Do team building exercises improve the quality of your PR team’s performance?

One of the reasons it is so hard to define PR is because it is such a diverse industry. It isn’t just about communicating and persuading, it also requires understanding complex technology. Depending on the task in hand, a PR team may contain people with skills ranging from those who are brilliant at picking up the phone, to those who actually understand what search engine optimisation means. As there are so many different types of people working with PR jobs, the problem is making sure they all get along.

For example, at PR firm Weber Shandwick, much of the business is global and cross-practice, yet the firm must present a consistent “Weber Shandwick experience” for all clients and employees. For one client, Honeywell International, work spans 17 markets in EMEA and brings together members of technology, corporate and consumer teams. So how does the firm use team-working practices to help everyone pull together? Peter Ross, deputy managing director of technology says: “Seamless collaboration is the name of the game. We expose all our employees to our full-agency capabilities as early as possible in their career through presentations, inter-office work experience and social gatherings. When they are in town, we encourage colleagues from different countries to spend time with our team and provide a snapshot of what PR life is like in their market.“

Working in such a global firm is high pressure. This means that another important element of team building is helping people enjoy themselves. A colleague of Ross, technology director Tali Kramer, says: “We are always looking for those little moments to gather everyone together to celebrate success or recognise achievement. Furthermore, we encourage people to get up and speak with colleagues rather than use email. In addition, a drinks trolley snakes its way through the practice every Thursday evening, serving up wine, canapés and, most importantly, conversation. Collectively, these activities create that all-important unity for the practice.”

Sometimes you just need to get away
 

Lucy Smith, account executive at PR agency CM Porter Novelli, describes a recent team-building event she attended at Crieff Hydro hotel, Perthshire:

“Just two weeks after joining, I was sent as part of a team on a 36-hour away day at the Highland hotel and resort, Crieff Hydro. As a new member of staff I was a bit apprehensive about spending so much time with perfect strangers, but at least I could look forward to getting outdoors and relaxing in the Victorian spa." 

“In the event, I needn’t have worried at all. We started the day with a team chat where we discussed new business and the issues of the day, played with the hi-tech equipment in the hotel’s new meeting rooms and scoffed delicious home-made muffins. Hard work out of the way, we were picked up and driven across the estate for our outdoor activity sessions. Archery brought out our competitive characters (and some awful jokes about hitting targets) and my inability to keep an off-road Segway upright hasn’t been forgotten. The ice was well and truly broken by dinner time and we bonded again the next morning over coffee and full breakfasts." 

“Before our outing to Crieff I was a little cynical about the value of teambuilding, but our overnight trip did bring us together and helped us work better as a team.”

What makes for good team building?
 

Ana Mangahas, head of business at agency Firefly Communications:

“Humour, humility and knowing how to get the best out of your teams are essential team-building blocks. Being aware of personality types is key, but only as a guideline – not a rule. Pairing opposite types on a project can often yield more and better results than two, too-similar colleagues.”
 

Jodelle Mayoda, intern at agency Voodoo Communication:

“Anything that involves eating and laughing together can help a PR team to build strong relationships. What better than a good meal and a lot of fun to turn simple co-workers into good friends and thus a real team?”
 

Warren Johnson, managing director of agency W Communications:

“A mix of leading from the front and heavy drinking.”