the process.
• Good facilitators know that they are good - they are thus willing to stand (or fall) by their results. So insist on guarantees.
• What you pay for is what you get - there are no bargains.

WHY BOTHER INVESTING IN YOUR PEOPLE?

Because when your people know where they're going; agree on how they're going to get there; and understand why they're going there; yours will become "the best place to be" for all stakeholders. You will create a winning culture. Productivity will increase; your customers will have memorable experiences; and your bottom line will pick up. And where safety is a factor in your workplace, this too will improve.

Limit of liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the author has used his best efforts in preparing this article, he makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the article and specifically disclaims and implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose. The information, advice and strategies herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. The author shall not be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. E&OE

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