“The team you belong to at work is an important part of who you are,” says Aileen Santos, a creative leadership coach and training consultant.

It pays to participate in a session that’s meant to make your work environment more fulfilling and satisfying, but if you lack commitment and willingness to participate, you could just end up wasting your time.

Do any of the complaints below sound familiar? Here’s how to deal with them.


COMPLAINT #1: “I WON’T ENJOY IT BECAUSE I’M NOT AN EXTROVERT.”

“You can’t fault an employee for not easily opening up if that’s how she is as a person,” says Jem Jerusalem, a human resources director with almost 20 years’ experience in facilitating company team-building sessions. He adds that, while you don’t have to reveal anything that makes you uncomfortable, “you have to declare your real strengths and weaknesses so you know what to contribute and where to get help.” He suggests using the opening phrase, “My areas for improvement are...”


COMPLAINT #2: “I’LL END UP ARGUING WITH A CO-WORKER.”

The activities are meant to draw out issues and strengthen team relationships, but the session is not a venue for a showdown with that annoying co-worker. “It’s best to resolve this on your own, either before or after the team-building session,” says Santos. If you think that a damaged working relationship with a colleague is beyond fixing by yourself, then it’s time to approach your team leader or session facilitator for help.


COMPLAINT #3: “I’M REALLY BAD AT SPORTS. THE TEAM MIGHT JUST LOSE BECAUSE OF ME.”

If you’re not athletic, bring it up with the team leader or the facilitator beforehand. “The team members’ physical abilities and health issues should be a major consideration when planning team activities,” says Santos. “Training consultants and facilitators now have a vast array of activities to help different kinds of teams achieve their team growth goals—and they don’t always have to include sports.”


COMPLAINT #4: “IT’S SO STUPID.”

If the idea of bonding with your team doesn’t appeal to you, then bring it up prior to the session, say the experts. While it’s your team leader’s job to make sure the session serves everyone’s needs, you, as a participant, need to be proactive and express what you think would make it more relevant to you.


COMPLAINT #5: “IT’S JUST A WASTE OF TIME.”

Keep in mind that a team-building session is just the beginning of getting a team to work together. The real work begins after the session has ended. “One team-building session will not yield miracles,” says Jerusalem. Issues won’t magically disappear after the session, nor will processes automatically run more smoothly. But resolutions and systems should have been set in place to help the team operate more harmoniously and efficiently.

As Santos puts it, the hard part isn’t the session itself. “[It’s when] the team members actually implement the strategies learned in the team-building session,” she says. “But when they’re able to do that, then the team is not only empowered, but also grows in the direction they need to.”


Looking for more articles on improving your working relationships? Check these out:

• Office Outsider: 5 Ways You Could Be Missing Out on Team Bonding
• Keep Calm and Carry On: 5 Tips to Dealing with Tension in the Workplace
• Think Positive: Focus on Your Co-Workers' Good Traits for a Harmonious Workplace
• Keeping It Professional: 5 Tips for Working with Your Significant Other
• Getting Your Point Across: 5 Tips to Avoid Miscommunication

(First published as “One with the Team?” in the November 2008 issue of Marie Claire Philippines, as part of its You First: Careers section. Adapted for use in Female Network. Photo by Teak Sato via sxc.hu.)