work #8 -Team building is a scam

work #8 - Team building is a scam - The concept of team building is a scam. If you go on Google and search what these two words mean, you will find several definitions. I will quote some definitions for you.

Team building is the action or process by which a group of people is made to work together effectively as a team, especially by participating in a series of events and actions designed to stimulate motivation and promote cooperation among the participants. Companies look for the professional services of trainers, for professional training to develop teamwork and improve morale. Team building is a management technique that increases the efficiency and performance of groups of employees through different activities. It involves a lot of skill, analysis, and observation to form a strong and capable team, to achieve the organization, vision, and objectivity that the company needs.

I could give you more definitions, but there is no point, because there are three reasons why corporations and companies support such projects and sustain such programs called “team building.”

One—because it’s good for the company’s image. Through the so-called team building programs, the company promotes equality between employees within the company and between team members. The company sends the message that employees are important, that it helps them develop their skills, and that it improves their relationships with colleagues. And so on.

Two—because these projects are not cheap, through such programs the company can obtain certain financial facilities if they support such projects, or they can even manage to avoid some taxes on account of the expenses that the company has made for a team building project.

And three—it’s something no company has ever told you or will ever tell you. And even less the trainers, those who teach these team building techniques, because it is the source of their income. The third reason is that in this way, the hierarchy already established in the company is kept. Under the motto that all team members must work together as a team, there will be no one to shine brighter than the others, because if someone shines brighter, he will be a threat to his superiors. And his superior doesn’t want that.

Now I will tell you why these projects are not only a scam, but why the result harms the employees and actually harms the company. If I were a CEO of a company, I would like to see all the qualities and abilities of my employees. Competition is something that team building does not approve, but competition shows the true qualities of employees. A competitive individual—and why not, a selfish spirit—shows the true abilities of a worker. When it’s about a job that is too demanding, not everyone can cope, and those who can’t cope have nothing to do in an environment that is too demanding or in a workplace that burns them out.

In fact, these projects protect the incompetent ones, and many times the concept of teamwork turns into “one is working for the team.” This is the concept by which many end up exploiting others who do not have a strong personality or a bigger capacity for work. On the other hand, those who have a strong personality and are more aggressive in their work—those who can work more and better, those who can complete tasks much faster and more easily—end up being destroyed by this teamwork concept. The aggressive ones, the strong ones who are able to carry the projects by themselves and bring them to a successful end, end up being underestimated.

And those who are not able to work like the aggressive ones, side by side with them, because they are not competent enough, end up being lifted up to the level of the capable ones. Their incompetence is protected by the so-called concept of teamwork. As a CEO, I would like to see all the “demons” in my employees—even their abilities or inabilities to be a team player—and to use each one according to their own strengths. It is a colossal mistake to put everyone under this teamwork concept. It’s not fair to those who are the best at what they do, because they end up carrying an entire team on their back without being recognized or seen for their true value.

And of course, as a CEO, I’m interested in seeing who is the best, and who is the weakest, and then to see if I can use the weakest and how or where. If I can’t use him, the best solution is to let him go. I won’t destroy a good team for those who are weak. Free expression shows people’s skills. Trying to train them to become something else so they can carry others who are weak on their back is wrong and a waste of time, because every person has his own personality. Trying to change their personality or correct their personality disorder would hurt them, and their job would be seen as a stressful job. I would destroy capable people with skills and abilities just to protect the incompetent ones who hide behind this teamwork concept.

Industrial-organizational psychology research supports this view to some extent: overemphasis on forced collaboration can dilute high-performer productivity and foster “social loafing,” where less competent members contribute minimally while benefiting from the efforts of stronger colleagues. Studies also show that competitive environments—when managed with fairness—can boost innovation, reveal leadership potential, and improve problem-solving efficiency, while artificially suppressing competition for the sake of “team harmony” may result in talent attrition and reduced organizational performance.